advocacy & Action
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and RAC-FL
For nearly six decades, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (the RAC) has worked to educate, inspire, and mobilize the Reform Jewish Movement to advocate for social justice. We work on over 70 issues including gun violence prevention, immigration, reproductive rights, and criminal justice reform; and mobilize around federal, state, provincial, and local legislation. As a joint instrumentality of the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, we represent the values of the largest and most diverse Jewish Movement in North America to governments at all levels.
In July 2020, the RAC officially launched the Florida Religious Action Center (RAC-FL), coinciding with the launch of a statewide civic engagement effort through Every Voice, Every Vote: The Reform Movement’s 2020 Civic Engagement Campaign. This launch was the culmination of two years of organizing efforts in Florida.
Leading up to the 2018 mid-term elections, our Reform Jewish communities worked in coalition to advocate for the passage of the Amendment 4 ballot initiative, aimed at restoring the right to vote for 1.4 million Floridians (the fourth largest voter enfranchisement movement in U.S. history), which passed on Election Day. Just one year later, our communities partnered with immigration justice organizations to advocate for the closure of the Homestead detention center, the only private, for-profit detention center housing immigrant children. Both campaigns provided opportunities for our communities to carry out the values to tikkun olam and pursue a more moral and just Florida for all.
Visit their website, https://rac.org/, to learn more about their work and how you can get involved.
To learn more and get involved, contact Myra Spindel, our RAC-FL Representative.
RAC-FL. Tell our Senators to Pass the Assault Weapons Ban. We recently marked 10 years since the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Gun violence continues to plague our communities, with countless people suffering the loss of loved ones and the resulting trauma. We mourn those lost to gun violence and hold in our hearts the bereaved families, friends, and communities.. As we mourn the victims and survivors of gun violence, we honor them with action. This summer, the House of Representatives passed an assault weapons ban, but the Senate has yet to act. Urge Senators Rubio and Scott to pass the assault weapons ban today. Click here to take action.
Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
Gun violence prevention has been a social action priority for the URJ for decades. Gun violence remains a public health and safety issue with 100 deaths daily, almost two-thirds of which are suicides. Rabbi Pomerantz constituted the task force in 2017 with a threefold agenda: Education—to provide the congregation with evidence-based information regarding the issue; Advocacy—to provide information regarding pending gun legislation; Community Engagement—to partner with local partners to end gun violence. We welcome new members to our task force.
In partnership with Mom's Demand Action for Gun Safety, our Task Force will be working on educating and spreading awareness of the Be SMART program. The Be SMART framework is designed to help parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent child gun deaths and injuries. The Be SMART campaign was launched to raise awareness that secure gun storage—storing guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition—can save children’s lives. Through trainings and conversations with school PTOs, community centers, and physician offices, Be SMART emphasizes that it’s an adult responsibility to keep kids from accessing guns, and that every adult can play a role in keeping kids and communities safer.
Upcoming meeting: More information coming soon.
Contact: Hilary Feldman and Lauren Cantor
Volunteer Training: Become an LGBTQ+ Activist!
Join Equality Florida for their Monthly General Volunteer Training event, Become an LGBTQ+ Activist, where they will talk about the work they do, how you can best stay involved, and learn how we can best make change in our beautiful state! Over the past two years, we have seen our beautiful community attacked by misinformation, hatred, and bigotry. We need all of the help we can get to build up our movement to fight against this hate, bigotry, and misinformation. Join us TODAY! Various dates and times available throughout 2023. Click here for more information and to register.
Recently, Senators Sinema (D-AZ) and Tillis (R-NC) put out a bipartisan framework to get a Dream Act passed during the current lame-duck session, providing a pathway to citizenship to 2.3 Million Dreamers from across the country. In order to get this bill passed, we need to show Senators Rubio and Scott that business and civic leaders from across the state support bipartisan solutions for the thousands of Dreamers that call Florida home and contribute to our economy. You can help by signing THIS LETTER directed to Senators Rubio and Scott asking that they support a bipartisan Dream Act in the lame-duck session.
