Religious Action Center

2008 posts

Changing the Way We Care
Or why D.C. needs some therapy
Oranges vs. Slim Jims
Nutritional change will not be easy. But it can be done.
A Front Row Seat to History
Experiencing the ins and outs of the civil rights movement
Washington as my North Pole
A sense of fear and awe--and fish--pervades the city
Heels, the Finish Embassy, and Def Jam Poetry
All While Fighting for Better Treatment and Prevention of HIV/AIDS
There's nothing that irritates me more than political apathy
Why everyone should meet Bob Dole and rediscover their civic voice
Spreading the Word on Burma
A new sense of hope in changing the world
Your Not-So Average Starbucks
Advocating for abortion rights with a cup of coffee
Government Officials Watch Soap Operas
Apparently We Have Something in Common
On the Many Faces of My City
The MK experience brings new meaning to a D.C. veteran
A Passion for Justice is Stirred
Fighting Today--and Tomorrow
Policy and the City
A look at HIV/AIDS through the eyes of a D.C. advocate
Anything But Typical
At the RAC, a schmorgasboard of issues and advocacy
Law Enforcement in the Crosshairs
A shooting spree in Tucson reveals the threat of assault weapons
Supremely Fidgety
Spending the morning with the most powerful judiciary body in the world
Washington D.C.
through poetry and prose
Getting Silly--and Serious--in Washington, D.C.
My Experience in Washington Thus Far
Learning, Experience, and More Learning
A trip to the Hill yields frustration but not surrender
From Volunteering to Policy-making
Working at the NCH for the past few days has been exhilarating, exciting, and a little nerve wracking.
You Don't Mess with the White House
An introduction to Washington via its craziest inhabitants.
Rallying for the Unemployed in the Senate Swamp
So far at the Food Research and Action Center, I've learned about umbrellas, unemployment, and Utahns.
What time is it? Summer time!
The official 2008 MK welcome from Rabbi Michael Namath, Program Director at the RAC
An Internship in Review
Throughout the summer, I have done my part to end hunger. I'll take it back with me, too.
Machon Kaplans Rule Capital Hill
Today, putting their DC experiences to the test, Machon Kaplan interns lobbied on Capital Hill. They passed.
Minimum Wage Raises Hopes
Even though the minimum wage increased, there is still work to be done.
Family Caregivers
My generation will have to deal with the caregiver crisis. Now is the time to start.
Standing Up Together for Equality
We know what it’s like to be persecuted for being different. We also know if we don’t look out for others, there will be no one to look out for us.
Understanding How Lucky I Am
I am one of the lucky generation who simply cannot remember a time before a woman had the right to choose. Reproductive rights are as basic as equal rights. Up until now, I never actually had understood how lucky I was.
Not a Bad Way to Spend a Summer
Therefore, I’m taking this opportunity to thank the RAC for its profound impact on my life. I realize this may not be the exact purpose of this forum, but it’s something I want to say and what came out when I sat down to write. Throughout these five weeks, I’ve realized everything I mentioned earlier does not make me “less Jewish” than others.
Dodging Bullets
During the past month, Congress not only has failed our nation’s law enforcement officers, but also the American people, who will continue to be at risk to gun violence in communities across the country.
Keep loving, Keep fighting
I'm not an intern, but being an intern this summer has taken to be much more of a blessing.
People versus Deadlines
I am grateful to them for reminding me the importance of ‘people’ and not getting caught up in deadlines.
The Power of a Few Friends on the Street
I was shocked! Seeing first hand how the homeless live made the issue hit home.
Singing in The Rain
In a matter of moments, all 37 inches of Seattle’s annual rainfall were dumping down on me. I took this as my welcome to the other Washington.
Careers Are a Tricky Topic
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Ending Hunger, what does that really mean?
In high school, I ate lunch with a friend. It excited me to see cantaloupe emerge from her mashed potatoes or watermelon peek from underneath her salad.
Opening Doors
Getting off the Metro at Capitol South, I walked in the sweltering heat to the Rayburn House Office Building only to find a line of marveling tourists sporting their three-dollar Washington, DC t-shirts.
Today's Immigration Stories
In that moment, I realized immigration always has been a deeply important idea in my life; it is the reason I’m alive.
Small Steps to Equality
Working at the Family Violence Prevention Fund, I have come to realize the continual fight for women’s rights has spanned decades.
Good Explosions
July 4th in Washington, DC, at least this year, and at least for me, was full of surprises. Terrible weather and incredible fireworks hit me: this we would remember for a long time.
Making our voices heard – and be counted
As Americans, we pride ourselves on our unique electoral process.
What do voting and eating have in common?
We must let people know that the system is not perfect, but while help is indeed on the way, some of it is here already. All it takes is accessibility and necessity, supply and demand.
Checking off Boxes
When I applied to college, I checked off three boxes in the ethnicity section: Caucasian, Asian, and Other, filling in “multi-cultural.”
Rethinking Brown
Consequently, there will be an opportunity to participate in a reinvigorated debate about the meaning of equality and diversity in public education.
Clean, Safe, and Independent – Protect Beach Water Quality this Fourth of July!
It is now time to reauthorize and expand this legislation with the 2007 BEACH Protection Act.
National HIV Testing Day
The Center for Disease Control estimates one million people are living with the infection and about one quarter do not know they are infected.
A few crazy days
The only way to describe the past few days is craziness.
Arriving in Washington
Hearing her story helped me to see how immigration really does impact both individuals and all Americans at the same time.
Call in Sick
Last Saturday, we took the Machon Kaplan participants to see a pre-release of Michael Moore’s Sicko.
Important Victories
As a college student, I’m pretty confident in my library skills.
Unexpected Gifts
I just spent too long hauling a TV down Connecticut Avenue with two friends.