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Issues Priority
At its December 13, 2005 meeting, the JWW Synagogue Advisory Council (SAC) received a report from the JWW Issues Committee* Chair, Rabbi Joel Rembaum, relative to developing a system for ascertaining issue priorities for JWW. The Issues Committee noted to the SAC the following action priorities adopted by JWW at inception in December, 2004:
- The need is generated by genocide or other similarly egregious abuse of human rights
- There is an urgent need to respond
- There is an identifiable goal
- JWW can have a meaningful impact on the need
- It fulfills the mission of the JWW
- JWW has sufficient resources to implement a meaningful response
In his report, Rabbi Rembaum further noted two competing concerns, to wit: that people are continuing to die and to suffer in Darfur with no resolution in sight, and, a single focus may diminish the ability of JWW to maintain supporters and participants. With the foregoing in mind, the SAC adopted the following recommendations of the Issues Committee :
- That the SAC conduct both an annual briefing on the world crisis situation and an annual evaluation of the JWW work on Darfur. Such a briefing would provide the SAC with insights into current and potential trouble spots in the world.
- That JWW hold an annual community-wide meeting to be attended by all its synagogues members and their congregants at which an evaluation of JWW will take place and a review of the state of the world. The annual community briefing should encompass both a review of the progress made toward a resolution of the genocide in Darfur and the progress JWW has made in meeting its own goals of outreach, education and fundraising
- That the SAC, at each of its quarterly meetings, conduct a review of the situation in Darfur and review its commitment to Darfur as the JWW priority focus.
- That JWW ensure that its decision making allows it to respond to an emergency genocide (such as the one in Rwanda) without delay, and that JWW become and ramain informed about and educate others about human rights violations that rise to the level of abuse suggestive of a genocide.
- That JWW produce fact sheets, compile a list of resources and explain why JWW must focus on Darfur even in this context
* Issues Committee is co-chaired by Rabbi Joel Rembaum (Temple Beth Am) and Rabbi Don Goor (Temple Judea). Members of the Issues Committee are: Peter Finlayson (Temple Beth Hillel), Judy Kandel (Temple Emanuel), Abby Leibman (Temple Israel of Hollywood), Marcy Rainey (Valley Beth Shalom), Sheila Wasserman and Diane Kabat (Stephen S. Wise Temple) and ex-officio, Janice Kamenir Reznik. |
