Jewish Council on Urban Affairs
Encyclopedia
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) is a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago
, Ill., that works with diverse neighborhoods and community groups to battle discrimination
, anti-Semitism
, poverty
and other forms of oppression . Jane Ramsey has been the organization’s executive director since 1980 .
organizations . As a Chicago-based organization, JCUA pioneered the American Jewish community’s participation in social justice work. Since 1964, JCUA has been working with neighborhoods targeted by social and economic depression and collaborates actively with immigrant communities to promote human rights
and social justice
. Working with other community-based organizations, JCUA focuses on issues that affect urban communities, such as “poverty, education, employment, housing, transportation and crime”. JCUA mobilizes the Chicago-area Jewish community in an effort to build partnerships and to advocate on behalf of disenfranchised Chicago residents.
, who at the time was the Midwest Director of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism
) and a committed civil rights
activist.
JCUA’s origins can be traced to the civil rights movement
of the 1960s when Rabbi Robert Marx
marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his Open Housing
March in Marquette Park
. JCUA was established as a Jewish voice promoting human rights
and social justice
for Chicago’s
neighborhoods. In its early years, JCUA worked with the Contract Buyers League to fight unfair real estate practices in Westside homes that were causing excessive fines and evictions of black homeowners.
The first staff member of JCUA was Lewis Kreinberg, a young graduate student of the University of Wisconsin. Kreinberg’s first assignment was to work with the Northwest Community Organization (NCO) to counter slum landlords
who were exploiting tenants.
. The organization supported non-profit community based developers, advocated for improved tenant living conditions, assisted in organizing tenant unions
, and aided in the formation and staffing of the Public Welfare Coalition.
JCUA focused on intergroup collaboration, working with Chicago’s diverse racial, ethnic, and religious communities. The organization engaged in dialogue
with the African American
community, and together created a service cooperative to focus on the needs of small local businesses
. JCUA joined a coalition with African American
and Latino
communities to address job discrimination
in Chicago-area corporations and to protest the Nazi march in Marquette Park
. Working with local organizations in West Town
, JCUA rallied in opposition to the post office, which at the time was practicing employment discrimination
against Latino
..
The Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism
) and JCUA created a summer youth program called the Youth Mitzvah
Corps, empowering young people to volunteer in the inner city
..
system of institutionalized racism
, JCUA passed a resolution that condemned South Africa’s
apartheid policies and called upon the organization’s membership to divest from companies engaged in business
with South Africa
..
As in the previous decade, JCUA continued its focus on local social services, assisting in the formation and staffing of the Chicago
Coalition for Voter Registration
, a group organized to educate about widespread homelessness in Chicago
. Continuing its struggle for increased affordable housing
, JCUA developed strategies to provide more low-income rental properties for the Latino community
in Humboldt Park
and for homeless women in Uptown
, Edgewater
, and Rogers Park. Working in several coalitions, JCUA continued the struggle for the preservation and rehabilitation of low-income and public housing
. The Community Ventures Program allowed JCUA members to provide no-interest loans to non-profit developers..
Other JCUA campaigns focused on hunger
and workers rights
. Working with ICARE, JCUA organized statements for City Council
which advocated for increased city funding and resources for hunger
alleviation. With the Living Wage
Campaign
, JCUA fought for the Living Wage
Ordinance
which demanded employers
with city contracts or city subsidies to pay employees
a living wage
..
JCUA helped initiate Progress Illinois
, a group of Illinois
-based organizations that supported a graduated state income tax
which would alleviate the tax burden
for middle
and low-income
families, also allowing for additional state revenue to fund education
and human service
programs..
