Entries Tagged 'Events' ↓
New Housemate!
After interviewing an impressive and very qualified group of housemate candidates, we are thrilled to announce the selection of our newest housemate, Suzie Schwartz, to replace outgoing housemate, Michelle Sternthal! Suzie has been a rising star in the Moishe/Kavod community over the past year. A second year Rabbinical Student at Hebrew College and an active Keshet member, Suzie brings an extraordinary range of skills to our community – a wealth of Jewish knowledge, experience in leadership development and social justice organizing, and a welcoming and fun-loving personality. Perhaps most exciting, Suzie has a remarkable ability to integrate Jewish practice, arts, and social justice. While we will be sad to see Michelle leave in August, we are excited to welcome Suzie to the house!
Shaw’s Strike Over
To the many Kavodies and Moisheniks who have been following the MK House’s participation in the Shaw’s Boycott and Actions, there is Great News! The Shaw’s strike is over. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union Local 791 has settled with Shaw’s and are sending their workers back to work.
Click here for more information.
Draft Shabbat and Holidays Protocol
This morning, the board had its 8th meeting of the year, and we are well on our way to establishing better structures to support the growth and vibrancy our community is experiencing with more transparency. One part of our meeting was spent planning a major component of next weekend’s community retreat- a series of workshops on Sunday morning to build the entire community’s capacity to be a more effective organization. Retreat participants will be receiving more information about these capacity-building workshops shortly. In the meantime, we wanted to let community members know about a draft proposal we are considering, which will be fleshed out further at one of Sunday’s workshops.
If you are interested in the issue of establishing more clear guidelines for how our community relates to scheduling meetings and events on Shabbat and Jewish Holidays, please consider the following draft proposal and bring ideas for fleshing it out to Sunday’s workshop. We would specifically like to develop more clarity around the question of how we deal with whether community members can plan events (not meetings) that fall on Shabbat or Yom Tov (Jewish holidays) that may be in keeping with some members’ Shabbat practice, but are not specifically connected to a halachic Shabbat practice.
Here’s what we are proposing be established as official Moishe/Kavod policy:
- We list Shabbat and holidays on the Moishe/Kavod calendar
- We publish the following statement on our website. “Moishe/Kavod House is committed to being inclusive and welcoming. While we do cosponsor some public events on Shabbat and holidays, we are committed to avoid organizing our own meetings on Shabbat or yom tovim (holy days). We ask our leaders to check the calendar and plan meetings on non-Shabbat/yom tov days.”
- We alert our leaders to this statement, and ask them to honor it moving forward. And, when we are posting events on the calendar, we double check that we are not scheduling on Shabbat/yom tov, and if we are, we double check with our leaders to make sure they have checked with their teams.
Register for the Moishe/Kavod Community Retreat
Join us for Moishe Kavod’s 3rd Annual Community Retreat on June 18-20 at the The Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center in Greenfield, New Hampshire. Whether you are a Kavod regular or want to get to know the community better, this retreat is for you. It will be a fabulous opportunity to spend more than just a Shabbat evening together, have fun, spend time on a lake, get out of Boston, and create a community vision for moving forward. Space is limited, so please register by June 1st so we can ensure a spot for you. We will certainly try accommodate late registrations, but cannot guarantee spots after June 1st. The retreat is $40 for current members and $60 for non-members (who will automatically become members for the remainder of the year at a discounted rate by coming on the retreat); after June 1st registration will cost $45/$65. Click here to register.
Apply to Live in Moishe/Kavod House
You can now apply to live in the Moishe/Kavod House next year.
Click here for instructions and the application, which is due on May 27, 2010.
*New* Community Allies Calendar
Dear Kavodniks–
In an attempt to keep our members and friends better connected to the events at organizations we consider to be *allies,* we are transitioning away from our old model of a very loong community allies page to a lovely new Community Allies Calendar in Google Calendar format found here.
note: you can add it to your own google calendar by clicking on the word Google in the bottom right corner.
If you’d like to submit an event for the calendar, please email it to moishehouseboston@gmail.com.
If you’d like permission to add events to the calendar directly, please email aliza.wasserman@gmail.com.
