Love the Stranger as Yourself
Carolina Jews for Justice/West is sponsoring a Teach-In from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 22 (the Jewish observance of Tisha B’Av) to focus on the connections of this traditional time of mourning our own periods of expulsion and exile with our mourning and anger over the cruel separation of children from parents that is now taking place at the southern border of the United States.
We will gather in the outdoor amphitheater at Congregation Beth HaTephila at the corner of Liberty and Broad Streets. (In case of inclement weather, we will gather inside Dave Hall, adjacent to the amphitheater.)
Speakers will include Rabbi Justin Goldstein of Congregation Beth Israel, Rev. Amy Cantrell and Ponkho Bermejo from BeLoved, and Rev. Mark Ward from the Asheville Unitarian-Universalist congregation.
We will hear about the connections to the historical Jewish experience as immigrants, hear first-hand about what is happening at the border, and share suggestions for how to advocate to our elected representatives for changes in federal policy. Come prepared with a pen to write a short postcard to our senators. We hope to have them delivered in person to Senator Tillis’ office by a group of Rabbis later in the summer.
Please join us and bring others from faith and advocacy groups. It will be an opportunity to learn together.
For more information contact cjjwest@carolinajewsforjustice.org
Dr. Michael Ben-Eli is the founder of The Sustainability Laboratory, which works to address urgent sustainability issues now facing the planet. With Jewish National Fund’s support, he and his team pioneered Project Wadi Attir, a groundbreaking, scalable model of sustainable desert agriculture developed with a Bedouin community in the Negev. Dr. Ben-Eli authored the widely-acclaimed “Five Core Sustainability Principles,” and works to inspire leaders in business, government, community, and education to accelerate a peaceful transition to a sustainable future. In 2016, he was inducted into the International Green Industry Hall of Fame, and recognized with the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The needs of the Bedouin community and the changes that must come about are one of the original pillars of Blueprint Negev. Jewish National Fund is serious about addressing these challenges and is working with several Bedouin communities to effect change. Jewish National Fund is a proud partner in Project Wadi Attir, a joint initiative of the Bedouin municipality of Hura and the Sustainability Laboratory, a U.S.-based nonprofit.
Project Wadi Attir aims to establish a model for a radically innovative, sustainable desert farming operation that will contribute to the well-being of the Bedouin community of the Negev by creating stable income sources, fostering employment opportunities for women, increasing education, and assisting with capacity-building.