JCUA developed several Jewish initiatives that worked to organize the American Jewish community
around issues of social justice
. The Judaism
and Urban Poverty
(JUP) curriculum
was developed to be used in synagogue religious schools
in order to teach Jewish youth about the institutional and structural causes of poverty
. The JUP curriculum instructed children about the social responsibility
, informed by Jewish perspectives, to improve the living conditions
of those most in need. JCUA also assisted in the creation of a national organization called AMOS. The mission of AMOS was to make social justice
a top concern of American Jewry
. The Urban Mitzvah
Corp was initiated as a program for Jewish college students over their winter breaks
. Program participants rehabilitated housing
with Habitat for Humanity and learned about poverty
from community experts and local rabbinic leaders
. To strengthen relationships between black and white
Jews
, JCUA created an educational and social program called Shalem (Hebrew for "Making Whole"). The program developed strategies to raise public awareness of African American Jews..
strike
, JCUA mobilized more than 70 members of the Jewish community, including several rabbis, to support the strikers
who are seeking workers’ rights
, such as living wages and basic benefits
. JCUA members and participants have continued to picket along with striking workers
at the hotel
through the seventh anniversary of the strike
in 2010..
Demanding political accountability
, JCUA along with several other community organizations
created a comprehensive agenda to hold local government officials
accountable. This campaign is known as “Developing Government Accountability to the People” or DGAP. In 2010, DGAP published updated information on the records of Chicago aldermen
and asked local citizens to grade their alderman on the DGAP website.
JCUA has worked to ensure broad healthcare access
in Illinois
. JCUA successfully won an increased 2008 budget for the Cook County
Bureau of Health along with the creation of an independent board of directors that would take control of managing Cook County’s public health care system, the second largest of such programs in the country. JCUA continued its work to preserve affordable housing
in the city of Chicago
. The organization assisted residents of housing projects
in filing a law suit, claiming that orders for the residents to relocate violated their human rights
.
After 9/11, in the wake of increased prejudice against Muslims
, JCUA created the Jewish-Muslim Community-Building Initiative (JMCBI), a program that brings together members from both faith groups through cultural and educational opportunities. JMCBI mobilizes Jews
and Muslims to advocate
collaboratively around several social justice
campaigns
.
Together with the Community Renewal Society, JCUA convened the Justice
Coalition
of Greater Chicago (JCGC), which brought together 100 faith-based
, civil rights
, other types of organizations to battle police
and criminal prosecutorial misconduct
. In a landmark success, JCUA and JCGC won a moratorium on the death penalty
in Illinois
, postponing all lethal injections
until investigations could conclude why more Illinois
executions
had been overturned rather than carried out. JCUA initiated Or Tzedek, the Teen Institute for Social Justice. Or Tzedek is an urban-immersion program aimed at strengthening teens’ Jewish identities
though social justice
education and direct activism
.
After the 2008 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
raid
and the subsequent bankruptcy
of Agriprocessors, Inc.
kosher
meatpacking plant
in Postville, Iowa
, JCUA and Jewish Community Action of St. Paul, Minnesota were invited to join the Postville Community Benefits Alliance (PCBA). PCBA is a coalition
of organizations that is working to ensure that the new owners of the plant (now called Agri Star) continue to distribute kosher meat
products and that the company is held accountable to provide employees with safe working conditions
and fair treatment
JCUA has been active in advocating for federal comprehensive immigration reform
, and has “often been the public face of the Jewish community’s
response to the immigration debate
in Chicago
.” JCUA supports legislation
that would provide illegal immigrants
with an avenue to achieve citizenship
and advocates a ban on deportations.
JCUA organizes Jewish-Muslim dialogue
programs, such as “Iftar
in the Sukkah
” or “Iftar
in the Synagogue
”, events that bring local Jews
and Muslims together to break the fast of Ramadan
and to celebrate a coinciding Jewish holiday. In 2007, when the end of Ramadan
overlapped with Sukkot
, a Jewish festival marking the traditional time of harvest
, about 150 Muslims and Jews
congregated in Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel, an Orthodox
synagogue in Chicago, to socialize, eat, and experience each others’ rituals. The “Iftar” programs have continued yearly.
