JSPAN's letter to the Governor questioned the advisability of spending tax money on abstinence-only education, "especially given the budget issues facing our Commonwealth," and in light of recent research which has demonstrated "convincingly that abstinence-only education does not work in promoting abstinence."

A related letter was sent on December 30, 2008 to Everette James, Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, objecting to the Department's announcement that it "would be accepting grant applications .... for activities which promote and support decisions to abstain from sexual activity until marriage by providing abstinence education services."

JSPAN is protesting this proposed action "because adequate safeguards have not been built into the process to assure that State and Federal laws against discrimination will be followed by the grant recipients. .... It should be apparent from the enumeration of potential recipients that many of the 'eligible' organizations are of a type that can be expected to discriminate on one basis or another with respect to their employment policies or class of eligible program participants. Specifically, discrimination on the basis of religion or ethnicity is likely to be a salient element of the programs of many of the organizations who submit applications for funding."

The Department of Health is being asked to "impose a moratorium on the disbursement of any grant funds until such time as the Department can verify that all awards will be used in a nondiscriminatory fashion and in conformance with applicable law."

To read the JSPAN letter to Governor Rendell, click here.

To read the JSPAN letter to Acting Secretary James in its entirety, click here.

Ken Myers, JSPAN vice-president, assembled this material.

American Israel Public Affairs Council: - AIPAC applauds the more than 100 bipartisan congressional leaders and elected officials from across the country who continue to stand firmly in support of Israel's quest for peace and back the Jewish state's right to defend its citizens from the ongoing attacks of the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas. House and Senate leaders issued strong statements of support of Israel's operation this past week – including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), as well as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) – all expressing staunch support for Israel and their effort to defend against Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

Full statement at http://www.aipac.org/130.asp#19891

Brit Zedek v Shalom: These are extraordinarily difficult days for those of us who care deeply about working for peace in Israel as the fighting escalates and more people are harmed. Together, we are presenting a principled alternative to what it means to be pro-Israel and what is in the best interest of Israel, raising a voice of conscience and purpose in the American Jewish community.

We've heard from our contacts on Capitol Hill that the nation's Senators and Representatives are being flooded with calls from Brit Tzedek activists working, with J Street, urging U.S. leadership in achieving an immediate ceasefire and end to the current round of violence.

Full statement at http://ga3.org/btvshalom/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=35129645

Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations: … stands solidly with the government of Israel and its decision to defend its people against terrorism through the targeted airstrikes made on Gaza today.

The government and people of Israel have shown unprecedented restraint in the face of unyielding attacks with hundred of missiles and mortars fired on civilian targets by Hamas and other terrorist organizations who have made clear that their goal is the destruction of the State of Israel. No country could or would put up with this,” said Harold Tanner, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chair of the Conference of Presidents. “The first obligation of every government is to protect its citizens and there can be no more justified use of force than responding to such unending terrorism.”

Full statement at http://www.conferenceofpresidents.org/

Israel Policy Forum: IPF urges the United States to push for an immediate end to hostilities and resumption of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire was terminated by Hamas on December 19, despite the stated willingness of the Israelis to extend it and the efforts of the Egyptians to negotiate an extension. …

IPF deplores all loss of life and the suffering of people on both sides of the Israel-Gaza border. “The human cost of this escalation of violence is intolerable and the missile attacks on Israel must end,” said IPF executive director, Nick Bunzl. “The cycle of violence, which is now threatening to spiral out of control, runs counter to Israel's long-term security, jeopardizes whatever progress has been made in talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to reach an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, threatens American interests and exacerbates tensions throughout the Middle East."

Full statement at http://www.israelpolicyforum.org/display.cfm?rid=2796

Jewish Council for Public Affairs: JCPA is standing behind Israel's efforts to extinguish weeks of sustained, daily rocket fire and mortar shell attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel. While JCPA has a strong record of supporting Israel in its quest to negotiate peace with the Palestinians, no country can be expected to absorb continuous and unrelenting violence.

