June 9, 2005
What's new with JSPAN?
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IN THIS ISSUE: Report from JSPAN's first Annual Meeting! |
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| ***This email is written in html format. If you CANNOT view the images below, please click on the following link to view our newsletter as a webpage: http://www.jspan.org/newsletter060605.htm |
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JSPAN's First Annual Meeting was held on May 25
There was a vote to approve new members of the JSPAN board as well as new officers. Kenneth Myers will become JSPAN's Vice-President (along with Kenneth Fox), and Joel Beaver will become JSPAN Treasurer. Susan Myers has been elected Chair of the Board. New JSPAN Board members who were approved at the meeting are: Nancy Gordon, Eve Klothen, Barry Kramer, Stefan Presser, Jared Solomon, and Rabbi Avi Winokur. For a full list of the JSPAN officers and board members, view the About Us page.
In addition, JSPAN members
voted to approve a draft resolution from the Church/ State Policy Center
which had been provided to members online for review prior to the meeting..
For a full text of this resolution,
click here.
JSPAN members and friends. Reverend Harmon with JSPAN member David Lubin. JSPAN President Jeffrey Pasek speaking.
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JSPAN received the following information from the JCPA- Jewish Council for Public Affairs: National Hunger Awareness Day – June 7, 2005 National Hunger Awareness Day was created to raise consciousness about the problem of hunger in America. In 2004 more than 36 million Americans faced food insecurity. Domestic hunger is a growing problem, and it is imperative that advocates work together to help ensure that there are enough resources to feed hungry Americans. Over one-third of those in hungry and food insecure households are children, who are particularly affected by the consequences of hunger. Hunger impedes growth and development, is a significant predictor of adverse health conditions, and is associated with behavior problems among preschoolers and school-age children. On June 7th anti-hunger advocates will mark this year’s Hunger Awareness Day by participating in activities across the country designed to highlight the problem of millions of Americans living in households that are food insecure. Hunger Awareness Day is an excellent opportunity to highlight the importance of the Food Stamp program. The budget that was passed in Congress included significant cuts to the program (see Confronting Poverty: April 29), which is the cornerstone of the nation’s anti-hunger safety net. The Food Stamp Program is efficiently targeted to reach people who have the most difficulty affording an adequate diet. Over 95 percent of benefits go to households with incomes below the poverty level; nearly all of the remaining beneficiaries are elderly or disabled. The 2002 Farm Bill food stamp provisions offered states an array of new options to simplify the program, make it more accessible and better coordinate child care and Medicaid for eligible families. Program changes that add unwarranted complexity and excessive bureaucratic conditions on food stamp administrators and beneficiaries would undermine these advances. National activities include the first Interfaith Convocation on Hunger, on June 6th, when more than 40 faith communities will gather at the Washington National Cathedral to send a message to legislators that they must take action to help those in need. On June 7th a “Rally Against Hunger” will take place at Washington’s MCI Center with nearly 1,500 anti-hunger advocates from numerous anti-hunger organizations across the nation filling the floor of the arena for an hour-long program of music and inspiration from special guests and musicians. Be sure to check out the National Hunger Awareness Day website to find out about activities taking place in your community. Additional suggested Hunger Awareness Day Activities:
For further information, contact Sarina Fogel at (202) 789-2222, ext. 102 or by email at sfogel@thejcpa.org with questions.
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Possible Charitable Choice Amendment to Head Start ACTION: Contact your Representatives and urge them, in considering HR 2123, the School Readiness Act, to maintain current law and reject any assault on civil rights protections in federally-funded programs, especially in a program as critical as Head Start. Urge them to oppose Congressman Boehner’s amendment. With Congress on recess this week, many Representatives are available for phone conversations or meetings in their local offices. We expect the House of Representatives to begin debating the reauthorization of Head Start (HR 2123, the School Readiness Act), an anti-poverty preschool education program, within the next two weeks. Congressman John Boehner (R-OH), Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, has stated his intention to introduce an amendment to repeal long-standing anti-discrimination provisions in the bill. The amendment would allow for religious discrimination in hiring teachers and staff using federal funds. BACKGROUND: On May 18, 2005 the Education and Workforce Committee, in a unanimous, bipartisan vote (48-0), approved Head Start reauthorization legislation that upholds civil rights and anti-discrimination protections. Provisions to prevent agencies (including religiously affiliated organizations and houses of worship) that receive federal funding to provide Head Start services from discriminating on the basis of religion when hiring, have been in place since Head Start was signed in to law by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Civil rights protections in Head Start have worked successfully since its inception. Head Start programs, including those run by religiously affiliated organizations and houses of worship, have thrived. They have provided valuable and necessary services to impoverished children and their families. If this amendment is passed, teachers and staff working on Head Start programs housed in religious institutions could lose their jobs based on their religion. The House of Representatives has voted on anti-discrimination amendments regarding faith based organizations three times before. However, this vote is different; it is the first time the House will vote to repeal existing civil-rights protections through a floor amendment. The proposed amendment would not only undermine bipartisan efforts on an essential anti-poverty bill, but also promote religious discrimination using federal funds. The JCPA agrees that religiously affiliated institutions may provide valuable and efficient social services, and may qualify for government funding for such programs. However, government funding of social services through religiously affiliated organizations must contain appropriate and effective First Amendment safeguards such as those that prevent proselytization, coercion or indoctrination and that safeguard clients and service provider employees against discrimination on the basis of religion. Therefore, the JCPA opposes the passage of legislation that does not contain appropriate safeguards (JCPA Agenda 1999-2000). If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Carly Lindauer at (202) 789-2222, ext. 103 or by email, clindauer@thejcpa.org.
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 As an organization for change, JSPAN strives to advance progressive social policies on the critical issues of our time. Help spread the news about us by forwarding this email and the link to our website http://www.jspan.org to your family, friends, and colleagues who might have an interest in joining JSPAN or serving on any of JSPAN's projects. If you haven't joined JSPAN, please join now! |
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JSPAN's
annual meeting took place at the Wachovia Building, and was well-attended by a
mix of JSPAN members and friends. The keynote speaker was Reverend Cedric
Harmon, Associate Director for Religious Outreach at Americans United for
Separation of Church and State (In photo at left: Rev. Harmon, second from left,
with JSPAN Board Members Ted Mann, President Jeff Pasek and Barry Ungar). He delivered a powerful speech
about the Kitzmiller case in Dover Township, in York County, PA where science
teachers were required to read their students a disclaimer about evolution as
merely a "theory." These teachers were instructed to encourage their students to
learn about the doctrine of "Intelligent Design," a fancy name for Creationism.
Reverend Harmon spoke about what Americans United is doing in this case, and
what we can all do to educate ourselves and the greater community about this
threat to the separation of church and state. 