From JCUA’s inception until today, the organization has focused on preserving affordable housing
opportunities for low-income Chicagoans. In reaction to citywide gentrification
, JCUA is working with community groups to ensure affordable housing
for displaced residents. JCUA provides seed money to real estate developers to encourage development of affordable housing
. July 11, 2007. JCUA works with the Coalition for the Protection of Public Housing on the “Housing is a Human Right” campaign. The campaign opposes the unjust treatment of Chicago public housing
residents by challenging forced evictions.
JCUA runs a teen urban-immersion program called Or Tzedek (Hebrew for “Light of Justice”). The week-long program gives high school students the opportunity to engage with urban issues such as affordable housing
, health-care, immigration
, poverty
, and homelessness
. Participants learn about these social justice
issues through a Jewish lens while meeting and volunteering with community leaders and experts.
In the aftermath of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in May of 2008 of the Agriprocessors
kosher meatpacking plant, JCUA has helped organize an alliance of community groups and concerned individuals in Postville, Iowa
. The group aims to reach a Community Benefits Agreement
(CBA) with the new owners of the Agriprocessors
plant. Since the 2008 raid, JCUA has raised money and supported the affected Postville community. The goals of the Postville Community Benefits Alliance are to ensure that the meatpacking plant is a responsible corporation and that it treats its workers fairly while providing a safe working environment.
JCUA has been at the forefront of the battle for comprehensive immigration reform
. JCUA seeks to be a “strong Jewish presence” as it works with other faith communities, supporting the passage of federal legislation that treats immigrants fairly. JCUA, Jewish Community Action (St. Paul, Minn.) and Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society co-convened “We Were Strangers, Too: the Jewish Campaign for Immigration Reform.” The campaign aims to pass “comprehensive immigration reform
which should include family reunification, a path to citizenship, enforcement that reflects our values while bolstering national security, legal channels for future immigrants and resources that empower immigrants to integrate into our society”.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Ill., that works with diverse neighborhoods and community groups to battle discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
, anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and other forms of oppression . Jane Ramsey has been the organization’s executive director since 1980 .
About
According to Slingshot, a Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation, “For 45 years, the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) has been perceived by many as the social consciousness of the Chicago-area Jewish community”. According to Sojourners magazine, JCUA is the preeminent model for today’s Jewish social justiceSocial justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
organizations . As a Chicago-based organization, JCUA pioneered the American Jewish community’s participation in social justice work. Since 1964, JCUA has been working with neighborhoods targeted by social and economic depression and collaborates actively with immigrant communities to promote human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
. Working with other community-based organizations, JCUA focuses on issues that affect urban communities, such as “poverty, education, employment, housing, transportation and crime”. JCUA mobilizes the Chicago-area Jewish community in an effort to build partnerships and to advocate on behalf of disenfranchised Chicago residents.
Early Activity
JCUA was founded in 1964 by Rabbi Robert MarxCongregation Solel
Congregation Solel of Highland Park, IL was one of the first Reform synagogues in the North Shore of Chicago and currently serves about 500 households.-Founding:...
, who at the time was the Midwest Director of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
) and a committed civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist.
JCUA’s origins can be traced to the civil rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
of the 1960s when Rabbi Robert Marx
Congregation Solel
Congregation Solel of Highland Park, IL was one of the first Reform synagogues in the North Shore of Chicago and currently serves about 500 households.-Founding:...
marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his Open Housing
Fair housing
In the United States, the fair housing policies date largely from the 1960s. Originally, the terms fair housing and open housing came from a political movement of the time to outlaw discrimination in the rental or purchase of homes and a broad range of other housing-related transactions, such as...
March in Marquette Park
Marquette Park
Marquette Park may refer to one of several places that are named in honor of Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary.*Marquette Park in Chicago, Illinois*Marquette Park in Gary, Indiana...
. JCUA was established as a Jewish voice promoting human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
for Chicago’s
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
neighborhoods. In its early years, JCUA worked with the Contract Buyers League to fight unfair real estate practices in Westside homes that were causing excessive fines and evictions of black homeowners.
