Dear Chevreh,
I have been in touch with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) about their gun violence prevention campaign, Zichronam-Livrocha: For Their Memory Shall Be a Blessing. Our teacher Rabbi Amy Eilberg has also been working closely with JCPA on this campaign to save lives.
JCPA is currently reaching out to congregations throughout the country to ask leadership to sign on to JCPA's national sign-on letter, addressed to Congress. This national letter will not only show Congress that the Jewish community at large demands common-sense gun law reform, but will also be a resourceful tool for connecting and coordinating with other synagogues within the nation for continued local advocacy efforts. Please see the attached letter. That letter was sent in April and includes 24 national Jewish institutions as signatories. JCPA intends to send another copy of this letter (the text of the body of the letter will be exactly the same) but include as many local Jewish organizations including synagogues, JCRCs, Hadassah chapters etc., as signatories. JCPA is encouraging all Jewish organizations to sign!
(I've also attached a press release that may be useful to you, as well in convincing others that this is worthwhile.) Please consider adding your organization or your synagogue's name to the letter.
If you'd like to sign on to the letter, please email Taylor Lustig with the official name of the organization you represent. Please let Taylor know if you have any questions (tlustig@thejcpa.org or 202-212-6035). Taylor works in the Washington, DC Office of JCPA and is coordinating their gun violence prevention campaign.
If even one life is saved through our urgent work, then we've saved a world. May many more worlds be saved by the commitments we make as shuls, jcc's, and communities.
Kol Tuv,
Menachem
