On Monday, March 10th, I had the privilege of accompanying eleven of our Temple Emanuel
students to Capitol Hill to visit their
Senator’s and House of Representative’s offices. These students joined close to 300 teens from across the country to participate in
the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center L’Takein Seminar. This seminar
begins on Erev Shabbat and includes three-and-a-half
days of learning and engagement that culminates in the opportunity to lobby
congressional staff.
Our
students made new friends while bonding with their own classmates while having lots of fun, but also working hard. They attended a presentation by the National
Coalition for the Homeless where they were addressed by individuals who have personally
experienced homelessness and by others who work on legislation aimed at reducing homelessness and providing services to those living on the streets. Our
students engaged in a lobbying simulation on mining that helped them experience
the power of the dollar and the media in the legislative process. They learned that making our world a better
place isn’t just about having good and valuable ideas, or even the best of
intentions. It is as much about
promoting those ideas in a convincing and compelling manner. And, yes, they learned, that costs money.
Our
students participated in an Israeli Knesset simulation that helped all involved
understand the challenges of Israel’s multi-party political system. Each student is assigned to a political
party. Then, working with their own
party members and within the parameters of their party’s platform, they are tasked with negotiating and forming coalitions with the other parties in order
to pass a conflict resolution document.
Even with only seven parties represented in the simulation, the students
quickly learned why the issues that plague the peace process are so difficult
to resolve.
Our
students also studied a number of legislative issues that The Religious Action
Center is currently working on including: campaign finance reform, climate
change, international standards for disability support and access, gun
violence prevention, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, among others. Our students then each got to choose a topic and then, working in small groups, worked directly with a legislative aide in crafting a speech to present on
Capitol Hill. The students don’t begin actually writing their
speeches until Sunday evening at about 7:30 PM.
They learn to put an argument together quickly using facts and
statistics to support their argument, while remaining: polite, engaging, passionate,
and personal.
Our Temple Emanuel students chose three topics to address this year. They spoke
confidently and passionately about the need for an international standard with
regard to disability rights, for the passage of the Employment
Non-Discriminatory Act (better known as ENDA) which protects LGBT individuals
in the workplace, and for legislation that would work to prevent, or at least
decrease, gun violence in our country.
The staffers that listened to them lobby all commented on their
preparedness and their presence. I was
so proud of the impression that our Temple Emanuel students made on our
legislators. I am confident their voices were heard and made a difference.
As
I was sitting specifically in Senator Mikulski’s and Senator Cardin’s office where
I get to watch the entire class deliver their speeches (before they split off in order to visit their respective Representative’s offices), I was reminded of Esther. We have no historical or archeological evidence that Esther is any more
than a fictional character, but she is a worthy model of advocacy. She
approached the leadership of her country – in her case, without a previously scheduled appointment by a respected advocacy organization - and advocated on behalf of
the Jewish people. She was, herself, arguably
in a protected position. She was
royalty, married to the king. She didn’t
have to speak up, but she did; and in doing so, she made a difference in her
world and in ours.
As
we celebrate Purim, as we listen to the megillah, may we be inspired to model not only our biblical heroes,
Esther and Mordecai who made sure we survived Haman’s wrath, may we also be
inspired by our students who learned the tools needed for and the power of
advocacy. Isn’t this what we demand as
Reform Jews in our emphasis on the pursuit of social justice? Every year that I
return from this empowering program offered by the RAC, I wonder, how many of
us take the time and opportunity to speak up, to make our voices heard - as did
Esther, as did our students - in a
manner that is constructive, productive, and that works to make our world a
better place?
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