The Ethical Culture Society of
Essex County
516 Prospect Street, Maplewood, New Jersey
07040 Phone 973-763-1905 Email:
ecsec.nj@gmail.com
Board of Trustees:Tom Cunningham, President;
Jacqueline Herships, Vice-President; Diane Beeny; Jill Farrer;
William Graves; ; Lisa Novemsky; Bill Stoever, Terri Suess; Peggy Toy.
Leader Emeriti: Martha Gallahue, Boe Meyerson, Jim White
Liz Cunningham, Office Manager
Updated 12-7-24
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Social Action Committee Page
The Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, New Jersey, is the social action arm of the organization. Made up of volunteers dedicated to peace and justice, we do self-education and support our members' special projects. We organize letter writing campaigns on many issues and seek out speakers for the Society's weekly platforms. Recently, we have been active in areas as diverse as the humane treatment of inmates in local immigration detention centers and collecting coats for families who need them.
Social Action Committee
Next MeetingNext Social Action Committee Meeting
Friday, January 10, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.By Zoom
Social Action Committee Opinion Piece on Gun Control
in The Village Green 7-18-23See also: The Social Action Committee's
Local Hero Award: Past Honorees.Social Action Committee Minutes here.
Seven years of Local Heros!
Check out our Resources Page!
Letters on Immigration Detainees Issues
Social Action Committee Recent Minutes (Reverse Order)
Click here for Social Action Committee Archives Pre-2021
Click here for Social Action Committee Archives Pre-2010
Click here for Social Action Committee Archives Pre-2008Opinion pieces on this page do not necessarily express the views of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County as a whole or of the entire Social Action Committee.
Ethical Culture Home
Social action Resources under construction.
Minutes December 6, 2024
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Attending (by Zoom): Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Vijya Campagne; Daniela Gioseffi; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky; Jim White.
Note: these minutes are longer than usual because I tried to capture the sense of some of the discussions we had. Please try to read and go to the links!
We began the meeting by thanking Bill Graves for leading the November 10, 2024 platform sponsored by our committee on reactions to the election. Everyone agreed that Bill did an excellent job leading a difficult discussion. The week before that, another SAC member, Zia Durrani, brought in a panel of high school students on 11-3-24 on "The World Through Young Eyes." Reports included Daniela Gioseffi is offering a platform on Microplastics the silent killer for April for Earth Month, and MSW will take this to the Platform Committee as a potential program. (Lisa also has a platform for the Committee to discuss with Olivia Lewis-Cheng, a member of the South Orange Board of Trustees).
Daniela and Esther both recommend that we all sign up for information from https://www. EmpowerNewJersey.com as a concrete way of thinking globally and acting locally. Daniela has been sending information to the committee about various climate change issues, and we thank her.
The next reports led to a substantial discussion. Daniela talked to us about a movement led by various experts in the fields of elections and computers to ask for hand recounts of voting in certain swing states. The popular vote, she says, was very close, not a mandate at all. Bill Graves pointed out that @ 64% of eligible voters voted, and of those, less than half voted for Mr. Trump, who even though he is claiming a huge mandate. Trump, thus, won with the votes of something over 30% of the eligible votes.
Daniela's information suggests further that voting machines may have been compromised, and we all agreed that the election was affected by gerrymandering and propaganda, much in the form of outright lies. Most members of the Social Action Committee committed themselves to looking into some of the information/links Daniela provided.
Here are links to learn more about this:
A letter to Vice President Harris
This discussion was followed by one about H.R. 9495, the so-called "Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act," which passed in the U.S. House on November 21, 2024. The danger with this bill, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, is with "the bill's potential to grant the executive branch extraordinary power to investigate, harass, and effectively dismantle any nonprofit organization—including news outlets, universities, and civil liberties organizations" by stripping them of their tax-exempt status based on a unilateral accusation of wrongdoing. This could include educational/religious organizations like the Ethical Culture Society. Even if the Senate does not pass its version of the bill before the end of the term, the bill is highly likely to be reintroduced in 2025, when the makeup of Congress shifts.
Esther has written a model letter on this topic, which MSW will update and send to the committee for consideration.
