Adelaide Ferguson is Temple University’s Assistant Vice President for International Programs and Law School Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Legal Programs. She helped design and oversees an innovative rule of law program which has educated over 700 Chinese judges, prosecutors and legal professionals in the international norms of a just legal system.

Alan Lerner, a civil rights worker in Mississippi, then a litigation partner in the renowned Cohen Shapiro law firm, today is a Practice Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the founder of Penn’s Interdisciplinary Child Advocacy Clinic. Alan has continually devoted himself to making the legal system more responsive to the needs of the most neglected and powerless members of society.

The Pyramid Club at 1735 Market Street, Philadelphia, provides a wonderful location for this event with outstanding views of the city and excellent quality refreshments. The cost is $90 (a portion of which can be tax deductible). Register for the event at www.jspan.org or by calling 215-635-2554.

What is our responsibility?

What impact has the war in Iraq had on you and your family? If you are among the 98% of Americans who are not serving in the military and are not directly related to military personnel, the answer is probably “virtually none.”

Then what does it mean for the United States to be at war in a conflict that has now lasted longer than World War II and yet has not touched the great majority of its citizens? What is our responsibility, as American citizens, for the conduct of this war and for its continuation?

While it is true that most of us had neither the knowledge nor the ability to make appropriate judgment about whether to enter the war in Iraq, we can no longer claim ignorance. We know that in order to maintain our presence there, our forces engage in actions that at best require the continued redefinition of the concept of illegal torture. We read about 4 million refugees of this war, for whom we can do little if anything, given the security situation and our difficulty maintaining the safety of our own personnel. There are now more private contractors on the ground (180,000) than soldiers, and these contractors are apparently not answerable to either American or Iraqi law. What can we expect of these irregular forces when there is (or seems to be) a crisis?

Our American standards of decency and humanity are being compromised every day that this war goes on.

Therefore, it is more than time for us to insist that our Congress no longer condone our present policy in Iraq, that it require a quick end to the carnage and a return home for our troops, and that we act to restore America’s good name in the world.

For a more detailed discussion of these issues, click here to read Frank Rich's article entitled "The 'Good Germans' Among Us", which appeared in The New York Times on October 14, 2007.

The march will culminate with a rally and concert on Independence Mall from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. There will be speakers, music and poetry to commemorate this landmark event.

For those individuals living in New Jersey, a rally in Camden in the morning will be followed by a grand march across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to Independence Mall.

While JSPAN cannot officially participate in the demonstration because it is taking place on Shabbat, we would encourage members who can walk to the line or to the march to show their solidarity with this project.

These events are part of a national mobilization effort. To learn more about Philadelphia's participation, visit the web site http://oct27.org/philadelphia.

Coulter’s comments provoked a reaction from the National Jewish Democratic Council, which urged its supporters to petition media stations to keep Coulter off the air. JSPAN proceeded in a two prong manner. First, we criticized the NJDC for implicitly attempting to make this a partisan political matter. According to JSPAN President Jeff Pasek, “By attacking her in the name of a partisan Democratic organization, the NJDC only encourages Republicans to come to her defense.” At the same time, JSPAN called upon the Republican Jewish Coalition to repudiate Coulter’s remarks. JSPAN challenged the RJC to publicly “demonstrate that its first commitment is to the welfare of the Jewish people and not to the Republican Party.”

We encourage our members to view JSPAN letters to Ira Forman of the NJDC and Matthew Brooks of the RJC.

Among its key findings, the panel found that there are insufficient safeguards in place to protect the innocent. Pennsylvania does not provide adequate defense attorneys for capital defendants, and the Commonwealth did not fully comply with any of ten recommendations designed to reduce the impact of race in the administration of the death penalty. In fact, the state has even failed to implement its own twenty-three recommendations put forth by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in the Justice System.

Pennsylvania must suspend executions while these and other problems are thoroughly studied and fully addressed. JSPAN urges all of our readers to support Senate Bill 850, which calls for a moratorium on executions.

Special Alert: On Monday, October 22, 10:00 a.m., on WHYY-FM, "Radio Times" will be featuring Ron Eisenberg from the Philadelphia DA's office and Professor Anne Bowen Poulin, chairperson of the American Bar Association's Pennsylvania Death Penalty Assessment Team.

To read an executive summary or the full Pennsylvania Death Penalty Assessment Report, click here and then click on Pennsylvania on the left column of the screen.

In the Americans for Peace Now Weekly Update of October 15, 2007, Prof. Golan questions whether the Palestinians and Israelis "can or will .... realize the potential this opportunity provides". Majorities in both sides of the conflict continue to support a negotiated, two-state solution. According to Prof. Golan's assessment, Prime Minister Olmert "has little to lose and very much to gain if he were to take the risk of a government reduced in size but determined to reach a peace agreement. If Olmert .... understand(s) the extraordinary opportunity awaiting Israel, the upcoming conference could, indeed should, mark the beginning of the end of the conflict."

Few are particularly excited by the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian conference; most may believe it will not or should not even take place. Yet this could be the most important and promising opportunity for a genuine peace process since the ill-fated Camp David II conference in July 2000. This optimism derives from both the unique constellation of circumstances in the region and the cumulative effect of developments within the Israeli and Palestinian publics.

To all of you who made those calls, we thank you for your efforts. Our voices have been heard! We are happy to announce that on October 10, HR 2895 was brought before the full House, and passed by a vote of 264 - 148. The vote marked a milestone in the struggle to get this legislation signed into law. Following the House vote, the Senate is now expected to introduce a bill sometime in November or early December.

Stay tuned for results of the Senate vote!

To learn more about the National Housing Trust Fund campaign, click here.

To read an editorial on the trust fund bill which appeared in The New York Times on October 15, click here.

During his papacy, John Paul II confronted the 2,000 years of painful history between Catholics and Jews, becoming the first pope ever to enter a synagogue, officially visit and recognize the State of Israel, and formally engage in an act of repentance for the Catholic Church's historical treatment of Jews.

JSPAN Vice President Kenneth Fox previewed the exhibition this week and commented, "At a time when religious differences once again are tearing people and nations apart, this personal and deeply moving exhibit is a timely reminder of where we have been, how far we have come, and where we should be going."

The exhibit is sponsored by Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. It is open Monday through Saturday from 12:00 - 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m., except for November 22 and December 6. Admission is free. For more information, call (610) 660-2170.

To watch a YouTube video tour of the exhibit, click here.

She states, "The word 'environment' felt flat and lifeless to me. The language of 'ecology' more accurately conveyed my sensibilities. Judaism, I found, ..... is necessarily an ecological, sustainable tradition. It's not just Jewish ideas that are ecological; the day- to-day lifestyle that an authentic Judaism cultivates is also ecological."

Ellen Bernstein urges the organized Jewish community to "undergo a process of institutional change from the inside out so as to rise to the challenge of this ecological age".

To read Ms. Bernstein's article "Creating a Sustainable Jewish Ecology" in its entirety, click here.

Ellen Bernstein is currently developing a program on Judaism and Ecology at Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts. To learn more about her work, visit http://www.ellenbernstein.org.

Become a member of JSPAN or renew your membership now. It's easy to do on our website by credit card, or you can mail in your donation. JSPAN is your progressive voice and action agency, and needs your help now!

Click here to join!