2007 September 23 | Peoplehood.org

Jewish Social Action Month

Building Unity through Positive Action

We invite you to join Jewish communities, organizations and individuals from around the world in celebrating a month of social action and Jewish unity. The Hebrew month of Cheshvan – which in 2007 will be from October 13 until November 10 – has been declared Jewish Social Action Month.

This year’s Jewish Social Action Month (JSAM) promises to be once again an amazing time of increased unity and positive action involving Jews from many countries and perspectives. Every group or individual is welcome to mark Jewish Social Action Month in the way that is most meaningful to them and their community. Cheshvan can be a month to launch new social action projects or increase your existing efforts. The actions can be large scale projects or simple acts of individual kindness. They can be focused on the Jewish community, on the wider world or the environment. Jewish Social Action Month presents endless possibilities for you and your community to make a difference. Each act is important in itself and will also link you to this global Jewish effort to make the world a better place (click here to view some of the action from previous years).

Jewish Social Action Month is an initiative of KolDor, a global network of young Jewish leaders, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel and socialaction.com. In just two years since its launch, JSAM has evoked a remarkable response. Political support has come from the Presidents of both Israel and the United States of America, British parliamentarians, US senators and congressmen, Israeli Knesset members and others. A wide spectrum of Jewish religious leaders, major institutions, youth groups, communal organizations and many others from around the world endorsed the initiative and created exciting and widespread programs. Jewish Social Action Month was introduced into the Jewish calendar and into the lives of many. See www.cheshvan.org for a fuller indication of partners and projects.

This wonderful support revealed a hunger in the Jewish world for the opportunity to unify around our traditions of tzedek (righteousness) and tikun olam (repairing the world). Help make Jewish Social Action Month even more of a global celebration. Mark the first of Cheshvan, October 13, on your organizational calendars as the beginning of Jewish Social Action Month. Start planning the social actions in your community that will make this Cheshvan a month of meaning and justice.

Jewish Social Action Month belongs to everyone who wishes to take part. Contact us (jsam@koldor.org ) for more information. Please download this form to let us know about your support and how you’re planning to mark Jewish Social Action Month so that your efforts can be publicized and everyone around the world can join in the success.

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Good news and maybe bad news. The cabinet has finally voted officially to take in nearly 500 refugees but says that it will deport the rest to countries willing to grant them asylum. This could be a breakthrough, if they mean what they say. Since Egypt is not willing to grant them asylum, then hopefully this means that the U.S., Canada, Australia and others will take in the rest of the refugees. If, however, it means sending back to Egypt, then we have failed our ancestors. For the Ynet story, click here.

The Jewish Social Action Month Cheshvan issue of the journal Sh’ma will be devoted to Sudan/Darfur and genocide. For BabagaNewz’s treatment of Darfur, for kids, click here.

For the full investigative series I penned for JTA on the Sudanese prisoners in Israel, click here.

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