The first staff member of JCUA was Lewis Kreinberg, a young graduate student of the University of Wisconsin. Kreinberg’s first assignment was to work with the Northwest Community Organization (NCO) to counter slum landlords
Slumlord
A slumlord is a derogatory term for landlords, generally absentee landlords, who attempt to maximize profit by minimizing spending on property maintenance, often in deteriorating neighborhoods. They may need to charge lower than market rent to tenants...
who were exploiting tenants.
1970s
JCUA continued its extensive work on affordable housingAffordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
. The organization supported non-profit community based developers, advocated for improved tenant living conditions, assisted in organizing tenant unions
Tenant rights
Tenant rights can either refer to the rights tenants enjoy by law, or to the movement to acquire such rights. Tenant rights generally seek to protect renters from landlord neglect and unfair eviction, as well as secure fair, affordable housing....
, and aided in the formation and staffing of the Public Welfare Coalition.
JCUA focused on intergroup collaboration, working with Chicago’s diverse racial, ethnic, and religious communities. The organization engaged in dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
with the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community, and together created a service cooperative to focus on the needs of small local businesses
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
. JCUA joined a coalition with African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and Latino
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
communities to address job discrimination
Economic discrimination
Economic discrimination is a term that describes a form of discrimination based on economic factors. These factors can include job availability, wages, the prices and/or availability of goods and services, and the amount of capital investment funding available to minorities for business...
in Chicago-area corporations and to protest the Nazi march in Marquette Park
Marquette Park
Marquette Park may refer to one of several places that are named in honor of Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary.*Marquette Park in Chicago, Illinois*Marquette Park in Gary, Indiana...
. Working with local organizations in West Town
West Town, Chicago
West Town, located in Chicago, Illinois, northwest of the Loop, is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Its name may refer to Western Avenue, which was the city's western boundary at the time of West Town's settlement, but more likely was a convenient abstraction by the creators...
, JCUA rallied in opposition to the post office, which at the time was practicing employment discrimination
Employment discrimination
Employment discrimination is discrimination in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, and compensation. It includes various types of harassment....
against Latino
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
..
The Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
) and JCUA created a summer youth program called the Youth Mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
Corps, empowering young people to volunteer in the inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
..
1980s and 1990s
As the [American] public was awakening to South Africa’sSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
system of institutionalized racism
Institutional racism
Institutional racism describes any kind of system of inequality based on race. It can occur in institutions such as public government bodies, private business corporations , and universities . The term was coined by Black Power activist Stokely Carmichael in the late 1960s...
, JCUA passed a resolution that condemned South Africa’s
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
apartheid policies and called upon the organization’s membership to divest from companies engaged in business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
with South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
..
As in the previous decade, JCUA continued its focus on local social services, assisting in the formation and staffing of the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Coalition for Voter Registration
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
, a group organized to educate about widespread homelessness in Chicago
Homelessness in the United States
Homelessness in the United States has continued to remain a focus area of concern of social service providers, government officials, and policy professionals since its resurgence among many types of individuals and families. The number of homeless people further grew in the 1980s, as housing and...
. Continuing its struggle for increased affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
, JCUA developed strategies to provide more low-income rental properties for the Latino community
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
in Humboldt Park
Humboldt Park, Chicago
Humboldt Park is one of 77 officially designated community areas located on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. The Humboldt Park neighborhood is widely known for its large Puerto Rican presence...
and for homeless women in Uptown
Uptown, Chicago
Uptown is one of Chicago’s 77 community areas. Uptown has well defined boundaries. They are: Foster on the north; Lake Michigan on the east; Montrose , and Irving Park on the south; Ravenswood , and Clark on the west. Uptown borders three community areas and Lake Michigan...
, Edgewater
Edgewater, Chicago
Edgewater is a lakefront community area in the North Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois seven miles north of the Loop. As one of Chicago’s 77 official community areas, Edgewater is bounded by Foster Avenue on the south, Devon Avenue on the north, Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and Lake Michigan...
, and Rogers Park. Working in several coalitions, JCUA continued the struggle for the preservation and rehabilitation of low-income and public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
. The Community Ventures Program allowed JCUA members to provide no-interest loans to non-profit developers..
Other JCUA campaigns focused on hunger
Hunger
Hunger is the most commonly used term to describe the social condition of people who frequently experience the physical sensation of desiring food.-Malnutrition, famine, starvation:...
and workers rights
Labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of legal rights and claimed human rights having to do with labor relations between workers and their employers, usually obtained under labor and employment law. In general, these rights' debates have to do with negotiating workers' pay, benefits, and safe...
. Working with ICARE, JCUA organized statements for City Council
Chicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
which advocated for increased city funding and resources for hunger
Hunger
Hunger is the most commonly used term to describe the social condition of people who frequently experience the physical sensation of desiring food.-Malnutrition, famine, starvation:...
alleviation. With the Living Wage
Living wage
In public policy, a living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs . These needs include shelter and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition...
Campaign
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
, JCUA fought for the Living Wage
Living wage
In public policy, a living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs . These needs include shelter and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition...
Ordinance
Local ordinance
A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
which demanded employers
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
with city contracts or city subsidies to pay employees
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
a living wage
Living wage
In public policy, a living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs . These needs include shelter and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition...
..
JCUA helped initiate Progress Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, a group of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
-based organizations that supported a graduated state income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
which would alleviate the tax burden
Tax incidence
In economics, tax incidence is the analysis of the effect of a particular tax on the distribution of economic welfare. Tax incidence is said to "fall" upon the group that, at the end of the day, bears the burden of the tax...
for middle
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
and low-income
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
families, also allowing for additional state revenue to fund education
Illinois State Board of Education
The Illinois State Board of Education administers public education in the state of Illinois. The State Board consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the...
and human service
Illinois Department of Human Services
The Illinois Department of Human Services is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is responsible for providing a wide variety of safety net services to Illinois residents in poverty, who are facing other economic challenges, or who have any of a variety of disabilities or...
programs..
JCUA developed several Jewish initiatives that worked to organize the American Jewish community
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
around issues of social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
. The Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and Urban Poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
(JUP) curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
was developed to be used in synagogue religious schools
Hebrew school
Hebrew school can be either the Jewish equivalent of Sunday school - an educational regimen separate from secular education, focusing on topics of Jewish history and learning the Hebrew language, or a primary, secondary or college level educational institution where some or all of the classes are...
in order to teach Jewish youth about the institutional and structural causes of poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
. The JUP curriculum instructed children about the social responsibility
Social responsibility
Social responsibility is an ethical ideology or theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual or organization has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the...
, informed by Jewish perspectives, to improve the living conditions
Habitability
Habitability is the conformance of a residence or abode to the implied warranty of habitability. A residence that complies is said to be "habitable". It is an implied warranty or contract, meaning it does not have to be an express contract, covenant, or provision of a contract...
of those most in need. JCUA also assisted in the creation of a national organization called AMOS. The mission of AMOS was to make social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
a top concern of American Jewry
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
. The Urban Mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
Corp was initiated as a program for Jewish college students over their winter breaks
School holiday
School holidays are the periods during which schools are closed for study. The dates and periods of school holidays vary considerably throughout the world, and there is usually some variation even within the same jurisdiction.- Christmas holiday :In countries with a predominantly Judeo-Christian...
. Program participants rehabilitated housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
with Habitat for Humanity and learned about poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
from community experts and local rabbinic leaders
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. To strengthen relationships between black and white
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, JCUA created an educational and social program called Shalem (Hebrew for "Making Whole"). The program developed strategies to raise public awareness of African American Jews..
2000s to the Present
Marking the fifth anniversary of the Congress HotelHotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, JCUA mobilized more than 70 members of the Jewish community, including several rabbis, to support the strikers
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
who are seeking workers’ rights
Labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of legal rights and claimed human rights having to do with labor relations between workers and their employers, usually obtained under labor and employment law. In general, these rights' debates have to do with negotiating workers' pay, benefits, and safe...