Israel has taken great lengths to avoid this sort of escalation, but was left with no other way to ensure that its civilians would not have to live in fear of rocket fire. … Even while rockets rained down on the frequently targeted town of Sderot and in the town of Kiryat Gat, a first-time target, Israel continued to transfer food and medicine into Gaza despite no apparent end to the attacks.

As Israel moves towards elections and the possibility of turning a new page, it is our hope that the Palestinian people will take the opportunity that this transition presents to turn their own page on Hamas’ failed leadership.

Full statement at http://e-guana.net/organizations.php3?action=printContentItem&orgid=54&typeID=78&itemID=22861&User_Session=d4cd97489b15cc7da8d1754fc6ac2763

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia: After months of restraint, Israel on Saturday, December 27, launched a full-scale military operation on Gaza. Israeli citizens have been under the threat of daily attack from Gaza for years and more so since Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Only this week, hundreds of missiles and mortars shells were fired at Israeli civilian communities, including the firing of 80 missiles on a single day. No country can be expected to absorb continuous and unrelenting violence.

Leonard Barrack, President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, stressed, “Our support for the democratically elected government of Israel is unwavering. As we pray for peace in the region, we strongly condemn the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and hold Hamas responsible for breaking the ceasefire and for the renewal of the violence. Furthermore, we applaud the US government for its continued support of Israel during this difficult time.”

Full statement at http://www.jewishphilly.org/page.aspx?id=190584

Zionist Organization of America: … it was well past time for Israel to launch its current offensive to put an end to the incessant assaults from Gaza, like the barrage of some 80 rockets that hit Israel on December 25, and which, but for a miracle, could have resulted in many dead Israeli civilians and who knows how many wounded.

It is surely inconceivable that the United States would tolerate – for a period of years – incessant rocket attacks upon Chicago or Seattle from terrorist groups based in Canada, or upon Dallas or Phoenix from terrorist groups based in Mexico. Nor is it likely that any other country would tolerate similar attacks from across the border on its cities and people.

Israelis are entitled to live anywhere within Israel's borders, to till every inch of Israel's soil and to travel every yard of Israel's roads without threat or fear of aggression. It is simply intolerable that whole Israeli communities, like the town of Sderot, have become partial ghost towns, that children within them fear to attend school or play outdoors because warning sirens signaling incoming missiles could be sounded at any moment. It is plainly unacceptable that 250,000 Israeli civilians in southern Israel, including 100,000 children, constantly live in fear of incoming missiles from Gaza.

Full statement at http://www.zoa.org/sitedocuments/pressrelease_view.asp?pressreleaseID=1541

Todd Bernstein, director, has recently announced the launching of MLK 365, a new year-round initiative promoting sustainable civic engagement and volunteer opportunities focusing on community concerns such as literacy, homelessness, poverty, sub-standard housing, bridging the digital divide, the environment, energy and healthcare. MLK 365 and the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service are programs of Global Citizen, a non-partisan organization working to promote partnerships among diverse groups, including community and civic organizations, the public and private sectors, labor unions, communities of faith, public, private and parochial educational institutions, colleges and universities, senior citizens, those with physical differences and people of all ages and backgrounds.

Volunteers are still needed to help on January 19 with hundreds of projects across the tri-state area. Individuals and groups will be matched with other volunteers in order to maximize the results, while bringing together diverse groups and promoting better understanding.

To learn more about the day's events and to volunteer for service, contact the Martin Luther King Day of Service office at (215) 665-2475 or at mlkdayofservice@globalcitizen.us.com. Be part of a national movement to actively celebrate Dr. King's life by promoting social justice and helping others!

For more information, click here.

Helen Suzman, a member of the South African Parliament during the tumultuous years of apartheid, died last week at the age of 91. The New York Times obituary of January 1, 2009 described her as "the internationally renowned anti-apartheid campaigner who befriended the imprisoned Nelson Mandela and offered an often lonely voice for change among South Africa's white minority."