Finally, we talked about our 2025 Local Hero. Vijya's idea is to honor Crossing Guards in SO/Maplewood, either certain individuals or as a group. Lisa has some individuals who have been guards for many years. Esther suggested we might honor guards with a certain number of years of service. Daniela and perhaps Vijya will follow up on this by getting in touch with the Maplewood Police after the new year.
Our next meeting will be Friday, January 10 2025 at 5:00 p.m. by Zoom.
Minutes October 25, 2024
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Attending (by Zoom): Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Vijya Campagne; Zia Durrani;
Daniela Gioseffi; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky; Jim White.
Our Committee's 2024 Local Hero award was presented to Michelle Bobrow on Sunday, September 22, 2024. She brought in a good crowd, and offered interesting remarks on her work with the League of Women Voters and much more.
Also on September 22, we delivered canned goods to the Springfield Avenue Food Bank. MSW will continue to deliver things for the Springfield Ave Food bank (staples, cold, or frozen) if you let her know you are bringing things to the Society on a Sunday when she will be there and and can pick them up.We had a discussion about what we are doing fro the election. The Committee had a post card writing session at the end of the summer, and we are now working as individuals. Bill is doing calls for New Jersey candidates through SOMA action and has sent more cards to some battle ground states. Jim has done cards as well, as has MSW. Daniela was part of a powerful poetry reading around the subject of the election, and members Zia and Vijya attended.
MSW has started phone banking, and she recommends using the GOTV/Reclaim Our vote website: https://www.centerforcommonground.org/phonebanks . We have worked with this group before, and if you go to that website, you'll find a training video, scripts for the phone calls, and the names and phone numbers. The website places the call for you, preserving your privacy.
Bill Graves will be facilitating the November 10 post election Sunday morning program, a discussion of the aftermath of the election. Other upcoming programs include Zia's Columbia High School students on 11-3-24, and the rescheduled Amanda Guttierez on 11-17-24 on eugenics, especially Forced (selective) sterilization.
Daniela hopes to speak in April 2025 about microplastics as an environmental issue. She has also has been sending the committee information on climate issues, with actions we can do immediately as individuals.
For example:
– Call Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and ask him to use his influence on an issue he has already spoken out against, which is the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission's attempt to license a fracked gas power plant to be built on Newark. Call DiVincenzo at 1-866-862-3237.
– Also, on this same issue, send comments on this permit to Kevin Greener at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection by October 29, 2024 at Kevin.Greener@dep.nj.gov. Watch your email for Daniela's updates on this.
We don't need fracked gas power plants in Essex county. The proposed PVSC gas-fired power plant would be located in an already overburdened community that is already adverse for the types of stressors that the plant would emit. DEP has repeatedly stated its commitment to environmental justice, and the Environmental Justice law requires the DEP to act in line with Environmental Justice principles.
Our next meeting will be by Zoom on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 5:00 pm.
Minutes September 20, 2024
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Attending (by Zoom): Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Vijya Campagne; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky. Guest Lorraine Graves.
The meeting began with a couple of reports: Our 2024 Local Hero award will be presented to Michelle Bobrow on Sunday, September 22, 2024. Lisa volunteered to bring some refreshments, and Zia will help her set them out. Sue also reported that we sent out 50 Get-Out-the-Vote cards, most written during the ice cream social 8-17-24 .
Lisa and Vijya are working on getting together historical information about the Society for writing grants for arts programs. They may be calling on us for help with history and more.
Esther updated us on several issues including the gas plant in Newark, privatization of water (and Bill said that the Maplewood and South Orange leadership is opposing or likely to oppose this). Esther also brought to our attention continuing efforts for local Ranked Choice Voting. She recommends getting on the mailing list of Empower New Jersey which aggregates announcements and information from various environmental organizations. (https://empowernewjersey.com/)
Sue then asked everyone who is interested to bring food on 9-22-24 to go to the Springfield Avenue food bank. They like canned beans and other staples, but also meat and milk and other things that need refrigeration! Everyone is encouraged to work as individuals or with other organizations on further Get Out the Vote activities. Phone banking is one easy way, and you can do it throughGOTV/Reclaim Out Vote. Go to the website here: https://www.centerforcommonground.org/reclaim-our-vote We also discussed an idea for a platform on the danger of microplastics from Daniela: Daniela shared information here: https://sustainabilitynewsletter.substack.com/p/why-microplastics-are-the-new-silent?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2083290&post_id=148740713&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1ozz5d&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
In discussing a possible platform or platforem series on plastics in general and microplastics in particular, we had a visitor, EPA biologist and Ethical Culture member Lorraine Graves. Lorraine and Esther have the name of a former EPA employee they will try to reach out to for a possible platform.