, such as living wages and basic benefits
Employee benefit
Employee benefits and benefits in kind are various non-wage compensations provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries...
. JCUA members and participants have continued to picket along with striking workers
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
at the hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
through the seventh anniversary of the strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in 2010..
Demanding political accountability
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
, JCUA along with several other community organizations
Community organization
Community organizations are civil society non-profits that operate within a single local community. They are essentially a subset of the wider group of nonprofits. Like other nonprofits they are often run on a voluntary basis and are self funded...
created a comprehensive agenda to hold local government officials
Local government in the United States
Local government in the United States is generally structured in accordance with the laws of the various individual states. Typically each state has at least two separate tiers: counties and municipalities. Some states have their counties divided into townships...
accountable. This campaign is known as “Developing Government Accountability to the People” or DGAP. In 2010, DGAP published updated information on the records of Chicago aldermen
Chicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
and asked local citizens to grade their alderman on the DGAP website.
JCUA has worked to ensure broad healthcare access
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. JCUA successfully won an increased 2008 budget for the Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
Bureau of Health along with the creation of an independent board of directors that would take control of managing Cook County’s public health care system, the second largest of such programs in the country. JCUA continued its work to preserve affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
in the city of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The organization assisted residents of housing projects
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
in filing a law suit, claiming that orders for the residents to relocate violated their human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
.
After 9/11, in the wake of increased prejudice against Muslims
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
, JCUA created the Jewish-Muslim Community-Building Initiative (JMCBI), a program that brings together members from both faith groups through cultural and educational opportunities. JMCBI mobilizes Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Muslims to advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
collaboratively around several social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
campaigns
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
.
Together with the Community Renewal Society, JCUA convened the Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
Coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
of Greater Chicago (JCGC), which brought together 100 faith-based
Faith-based
The term faith-based is a neologism , mostly current in US English, to describe any organization or government idea or plan based on religious beliefs, specifically Christian beliefs....
, civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, other types of organizations to battle police
Police misconduct
Police misconduct refers to inappropriate actions taken by police officers in connection with their official duties. Police misconduct can lead to a miscarriage of justice and sometimes involves discrimination...
and criminal prosecutorial misconduct
Prosecutorial misconduct
In jurisprudence, prosecutorial misconduct is a procedural defense; via which, a defendant may argue that they should not be held criminally liable for actions which may have broken the law, because the prosecution acted in an "inappropriate" or "unfair" manner. Such arguments may involve...
. In a landmark success, JCUA and JCGC won a moratorium on the death penalty
Capital punishment in the United States
Capital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, postponing all lethal injections
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
until investigations could conclude why more Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
executions
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
had been overturned rather than carried out. JCUA initiated Or Tzedek, the Teen Institute for Social Justice. Or Tzedek is an urban-immersion program aimed at strengthening teens’ Jewish identities
Jewish identity
Jewish identity is the objective or subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. Under the broader definition, the Jewish identity does not depend on whether or not a person is regarded as a Jew by others, or by an external set of religious, or legal, or...
though social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
education and direct activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
.
After the 2008 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
raid
Postville Raid
The Postville Raid was a raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. kosher slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa, USA on May 12, 2008, executed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland Security together with other agencies. The raid was the...
and the subsequent bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
of Agriprocessors, Inc.
Agriprocessors
Agriprocessors was the corporate identity of a slaughterhouse and meat-packaging factory based in Postville, Iowa, best known as a facility for the glatt kosher processing of cattle, as well as chicken, turkey, duck, and lamb. Agriprocessors' meat and poultry products were marketed under the brand...
kosher
Kosher foods
Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of the Jewish Halakhic law framework, kosher meaning fit or allowed to be eaten. A list of some kosher foods are found in the book of Leviticus 11:1-47. There are also certain kosher rules found there...
meatpacking plant
Meat packing industry
The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock...
in Postville, Iowa
Postville, Iowa
Postville is a city in Allamakee and Clayton Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. It lies near the junction of four counties and at the intersection of U.S. Routes 18 and 52 and Iowa Highway 51, with airport facilities in the neighboring communities of Waukon, Decorah, Monona, and Prairie du Chien....
