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April is Genocide Prevention Month
April is Genocide Prevention Month: a time to reflect upon the tragedy of past genocides, recognize current mass atrocities and fight for peace.
The Importance of the Violence Against Women Act
Today I had the opportunity to attend a briefing at the White House titled “The Importance of the Violence Against Women Act.” The event was introduced by
Reform Movement Welcomes Senate Passage of Violence Against Women Act
Weinstein: The Violence Against Women Act has been an invaluable tool for preventing, investigating, and prosecuting violent crimes targeting women.
The House Takes a Step towards Banning Guns for Domestic Abusers
Last week, Congress moved closer to passing legislation preventing domestic abusers and stalkers from purchasing or possessing guns, as Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12) and Rep. Robert Dold (R-IL-10) introduced the Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act (H.R. 3130). The bipartisan bill would close a loophole in federal law that allows some perpetrators of domestic violence to access firearms. Crucially, it would expand the definition of “intimate partners” to the definition used in the 2012 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act: someone who has been in a romantic or intimate relationship with the abuser. The bill also adds convicted stalkers to the list of those prohibited from purchasing and possessing guns.
Stop Cuts to Family Planning
The past few weeks have brought mixed news in the realm of sexuality education. At the end of June, we wrote about a House sub-committee vote to eliminate programs proven to reduce teen and unplanned pregnancy, reduce abortion and save tax dollars in Fiscal Year 2016.
Since then, a Senate sub-committee voted to advance similar cuts, proposing a budget that would significantly cut funding for the evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP) and for Title X family planning centers, while increasing funding for abstinence-only until marriage programs by 300 percent. By gutting funding to family planning services for low-income individuals and undermining evidence-based programs like TPPP, these appropriations bills would leave millions of Americans without information and services to keep themselves safe and healthy.
My First Trip To Israel
I was raised by loving, secular Jewish parents in a neighborhood with not too many Jewish neighbors. It wasn’t until my children were young that I began to discover Judaism. I found that Judaism, especially Reform Judaism, was a great fit for what I believed (which is what I have since heard from many Jews-by-choice).
Fifth Anniversary of Virginia Tech Massacre
Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of the horrific shooting at Virginia Tech, where a mentally disturbed student named Seung-Hui Cho opened fire on his classmates, killing 32 and wounding 25 others.
VAWA Passes the Senate!
Yesterday afternoon, the Senate passed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with a 68-31 vote.
First Indictment for Anti-Gay Hate Crime Under Federal Hate Crimes Law
Kevin Pennington, the alleged victim of the attack.
Reform Movement Horrified by West Bank Terror Attack
Our hearts are heavy today after learning of a vicious act of terrorism in the West Bank, in which Israelis are suspected of setting the home of a Palestinian family on fire. Tragically, the fire claimed the life of a toddler and badly injured others. Rabbi Jonah Pesner offered thoughts on the tragedy: