Recent News and Events at CRC

CRC Hosts Missouri Health Care for All Event

May 5, 2008 As part of the national Cover the Uninsured Week, Missouri Health Care for All, the statewide movement for healthcare reform that CRC helped launch, held a Faith and Community Leaders Breakfast at CRC on Monday, May 5. Nearly 100 attendees representing faith communities, community organizations, and concerned citizens heard from a panel of speakers about the topic "Health Care for All: What's Possible for Missouri."  Rabbi Susan Talve welcomed the group, and Rev. Ronald Bobo from West Side Missionary Baptist Church offered an opening prayer and call to action. “Missouri Health Care for All is a non-partisan, grassroots movement launched by concerned citizens, faith and community leaders committed to providing access to affordable, high quality health care for all Missourians,” Rev. Bobo said. “We are asking individuals to sign on to our principles, with the goal of having one million Missourians speaking up for health care for all.” Rev. Allen Ladage, president of Missouri IMPACT, introduced our two keynote speakers: Ira Kodner, MD, Director of the Washington University Center for the Study of Ethics and Human Values and the Solon and Bettie Gershman Professor of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, and Tim McBride, PhD, Professor of Health Management and Policy and Division Head of Health Policy at the School of Public Health, Saint Louis University. McBride presented the health care challenges facing Missouri and offered several possible options for achieving and financing universal health care. Dr. Kodner spoke about the medical community’s efforts to address health care costs and the role of physicians in providing quality affordable care. Dr. Kodner's presentation: Click here. Dr. McBride's presentation: Click here. CRC is a founding member of Missouri Health Care for All.  We encourage all CRC members to join Missouri Health Care for All at http://ga6.org/campaign/hcfa_principles.
	Rabbi Susan Talve welcomed attendees and spoke about the importance of achieving health care for all Missourians.
	Rev. Bobo offered an opening prayer and a call to action, inviting participants to join Missouri Health Care for All.
	Rev. Allen Ladage, president of Missouri IMPACT, introduced our keynote speakers.
Dr. Ira Kodner spoke about the role physicians play in addressing healthcare costs and providing quality healthcare.	Tim McBride spoke about options for achieving and financing healthcare for all in Missouri.
Lynn Lyss, a member of Shaare Emeth and the Jewish Community Relations Council, asked about the Massachusetts healthcare plan.	Miriam Raskin, a member of CRC and Missouri Health Care for All, participated in the question & answer session.
Tim McBride answers a question during the question & answer session.	Missouri Health Care for All Members and Keynote Speakers: L-R: Rev. Allen Ladage, Tim McBride, Rabbi Susan Talve, Reverend Robert Bobo, Dr. Ira Kotner, Dr. Steve Radinsky

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CRC Volunteers Help Make the Decline to Sign Campaign a Success!

May 4, 2008

CRC Members Marcy Brodsky and Molly Smith work with a Jobs With Justice volunteer to educate voters.

Marcy Brodsky and a WE CAN volunteer take a break from their tireless Decline to Sign efforts.

Central Reform Congregation members, working as part of the broader WE CAN coalition, won a tremendous victory when the deceptively named Missouri "Civil Rights" Initiative failed to turn in signatures which would have placed a constitutional ban on affirmative action on the November ballot.

After CRC’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to join the WE CAN coalition, CRC’s Social Responsibility Circle chose to get involved in the coalition’s “Decline to Sign” campaign. This campaign was a three-month volunteer effort to keep the anti-affirmative action initiative off the ballot. Hundreds of voter educators combed the streets of their communities, day in and day out, to find petitioners. Once they found petitioners, educators stood alongside them and made sure voters knew exactly what the deceptively-named "Missouri Civil Rights Initiative" would do to Missouri.

Often, petitioners gave up signature gathering on a site when they encountered Decline to Sign volunteers. When they learned the real intention behind the petition, Missouri voters throughout the state declined to sign, saying no to these paid political operatives and their designs on Missouri's constitution.

Coordinators of the WE CAN coalition reported that CRC’s members were among the most active Decline to Sign volunteers in the WE CAN coalition. Many thanks to all of the CRC members who volunteered for this campaign, including Marcy Brodsky, Molly Smith, Bob Hollander, and Debbie Monfort. Our efforts paid off!

This success is only the latest reminder of the power we have when we work together for a cause that we know is just. Congratulations to everyone who helped with this campaign, whether you volunteered every weekend or whether you contributed by telling your friends and relatives not to sign. Together, we made a difference!

For more information on the WE CAN coalition, click here.

CRC Holds Darfur Awareness Month

CRC's Social Responsibility Circle designated April 2008 as "Darfur Awareness Month."  As part of this month, we held a screening of the film Darfur Diaries: Message from Home and heard speakers at Social Responsibility Shabbat.  Members also signed postcards to their U.S. Senators and Representatives urging action. 

CRC also raised money for the Solar Cookers Project, which provides solar cookers to women and families that reduce the need for women and girls to go on dangerous trips for firewood.  The following people and groups at CRC have now collected money for this important project:

• B'Not 6 for their B'Not Mitzvah in November 2007:$8,000
• Hannah Cropf for her Bat Mitzvah in April 2008: $2,350
• Social Responsibility Circle for Darfur Awareness Month in April 2008: $234
• CRC's 9th Grade Teen Program in May 2008: $915

As a congregation, we have collected a total of $11,499 for the Solar Cookers Project!

The need for action to help the people of Darfur continues.  Please watch the CRC e-announcements for further involvement opportunities.

CRC 9th Graders Lobby on Capitol Hill!

CRC's 9th Grade Class has just returned from the four day L'Taken seminar in Washington, DC.  While there, the students learned about multiple social justice issues, about advocacy, and about the Jewish teachings related to tikkun olam.  The weekend culminated in a trip to Capitol Hill, where CRC's students lobbied in the offices of Senator Claire McCaskill, Senator Kit Bond, Representative Russ Carnahan, and Representative William Lacy Clay.  Students got to choose their lobbying issues; CRC's students chose to lobby on climate change, ending the war in Iraq, workplace equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, gun control, and homelessness.  For pictures from the weekend, click here.

Chavurah Motek Goes Swimming

CRC's chavurah of families with little children (Chavurat Motek) met on Satur-day March 1 at the Little Fishes Swim School in Brentwood.  "Motekim" spent time swimming, playing and making Havdalah. Photos...

Spiritual Enrichment Weekend Examines Balance and the Wholeness Woven of Diversity.
Read two accounts from members who participated.