, JCUA and Jewish Community Action of St. Paul, Minnesota were invited to join the Postville Community Benefits Alliance (PCBA). PCBA is a coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
of organizations that is working to ensure that the new owners of the plant (now called Agri Star) continue to distribute kosher meat
Shechita
Shechita is the ritual slaughter of mammals and birds according to Jewish dietary laws...
products and that the company is held accountable to provide employees with safe working conditions
Occupational safety and health
Occupational safety and health is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goal of all occupational safety and health programs is to foster a safe work environment...
and fair treatment
Labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of legal rights and claimed human rights having to do with labor relations between workers and their employers, usually obtained under labor and employment law. In general, these rights' debates have to do with negotiating workers' pay, benefits, and safe...
JCUA has been active in advocating for federal comprehensive immigration reform
Immigration reform
Immigration reform is a term used in political discussion regarding changes to current immigration policy of a country. In its strict definition, "reform " means to change into an improved form or condition, by amending or removing faults or abuses....
, and has “often been the public face of the Jewish community’s
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
response to the immigration debate
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.” JCUA supports legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
that would provide illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
with an avenue to achieve citizenship
Citizenship in the United States
Citizenship in the United States is a status given to individuals that entails specific rights, duties, privileges, and benefits between the United States and the individual...
and advocates a ban on deportations.
Current Activities
JCUA works on several campaigns and projects concurrently. Some of the organization’s current activities are outlined below:JCUA organizes Jewish-Muslim dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
programs, such as “Iftar
Iftar
Iftar , refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib time...
in the Sukkah
Sukkah
A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes...
” or “Iftar
Iftar
Iftar , refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib time...
in the Synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
”, events that bring local Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Muslims together to break the fast of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
and to celebrate a coinciding Jewish holiday. In 2007, when the end of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
overlapped with Sukkot
Sukkot
Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
, a Jewish festival marking the traditional time of harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
, about 150 Muslims and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
congregated in Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel, an Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
synagogue in Chicago, to socialize, eat, and experience each others’ rituals. The “Iftar” programs have continued yearly.
From JCUA’s inception until today, the organization has focused on preserving affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
opportunities for low-income Chicagoans. In reaction to citywide gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
, JCUA is working with community groups to ensure affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
for displaced residents. JCUA provides seed money to real estate developers to encourage development of affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
. July 11, 2007. JCUA works with the Coalition for the Protection of Public Housing on the “Housing is a Human Right” campaign. The campaign opposes the unjust treatment of Chicago public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
residents by challenging forced evictions.
JCUA runs a teen urban-immersion program called Or Tzedek (Hebrew for “Light of Justice”). The week-long program gives high school students the opportunity to engage with urban issues such as affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
, health-care, immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, and homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
. Participants learn about these social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
issues through a Jewish lens while meeting and volunteering with community leaders and experts.
In the aftermath of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in May of 2008 of the Agriprocessors
Agriprocessors
Agriprocessors was the corporate identity of a slaughterhouse and meat-packaging factory based in Postville, Iowa, best known as a facility for the glatt kosher processing of cattle, as well as chicken, turkey, duck, and lamb. Agriprocessors' meat and poultry products were marketed under the brand...
kosher meatpacking plant, JCUA has helped organize an alliance of community groups and concerned individuals in Postville, Iowa
Postville, Iowa
Postville is a city in Allamakee and Clayton Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. It lies near the junction of four counties and at the intersection of U.S. Routes 18 and 52 and Iowa Highway 51, with airport facilities in the neighboring communities of Waukon, Decorah, Monona, and Prairie du Chien....
