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JCUA praises ‘call for justice’ By Carol Brumer Gliksman “Justice, Justice shall thou pursue.” (Deutornomy 16:20) With these words, the Torah implores us to fight for a just society, to work in this world, and to make it a livable place in which all can prosper. Since its founding 36 years ago in 1964, the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) has been guided by prophetic principles of tzedakah, (from the Hebrew word, “tzedek,” or justice) and “tikkun olam” (repairing the world). JCUA assists grassroots organizations in low-income and minority communities, builds coalitions with diverse groups, advocates on issues of poverty and racism, and works to involve the Jewish community in social justice work. It does this through what it sees as its Jewish mandate to pursue social and economic justice, to promote a vision of empowering communities from within. As an organization committed to Jewish principles, JCUA welcomes the opportunity to elevate this moral imperative to its highest level with other religious groups that share its call for social justice. Cooperation among faith based organizations can create a powerful impact in issues such as affordable housing, job creation, community reinvestment, neighborhood stability. The strength of this cooperation helps to address critical issues such as police brutality, prosecutorial misconduct, sweatshops and concerns about the death penalty. Congregations and faith-based organizations form the backbone of neighborhoods by teaching and modeling their core values of working with the most disenfranchised people of the community. Building upon this, JCUA has joined with other faiths to combat poverty and racism. Today, JCUA’s partnerships with religious organizations such as the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation and the Resurrection Project, both building affordable housing in Chicago, continue this important tradition. JCUA celebrated partnership, cooperation and shared vision when it invited Cardinal George as keynote speaker for its 36th annual meeting. Since his installation in 1997, Cardinal George has made clear his call for justice. In parallel to JCUA’s mission, he works diligently to dismantle racism, fights for affordable housing, advocates on behalf of immigrant workers and people with disabilities and works to abolish the death penalty and end sweatshops. At JCUA’s meeting, Cardinal George spoke about the Chicago Catholic community’s model for social change, highlighted areas of common ground and proposed how we can continue to work together to achieve urban justice and “tikkun olam.” JCUA Executive Director Jane Ramsey is excited about the opportunity to continue to collaborate with the Catholic community on issues that are important to both Catholics and Jews. “Francis Cardinal George is a forceful leader for positive social change on behalf of the city’s most vulnerable residents,” she said. “His voice rings out clearly articulating the desire of low-income families to maintain their communities and to ensure that public housing residents are protected as the so-called ‘transformation’ of public housing moves forward. The cardinal brings to Chicago his own long and compassionate history of work on behalf of all people. His is a welcome and loud voice for justice and interfaith cooperation." Gliksman is outreach associate for the Jewish Council on Urban
Affairs.
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