Housing Justice Update
Join the new Housing Justice Legislative Action team on Wednesday March 3rd for:
Boston DSA, UFE and Dollars & Sense Forum:
What to Do About Housing Foreclosures?
Speakers:
- Grace Ross – Former Green Party gubernatorial candidate, now challenging Gov. Patrick in the Democratic Party Primary. Currently staffer for the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), and author of the
forthcoming book, Main Street Smarts: who got us into this economic mess and how we get through it… - Melonie Griffiths – Tenant and Economy Project Organizer for City Life-Vida Urbana, the Jamaica Plain-based social justice organization which has been organizing community members to resist evictions and save their homes.
- Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston) – Co-sponsor SB1609, of one of the MAAPL-supported bills, which would protect tenants from eviction in fore-closed properties.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 7:00 P.M.
Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave., Boston
For directions to 33 Harrison 5th floor, visit www.encuentro5.org
We are facing a crisis of housing foreclosures in Massachusetts. In November of ‘09 alone, there were 76% more foreclosures than in the same month a year ago. This wave of foreclosures is decimating whole communities, leaving buildings empty and people without homes.
Big banks get bailed out, but our government has done little to help working people tricked into bad loans, who are now losing their homes to foreclosure. Is this fair?
Our forum will look at the way the greedy and unethical actions of the big financial institutions help caused the global economic crisis, of which the foreclosure crisis is only a part. We will learn about efforts to pass legislation to help people facing foreclosure, as well as the way people are organizing in their communities to help themselves. And we will learn what
we can do to help!
Free and open to the public.
Time to Renew Your Membership (or JOIN)
Did you become a member of the Moishe Kavod House last year and are wondering whether its time to renew?
Haven’t joined yet but want to know how?
Membership is a key way for us each to claim our stake in our community and to ensure that Moishe/Kavod House reflects democracy and transparency. For those who joined last fall/winter, the deadline for membership renewal will be March 7, 2010 – our 2nd annual membership meeting. The meeting will be 4-6pm followed by dinner. For those who joined late in the year (for example, in preparation for the June retreat), you have already paid for half the year, so your dues for March 7 will be $25 (or $18 for low income/student). Annual dues are $50 or $36 for low-income/student members.
To renew, write out a check to Moishe Kavod House and mail to:
165 Winthrop Rd. Apt B
Brookline, MA 02445
c/o Alix Zamansky
OR pay online through PayPal, link found at http://www.kavodhouse.com/resources/membership.
To join for the first time, you must also complete the membership form, found via the same address.
Contact our Membership Chair, Lauren Jacobson, for more information or with any questions at laurenrjacobson@gmail.com. Thanks!
Reminder to Vote in Tuesday’s Special Senate Election
Reminder to VOTE in Tuesday’s Special Senate Election
to fill Edward Kennedy’s seat in the US Senate
if you are registered in MA.
This will be a very close election. Candidates are Martha Coakley (D), Scott Brown (R), and Joseph Kennedy (Liberterian).
Click (a href=”http://www.wheredoivotema.com>here to find your polling place.
Information about Haiti Relief
As many of our friends, neighbors and co-workers cope with the tragedy in Haiti, and they and the people of Haiti are in our thoughts and prayers, here is some information about how to help from our friends at Co-operative Metropolitan Ministries:
In these days, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti and with our Haitian-American neighbors and CMM member congregations who have been affected by the devastating earthquake that hit Port-Au-Prince Tuesday. As you know, the quake caused massive damage to the city’s buildings and infrastructure, and untold numbers of people have been injured. The death toll is expected to be in the thousands.
If you would like to donate, please consider giving to one of the organizations listed below.
If you are looking for news of friends and family in Haiti – you can contact the International Red Cross – they have set up a database with news on individuals in Haiti – you can find the information on their website: www.redcross.org.
Massachusetts is in the process of mobilizing relief efforts. If you have emergency training, and would like to volunteer, please call 211, and the State officials will collect your information.