Finally we discussed our meeting time, which has not been convenient for various people, and we decided to try next month with a 4:15 PM meeting.
So the next meeting will be Friday, October 25 at 4:15 PM by Zoom.
Minutes Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
August 2, 2024
5:00 p.m. by Zoom
Attending (by Zoom): Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Vijya Campagne; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky
We began the meeting with reports:
• Our 2024 Local Hero award will be presented to Michelle Bobrow on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
• MSW took groceries to Springfield Avenue food bank and fridge. If you want to donate, arrange with Sue to pick up from Ethical or from your house. They like canned beans and other staples, but also take meat and milk and other things that need refrigeration!
• Vijya has prepared notes on grant writing for the Board and will be sending them to Elaine.
• We signed on in June as a committee to Empower NJ's comments on Gov. Murphy's Energy Master Plan. We did this via email agreement of five members of the committee, as provided in our protocols
. • Esther gave updates on the power plant that just got approval to be built in Newark's Ironbound. Daniela added a report by email with a link to a recent Star Ledger editorial opposing the plant. "The DEP [issued] a "limited" approval for the state's largest sewage treatment facility to construct a fourth fossil fuel power plant in an environmental justice neighborhood -- the Ironbound section of Newark, where the community is so overwhelmed by industrial slop you can taste the air." Here is the link to read: https://www.nj.com/opinion/2024/07/the-poisoning-of-newark-continues-and-murphy-must-stop-it-editorial.html
Next we discussed various continuing items including the need for get-out-the-vote phone bankingand post carding before the election. Several of us are doing this as individuals or with various organizations, some nonpartisan, some not. We decided we will do a carding as an SAC activity at the Ethical Ice Cream Social August 17. Sue will order 25 post cards to start from Reclaim Our Vote. (See June 7 minutes for other groups to work with). For information on individual carding through ROV, go to https://www.centerforcommonground.org/reclaim-our-vote .
For new business, Lisa presented her idea for the Social Action Committee /Essex Ethical to join with local houses or worship (she's in touch with St. Andrews and St. George's and at least one synagogue) to create a center in our building for arts workshops and more. We discussed if we needed to make workshops have a theme like Environmental Arts, or if it is enough to offer a service for the community,at the same time bringing more people into our space. The SAC decided we will act as an umbrella for first steps, and Lisa will check with Jeanine for insurance issues and with Arts by the People (this is an existing organization: see their webpage at https://www.artsbythepeople.org/). The hope is to begin with one workshop in our building and go from there.
We set out next meeting for Friday, September 20, 2024 at 4:00 p.m by Zoom. Note change of time.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
June 7, 2024 by Zoom
Attending (by Zoom): Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Vijya Campagne; Zia Durrani; Daniela Gioseffi; Bill Graves.
After the last meeting, we completed our letter opposing Hydrogen Hubs in New Jersey and elsewhere and sent it to President Biden, Senators Menendez and Booker, the Worrall papers, and the Star-Ledger. In addition, Daniela copies to Nancy Solomon at WNYC, Tina Kelly (Education Reporter at the Star Ledger--Nj is the first state to have required Climate Crisis Education), Congress Member Mikie Sherril, and Gov Murphy. We made our report of activities for the past year at the annual meeting on Sunday May 19, 2024. Sue noted that Michelle Bobrow has accepted our Local Hero award for 2024, but we have not yet heard back from about dates and other information.
Committee members who are coming to the June 9 platform in person are invited to bring food staples AND refrigerated or frozen goods. Sue will collect and carry them to the Maplewood pantry at Springfield Avenue and Indiana Street.