. The group aims to reach a Community Benefits Agreement
Community Benefits Agreement
A Community Benefits Agreement in the USA is a contract signed by community groups and a real estate developer that requires the developer to provide specific amenities and/or mitigations to the local community or neighborhood. In exchange, the community groups agree to publicly support the...
(CBA) with the new owners of the Agriprocessors
Agriprocessors
Agriprocessors was the corporate identity of a slaughterhouse and meat-packaging factory based in Postville, Iowa, best known as a facility for the glatt kosher processing of cattle, as well as chicken, turkey, duck, and lamb. Agriprocessors' meat and poultry products were marketed under the brand...
plant. Since the 2008 raid, JCUA has raised money and supported the affected Postville community. The goals of the Postville Community Benefits Alliance are to ensure that the meatpacking plant is a responsible corporation and that it treats its workers fairly while providing a safe working environment.
JCUA has been at the forefront of the battle for comprehensive immigration reform
Immigration reform
Immigration reform is a term used in political discussion regarding changes to current immigration policy of a country. In its strict definition, "reform " means to change into an improved form or condition, by amending or removing faults or abuses....
. JCUA seeks to be a “strong Jewish presence” as it works with other faith communities, supporting the passage of federal legislation that treats immigrants fairly. JCUA, Jewish Community Action (St. Paul, Minn.) and Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society co-convened “We Were Strangers, Too: the Jewish Campaign for Immigration Reform.” The campaign aims to pass “comprehensive immigration reform
Immigration reform
Immigration reform is a term used in political discussion regarding changes to current immigration policy of a country. In its strict definition, "reform " means to change into an improved form or condition, by amending or removing faults or abuses....
which should include family reunification, a path to citizenship, enforcement that reflects our values while bolstering national security, legal channels for future immigrants and resources that empower immigrants to integrate into our society”.
Recognition
- JCUA was included in the 2009-2010 edition of Slingshot, an annual guide that highlights innovative Jewish non-profit organizations. JCUA was the only Chicago-based organization to be selected in Slingshot’s most recent publication
- The “Forward 50” is an annual list published by The ForwardThe ForwardThe Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
that highlights 50 of the most influential leaders in the American Jewish community. In 2009, The ForwardThe ForwardThe Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
included JCUA’s executive director, Jane Ramsey. “In almost every social and economic justice issue that came up in Chicago — homelessnessHomelessnessHomelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, unemploymentUnemploymentUnemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
, community reinvestment, racismRacismRacism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, anti-SemitismAnti-SemitismAntisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
— Ramsey was there, providing Jewish leadership”.
See also
- Jewish Funds for JusticeJewish Funds for JusticeThe Jewish Funds for Justice is an Amercian charity based in New York. Since 2005, Simon Greer has been its President & CEO.-History:The original Jewish Fund for Justice was created in 1984...
- Uri L'TzedekUri L'TzedekUri L’Tzedek is a nonprofit social justice organization that aims to inspire and mobilize the Jewish community toward tikkun olam, or “repairing the world.” The organization, whose name is Hebrew for “Awaken to Justice,” specifically aims to support, challenge, and inspire the Orthodox Jewish...
- Tikkun olamTikkun olamTikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world." In Judaism, the concept of tikkun olam originated in the early rabbinic period...
- Postville RaidPostville RaidThe Postville Raid was a raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. kosher slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa, USA on May 12, 2008, executed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland Security together with other agencies. The raid was the...
- Unite HereUNITE HEREUNITE HERE is a labor union in the United States and Canada with more than 265,000 active members The union's members work predominantly in the hotel, food service, laundry, warehouse, and casino gaming industries...
- Jill Jacobs (rabbi)Jill Jacobs (Rabbi)Jill Jacobs is the Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. She is a Conservative rabbi and the author of There Shall be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition...
- Capers Funnye
- Jewish leftJewish leftThe term "Jewish left" describes Jews who identify with or support left wing, occasionally liberal causes, consciously as Jews, either as individuals or through organizations. There is no one organization or movement which constitutes the "Jewish left," however...