The City of Boston has opened a center for those in need of counseling or assistance – please see the fact sheet from the City of Boston, listed below, or online at www.cityofboston.org:
Last night Wednesday night 1/13, there was an emergency community meeting at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. If you are looking to volunteer, congregations, communities, and campuses are invited to furnish volunteers to support Hatian American families affected by the earthquake in Haiti.
The Boston Referral and Support Center will operate from 9 AM to 9 PM on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Referral and Support Center is located at the SEIU Local 1199 Bayside Office Center, 150 Mt. Vernon Street, Dorchester (next to the JFK stop on the Red line). They can use assistance in numerous ways (i.e. greeters, interpreters, grief counseling support, etc.,) during the center hours. Clergy, chaplains, and pastoral caregivers welcome. If possible email Ms. George-Marie Jasmin
We will also be organizing volunteers, donations, and other support for our beloved Haitian and Haitian American neighbors, including member congregation New Covenant Church of Cambridge, located in Waltham. There will be a community meeting this Sunday at New Covenant Church, located at 527 Main St. in Waltham, at 6:00. New Covenant has a significant Haitian American population and was founded by Rev. Thomas and Esther Saint-Louis. Please come to see how you might offer your support.
We are in conversation with leaders in the Haitian-American community here in Boston to determine how best to support them in this time of need. As we have more information, we will share it with you, by enews and on our website, www.coopmet.org.
In the meantime, we ask you to pray for our sisters and brothers in Haiti and here in Boston, and please consider making a donation to one of the groups listed below.
Wishing you peace,
Alexander Levering Kern
Executive Director
Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries
474 Centre St.
Newton, MA 02458
akern@coopmet.org 617-455-5323
Local and Faith Based Organizations at work in Haiti
- Partners In Health – www.pih.org. PIH is already established in Haiti and has begun providing emergency health services
- International Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/ or donate $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting “HAITI” to “90999.”
- Catholic Relief Services: www.csr.org
- American Jewish Committee (IsraAID) – www.ajc.org/haitifund. The AJC has established a Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund to support IsraAID -100% of your donation goes directly to help relief efforts in Haiti. IsraAID has already dispatched a 12 person team to the region.
- Church World Service- You can donate to CWS’s emergency relief fund at www.churchworldservice.org.
CITY OF BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
THOMAS M. MENINO
Do you need help locating family members in Haiti?
The State Department Operations Center has set up the following number for individuals seeking information about family members living in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747. Press zero (0) to speak to a customer service representative.
The White House is also directing people to www.whitehouse.gov for general information about the earthquake and relief efforts in Haiti.
Are you looking for a way to help?
The immediate need is for money that can be used by an established relief organization to best aid victims of the devastating earthquake. Visit www.interaction.org to get a list of credible responding organizations for international emergencies. Reputable organizations include:
- Partners in Health: www.pih.org
- International Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/ or donate $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting “HAITI” to “90999.”
- Catholic Relief Services: www.csr.org
- Mayor Thomas M. Menino has also established a Haitian Family Relief Fund at Bank of America where residents can make donations to support relief efforts for families in Boston who are affected by the earthquake. Donations can be made by via the Fund for Boston Neighborhoods at Bank of American branches or Boston City Hall.
Do you need additional assistance?
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, along with local elected officials, SEIU Local 1199, area hospitals and health centers, city departments, and community organizations will open a Referral and Support Center at the 1199 SEIU Bayside Office Center located at 150 Mt. Vernon St., Dorchester (next to the JFK redline station). The Center will operate from 9 AM until 9 PM, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and will offer phone lines and computer access to help in locating family and friends in Haiti. Translators will be available along with counseling support and assistance linking to needed services.
Tips for taking care of yourself and your family during these difficult times
● Support each other. Parents and caregivers should take time to talk together and find ways to meet each other’s needs.
● Monitor adult conversations. Be aware of what adults are saying about the earthquake or the damage. Children listen to adults’ conversations and may misinterpret what they hear, becoming unnecessarily frightened.
● Limit media exposure. Protect your child from too many images and descriptions of the earthquake, including those on television, on the Internet, on radio, and in the newspaper.
● Reassure children that they are safe.
● Take care of yourself physically. Eat healthily, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, and get proper medical care.