Next we discussed at some length ideas stimulated by Curt Collier's 6-2-24 talk on building community through getting grants for community action/service. The idea is to have money for social services and community action to be funneled through our Society just as it is through many Christian churches and other religious organizations. Zia reported that Curt emailed her and several others about one grant due in September in Essex County for repairs/upgrades for congregation buildings. Vijya Campagne has offered to help with grant writing when we get to that stage. We came up with several possible areas for grant proposals: Bill Graves spoke about seniors "aging in place" by means of services like errands, shopping, tech help. He suggested partnering with another organization. Some committee members pointed out that some of these services may already be in place, so there is research to be done. Sue especially liked Curt's idea of hiring a young person to organize this kind of work. This both gives the service and helps a young person learn skills and earn. Daniela suggested a grant to upgrade the Society's hybrid program hardware, which continues to be shaky and often unsatisfactory. Bill will get in touch with people at the Bergen Society to try and get a list of what is needed for a smooth hybrid program (how many cameras? What kind of microphones? Special software?). This might combine nicely with the aging-in-place idea as a way to make our platform presentations accessible to more people.
Other new business: Daniela will resend a letter for organizational sign ons re: Governor Murphy's Energy Master Plan.
Sue suggested that we and others might want to look into writing post cards and letters on our own. Here are a few places to go for information for phone call, letter/card writing campaigns, and other:
– Votefwd.org Strictly nonpartisan letter writing campaigns to get out the vote. Go to the website and register with them and use their lists of voters, then write letters at your leisure and store them till certain dates closer to the November elections.
– Center for Common Ground/ Reclaim our Vote (https://www.centerforcommonground.org/reclaim-our-vote) Also strictly nonpartisan. We worked with them as a committee in the past. They do phone banks (from your phone) and post cards.
– The following are groups our members recommend, but these are explicitly left-oriented, and in some cases support or work against individual political candidates and parties. Moveon.org has a number of campaigns for activities people might want to look into as individuals. Swingleft.org explicitly supports progressive candidates and politicians.
Finally, we set up a summer meeting:
Friday, August 2, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. by Zoom.
Minutes April 26, 2024
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex CountyAttending (by Zoom): Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar,; Daniela Gioseffi; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky
The chair reported that we have responsible for several excellent platforms and suggestions recently: Daniela Gioseffi presented the 4-22-24 Earth Day program, and this coming Sunday, 4-28-24, is Leila Saad & Mindy Greenspan on Local Gaza Ceasefire Resolution.The final session for this season of The 1619 Project with Jim White was Monday, 4-15-24. We will resume in the fall.
We have chosen Michelle Bobrow, longtime leader of the local League of Women Voters, as Local Hero for 2024. She has informally accepted, and we are waiting now for information and a fall 2024 date. We also discussed the Maplewood Springfield Avenue food bank with refrigerator. MSW will occasionally pick up items from committee members’ homes or at the Society and take them over in her car. Zia will participate when she returns from traveling, and Daniela and others hope to do so as well.
Meanwhile, of course, things can still be taken to the Ethical building where Marshall will give them away or take extra to the Our Lady of Sorrows Pantry.
We have a link to an Everytown for Gun Safety web page telling about how Everytown is joining the city of Chicago in a lawsuit against Glock, Inc. (The most popular handgun in the U.S. which is easily turned into an automatic weapon). Take a look at Everyhttps://everytownlaw.org/case/chicago-sues-glock-inc-for-endangering-chicagoans-by-manufacturing-and-selling-handguns-that-can-be-easily-modified-to-illegal-machine-guns/
Our main discussion was finalizing a letter on Hydrogen Hubs (see the letter below). This letter was drafted by Daniela based on information from our 2-11-24 speaker Tracy Carluccio. MSW then shortened the letter, and Esther did a final version. The Committee looked at it as a shared document and made final changes. We will be sending it to President Biden in the form of a letter and as a press release to media and other officials. Daniela agreed to help send them out.
The letter is below. Any final thoughts need to get to MSW by Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
The next meeting will be Friday June 7, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. by Zoom
Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County New Jersey Opposes Hydrogen HubsThe Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, New Jersey opposes federal funding for Hydrogen Hubs erroneously meant to increase the production of clean energy. Scientists who studied the issue say that burning hydrogen produces potent greenhouse gas emissions harmful to the environment. It is highly combustible and harmful to our health. As an Ethical Humanist religious and educational institution, we are dedicated to living an ethical life with responsible stewardship of our world. We are thus deeply disturbed by President Biden's announcement in Philadelphia in October 2023 of a $7 Billion allocation under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021 to create Hydrogen Hubs.