In reviewing the remarkable accomplishments of this extraordinary individual, I was reminded of the special connection that Mrs. Suzman had with the Philadelphia Jewish community.

In the summer of 1997 I was in South Africa, and was determined to meet Mrs. Suzman to personally thank her for her example of courage and fortitude. I went to her home in a suburb of Johannesburg and we spent two hours together. I was immediately struck by her warmth, her sense of humor and her indefatigable spirit.

Upon returning to Philadelphia, I suggested to the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) that they consider Helen Suzman for the Jules Cohen Award, a prize that the JCRC had been conferring since 1970 in recognition of "outstanding contributions to peace, social justice and human rights." Mrs. Suzman would be the first foreign honoree. She agreed, after much cajoling, to fly from South Africa to Philadelphia to accept the award.

On Sunday evening, March 8,1998, Helen Suzman received the Jules Cohen Award at the 59th Annual Meeting of the JCRC, held at Old York Road Temple-Beth Am in Abington, PA. Rabbi Robert Leib, a former South African growing up in the era when Mrs. Suzman was most active, was particularly pleased with our choice of his congregation.

Mrs. Suzman was eloquent and thoughtful in her acceptance speech. She touched on many aspects of her career, including her adamant opposition to economic sanctions to press South Africa's white rulers toward reform. Faced with harsh criticism and even death threats from her critics, who felt that she was unwittingly helping to prolong apartheid, she steadfastly maintained her belief that sanctions would hurt poor blacks more than whites.

One last memory of the evening: after the conclusion of the program, we drove back to our home. I was exhausted from the emotional strain of the entire weekend, and was certainly ready for bed. But not Helen! She asked for a "stiff glass of Scotch," and continued to regale us into the wee hours with personal insights about some of the most meaningful figures she had met throughout her lifetime.

Helen and I continued to speak sporadically over the next few years, mostly around the seasons of Rosh Hashanah and Passover. The last letter I received from her was in July of 2000, when she wrote, "There are obviously good things in South Africa that one can still enjoy: .... best of all, the fact that race relations have improved with the disappearance of all those oppressive apartheid laws such as race classification and forced removals and detention without trial. We have respect for due process now and the rule of law."

Helen Suzman was a touchstone for the remarkable changes that have taken place in South Africa. Her voice of reason will be sorely missed.

To read The New York Times obituary "Helen Suzman, Relentless Challenger of Apartheid System, Is Dead at 91," click here.

Click here to read JSPAN Board member Ted Mann's description of the American Jewish community’s important involvement in the apartheid struggle.

Israel's war with Gazan-based Hamas is a faithful expression of its broader dilemma with militant Islam. That dilemma is being played out against the backdrop of Israel's complex relations with a troubled Arab world.

As with Hizballah in Lebanon in the summer of 2006, Israel is now fighting a non-state actor, backed by Iran and operating out of a sovereign no-man's land or "black hole" from which Israel had previously withdrawn unilaterally. Both the 2005 Gaza withdrawal and the current fighting reflect Israel's military problem: none of the classic strategies for dealing with a military enemy seem to work. Occupation, removal of occupation, deterrence, tit-for-tat punishment, economic blockade--all have failed. The enemy welcomes extreme hardship and loss of life ("martyrdom") and seemingly would welcome reoccupation. Anything that highlights Gazans' human suffering sells well in the Arab world and among human rights activists in the West. Any opportunity to wage a war of attrition against Israelis--soldiers and civilians, there is no difference in militant Islamist eyes--drives home the militant Islamist message that the Zionist enterprise is doomed.

Please remember that JSPAN welcomes your donations to help us continue our important and effective work in Tikkun Olam. You may send gifts via PayPal on www.jspan.org. or to JSPAN, 1735 Market Street, Suite #A417, Philadelphia, PA 19103