In a series of conversations, JCRC Executive Director Jeremy Burton sits down with colleagues who are the regional and local professional leaders of the member organizations that make up our community relations council. On February 17, Jeremy and Executive Director Ari Fertig of New England Jewish Labor Committee joined together to talk about the Jewish and labor communities and the NEJLC’s unique role in fostering community. You can watch the full conversation below. [Note: The conversation starts at 1 minute 3 seconds in.]
Labor Day falls on Rosh Hashanah this year!
For the first time since the 1990s, Labor Day in America falls on Rosh Hashanah 5782! This is an opportunity to focus our attention on the issues of workers rights and economic justice. As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, these issues demand our attention.
That’s why we have put together a short collection of teachings and texts for Rabbis and other community members to use in sermons, handouts, or actions. Read the full guide here.
A Statement by the New England Jewish Labor Committee calling for the Removal of President Trump from Office
A Statement by the New England Jewish Labor Committee calling for the Removal of President Trump from Office
Donald Trump must be removed from office immediately. The Jewish community has a particular responsibility to join the chorus of Americans who care deeply about democracy and ending white supremacy in saying so. What the nation and the world witnessed on January 6 was an attack on democracy, incited by the President and his allies, made by a white supremacist and anti-semitic mob. Our own history teaches us that no one should remain silent in the face of such attacks. Events are moving swiftly, and Congress is currently debating impeachment, so we should be clear about the general principles at stake.
The Jewish Labor Committee was formed in the 1930s as a response to the rise of fascism in Europe. Our core mission in those early days was to support the anti-Nazi movement, aid victims of Nazism, support Jewish labor institutions in European countries, and – critically – to combat anti-semitism and other effects of fascism upon American life. We must acknowledge that this mission is still relevant today. It is chilling beyond words that one member of the mob wore a "Camp Auschwitz" shirt, and another brandished the Confederate flag – inside the Capitol.
The Jewish community must condemn not only this anti-semitism and white supremacy, but the leaders who made them believe they would be safe to take these actions. From the white supremacists in Charlottesville shouting “Jews will not replace us” through the January 6 mob, it is clear that anti-semitism is a key component of this white supremacist, anti-democratic thuggery. And it is clear that Donald Trump has only encouraged this violence. If we care about combating fascism, protecting democracy, and about the fate of the Jewish people, we must call for the removal of Donald Trump from office immediately.
The Jewish people thrive in healthy, pluralistic democracies. An attempt, no matter how doomed to failure, by a powerful political leader to declare baselessly that a free and fair election was a fraud, and retain power through violence by might of a mob rather than the will of the people – in short, to subvert democracy – must be rebuked in the clearest of terms by the Jewish community.
The only way to begin to heal is to hold those responsible for this attack accountable. If our country is to be united once more, it must be united around our shared democratic ideals and upholding our Constitution. We must say that any elected official who attacks the core tenets of our Constitution, including the peaceful transfer of power, will not remain our leader. This President cannot remain in office to ride out the rest of his term, however brief. He should not have power for one day more.
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Jewish Labor Committee Tisha B'Av Memorial Service
Today is Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning. On Tuesday, the Jewish Labor Committee took time to honor those workers who have died from COVID-19 with a moving memorial.
We are grateful to all those of you who were able to make the event. For those of you who were unable to make it, you can watch the full memorial here:
We are grateful to Sara Nelson of the Association of Flight Attendants and Jean Ross, RN, of National Nurses United. They are true leaders of the labor movement and they urged us not only to mourn those lost, but also used this as an opportunity to take action for the living.
We are also especially grateful for the participation of Mona Darby, a poultry processing worker and member of RWDSU, and Gladys Betancourt, an apartment cleaner represented by Local 32BJ for sharing their powerful stories.
And of course, we are grateful to Rabbi Barbara Penzner of Hillel B'Nai Torah in Boston who is Co-Chair of the New England Jewish Labor Committee for speaking beautifully about Tisha B'Av and leading us in a Kaddish and to Stuart Appelbaum, President of RWDSU and of the Jewish Labor Committee for his powerful remarks.
Together, we will mourn for those we have lost, and fight like hell for the living.
The Jewish Labor Committee Tisha B'Av Memorial to Workers Who Died from COVID-19
Please join us on July 28th at 4pm for a national Jewish Labor Committee event in honor of those workers who have died from COVID-19. See the flyer below and register here.
Tisha B'Av is a day traditionally set aside to reflect on historical catastrophes that occurred on this date. The Jewish Labor Committee will host an online event to mourn the many frontline workers we have lost this year, and to honor those who have been put to the test by the COVID-19 crisis. We continue to fight for safer workspaces and a just reopening/recovery.
Thank you again, Tom Flynn and Josh Zakim!
We were so sorry to cancel the 2020 Labor Seder this Spring. But we are grateful to all our honorees, especially to Tom Flynn and Josh Zakim. Now that summer is here, we just wanted to say “thank you,” once again, and made this short video from some friends and colleagues.
Thank you for all you do for workers, especially in this time of crisis. Since the COVID-19 crisis hit, the New England Jewish Labor Committee has been hard at work, fighting for frontline workers and a safe – and just – reopening. We are all in this together.