We are in close proximity to the MACH 2 Hydrogen Hub which has been allocated $750 million for the Delaware River and its watershed in southeastern PA, southern NJ and Delaware, all densely populated regions. The production and distribution of the hydrogen through existing pipeline infrastructure is a dangerous threat because the small hydrogen molecules can breach the pipe structure and create volatile and unhealthy conditions.
We believe that President Biden has been misguided in supporting Hydrogen Hubs. The real solution to the climate crisis can only be truly clean, safe, renewable and affordable greenhouse gas-free energy sources and systems. We ask that he reconsider the MACH 2 Project, and all others like it.
Minutes March 29, 2024
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Attending (by Zoom): Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Daniela Gioseffi; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky; Jim White
We signed on as an organization to the Empower NJ petition/letter “NJ Needs An Equitable and Fully Funded Transit System.” The letter will be going to Senate President Scutari, Assembly Speaker Coughlin, and Members of the NJ Legislature. To read the letter, go to this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDM81Pv9TnBpD6KPcUTILjDIS_8KH0pNu6n86m0AF20w2Shg/viewform . We signed between meetings with 7 people in favor (5 are required for actions outside the regularly scheduled meetings).
We noted that our members continue to be responsible for several excellent platforms. Upcoming on April 7, 2024 is one Daniela organized: Moms Demand Action: Talking to Your Children About Gun Safety.
The next Session of The 1619 Project with Jim White will be Monday, 4-15-24 at 7:00 p.m. We’ll discuss chapters 11 & 12, Inheritance & Medicine.
We made a decision about an invitation for the Local Hero 2024. After some discussion of the importance of focusing on people who have worked long behind the scenes, we asked Lisa to reach out to Michelle Bobrow. She has worked many years for the League of Women Voters, and as Daniela observed, honoring her in October 2024 just before the elections would be very appropriate.
MSW apologized for not doing the research into the food pantry on Springfield Avenue in Maplewood. The group decided she should go ahead with this, with an aim to at least one collection of canned goods and other staples from among out members to take over there. For more information, take a look at their face book page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/5139672739427230?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=7288789621182187 .
After the meeting, Daniela provided us with a draft letter that we can use about the Hydrogen Hubs. MSW will go over it and circulate a draft to the Committee before the next meeting. Daniela’s is based on one from a recent speaker Esther got for us, Tracy Carlucci from the Delaware River Keeper Organization.
Finally, we were asked by Mindy Greenspan to sign on to a Ceasefire (in Gaza) Petition from the SOMA group. The resolution was written to address the immediate humanitarian crisis by asking local leaders to pass a ceasefire resolution. To learn about the group and their petition, see https://somacollectiveforpalestine.org/ . We then had a robust discussion about whether or not our committee, which doesn’t speak for the Essex Ethical Society, but is the only organization entity that may take positions at all, should sign on to this. There was, as always with discussion of the heinous Hamas massacres and hostage-taking in Southern Israel and the thousands of dead Palestinians in Gaza, a general horror at the situation. We decided, however, not to sign this particular petition at this time, but rather to see if there is some statement that our committee might make that does express our position. Bill suggested a statement that the U.S. should begin to impose conditions on Israel when we offer aid. Esther suggested a demand that the U.S. stop providing weapons to Israel. We will revisit this at our next meeting.
The next meeting will be Friday April 26, 2024 at 5:00 pm by Zoom
Minutes February 16, 2024
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Attending: MSW, Esther Barcun, Zia Durrani, Daniela Gioseffi, Bill Graves, Lisa Novemsky, Jim White.
We began with reports: the next session of The 1619 Project book discussion with Jim White will be Monday, February 19, 2024 by Zoom at 7:00 p.m. Next, we got a thank you for signing on to the letter to the U.S. Department of Energy and OCED expressing our grave concerns about the proposed MACH2 Hydrogen Hub from. The thank you came from Tracy Carluccio of Delaware Water Keeper. For updates and lates information, see their website at https://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/ongoing-issues/mid-atlantic-hydrogen-hub.
MSW reached out to the local League of Women Voters vis-ŕ-vis voter registration for h.s. students as requested last month, but no response yet. We continue to be responsible for excellent platforms and suggestions for upcoming ones: 2-11-24 we had Tracy Carluccio from Esther and a gun control/effect on children platform is upcoming soon organized by Daniela.We also have things in the works from Bill and Lisa. Yay team!
Moving on to New and Continuing Business, we discussed ideas for our local hero 2024. Suggestions included doing a group like the League of Women Voters, or the Coalition on Race, or Moms for Gun Safety. Individuals mentioned included Michelle Dobrow, Mila Jasey, some members of our own Ethical Culture Soicety, and ?Jamaine Cripe (Mwood township committee).
We’ll continue this discussion next meeting, as the hope it to do this in early fall.
MSW mentioned that we did not do any collections this year, and several people offered ideas, but the focus ended up on the Maplewood pantry on Springfield Avenue where Maplewood has a drop off for food. People often wait in line for this help. For more informstion, take a look at their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/5139672739427230?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=7288789621182187 . We are going to investigate this, and perhaps do an occasional collection among our committee members and others to take over there. Meanwhile, of course, things can still be taken to the Ethical building where Marshall will give them away or take extra to the Our Lady of Sorrows Pantry.
We then spent a substantial period talking about plans to expant the NJ Turnpike in Jersey City. Esther suggested we look at this video of from last week's Food and Water Action meeting where Jimmy Lee spoke about the plans to expand the NJ Tpke through Jersey City, which environmentalists are opposing, taking the position that the money would be better spent on public transportation. Here’s the link: https://fwwat.ch/cjvt-videos .
We decided to start work on a letter that states our general principles as members of the Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County and how that leads us to certain conclusions about choosing public transportation over expanding highways, and to choose projects for renewable energy over things like hydrogen productions that appear really to be a subsidy of the fossil fuel industy. Esther and Daniela are to send MSW talking points for a draft of a letter/op ed piece.
Our next meeting will be Friday, March 29, 2024 5:00 p.m. by Zoom.
Minutes January 12, 2024
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex CountyAttending: MSW, Esther Barcun, Daniela Gioseffi, Bill Graves, Lisa Novemsky, Jim White.
The Social Action Committee has been responsible for several excellent platforms recently: Dan Kaslow on Leni Lanape, Paul Rabinowitz on background of Israel-Gaza, and platforms by our members Daniela and MSW. Also, our letter on the child tax credit letter was published online in NJ.com and also in at least one of the Worrall papers (Record-Transcript) on 12-28-23–perhaps others.) It also went out to President Biden, NJ Senators, Congress Members Tom Kean and Mikie Sherrill, and to various other newspapers and news outlets.
The next Session of The 1619 Project will be Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 15 by Zoom at 7:00 p.m.
After reports, we went on to some new and continuing business, including a request for people to come by and help staff our table at the Coalition on Race Volunteer Fair at Columbia High School after the Martin Luther King Day program.
Zia is interested in following up on an initiative from the Brooklyn Society about registering young people to vote. Jim White knows about similar work in Harlem and Teaneck and will contact Zia about what we need to do to help with this.
MSW also reminded everyone to be thinking of a candidate for our 2024 Local Hero.
We then discussed more ideas for speakers to pass on to the Platform committee. These included : Chuck Carter on environment issues (Lisa is already sending on information to Elaine, chair of he Platform committee; Daniela has an idea for a Speaker from Essex County Mom's Demand Action (
https://momsdemandaction.org /) to run by the Platform Committee: Nancy Kislin, LOCKDOWN: Talking to Your Kids about School Violence. MSW will clear this with the Platform committee, then Daniela will approach the writer.
Other ideas included Esther’s connection with someone involved in a South Carolina bowling alley that was the site of a Civil Rights murder. She’ll get information to Elaine for this.
Next came a go-round on Daniela’s suggestion that we sign on as a group to a petition from Empower NJ (See
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfIAeu4Zs_c7ufNtRL753563GFUW6XUkPSb_QMygOShQrzrYw/viewform?edit2=2_ABaOnueEk7FG-Hs9dvEeXIjeX8yJgFJw0uG7hTpSDieJyqsRK4bfxXVjZijzLyvzKQ)
We discussed this long and dense letter at length and decided to sign because of general trust of the research and connections of EmpowerNJ. One member abstained because of not wanting to sign on to something not fully understood. Individuals may also sign on. We felt it would be important to get some kind of speaker who could explain some of this to us, and Esther suggested someone from Food and Water Watch, especially if they could educate us on the background on this MACH2 initiative.
We also noted a petition for individuals to sign about getting rid of the famous
County line voting system in which the primary choices of the County Party Chairs have far too much power. New Jersey is the only state that uses this undemocratic system of giving t he advantage in primary elections to people picked by the power county chairpersons. Sign the petition here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTVbVUkFynW31uVzNcZUl1oR240GhizvGI2wfLftZDHNHVDg/viewform?mc_cid=207681c205&mc_eid=cb944b04b2
The next meeting: Friday, February 16, 2024 5:00 pm by Zoom.
Minutes of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
December 1, 2023
By Zoom
Attending: MSW, Esther Barcun, Zia Durrani, Daniela Gioseffi, Bill Graves, Lisa Novemsky, Jim White
We began with short reports: Jim White's discussion group on The 1619 Project is going well. 8 people attended this week, and the next sessions is December 18, 2023. Jill Farrar is recovering and hopes to attend the next meeting by Zoom.
Our letter supporting the child tax credit letter went out to President Biden and our NJ Senators. Daniela also sent it to Congress Members Tom Kean and copied Mikie Sherrill. Esther requested that we also send the letter to the newspapers, and MSW said she would do that.
We also sent out a letter updating our summer 2023 letter on the climate crisis to Governor Murphy; Shawn M. LaTourette, head of NJ EPA; and State Attorney General Matt Platkin. This letter is based on a draft by Daniela. Daniela further sent the letter to The Star Ledger editor Tom Moran, and a copy to Member of Congress Mikie Sherrill, adding at the bottom, by hand, that we appreciate Sherrill's work to save the environment.
We signed on earlier this last week of November 2023 as organization (the Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County) to an open letter to Governor Murphy and NJ Legislators demanding a "cleaner, more affordable and fairer future by doubling down on our dirty energy economic past." As a reminder, quick decisions between meetings require the assent of five people, generally by email. We voted on this in spring 2020, and it is the procedure we had used for many years before that.
Next we talked further about what is next with getting a speaker on the Leni Lenape, and Lisa reported that Dan Kaslow is eager to speak. Lisa will send his contact information to Elaine Durbach, program chair.
Daniela is still working on ideas with her daughter for a speaker or panel on Gun control issues.
MSW then brought up a Platform committee idea for using a Sunday morning platform as a space for discussing the Israel/Hamas war. A lively discussion followed, leading to a recommentation to the Platform/Ethical Living committee to bring in a speaker who will give some factual history, followed by a discussion, on Zoom for crowd control. Daniela suggested, and is approaching, Paul Rabinowitz as the presenter. (Note after the meeting: he is interested, and his information has been sent to Elaine)
The next meeting will be Friday, January 12, 2024 5:00 pm by Zoom.
Minutes of the Social Action Committee
of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
November 10, 2023
By Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Daniela Gioseffi
• We began as usual with some reports: on 10-15-23, we presented our 2023 Local Hero award to Paula Rogovin. The plaque honored her for her work on Environmental Justice. On 11-5-23 SAC member Daniela Gioseffi presented a well received platform on the importance of trees. Her"Things to do" notes is now on our Resources page at https://www.essexethical.org/socialaction%20RESOURCES%20page.html#trees. A video of her poem is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUeRAZWGC-w.
• Jim White's discussion group on The 1619 Project has now had two sessions, both with solid attendance of around ten people. The next one will be Monday, November 20 2023 at 7:00 p.m
• Good news if you didn't already hear it. Woodbridge low-income Keasbey section--company officials are pulling out. CPV massive new fracked gas power plant in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge no longer happening.
We then moved on to action items. First we read our letter on the child tax credit. This letter, based on Esther's draft and revised by Esther and MSW on 10-20-23, will have the first two sentences reserved, and then MSW will send it to President Biden and our NJ Senators. Daniela will send it to Congressman Tom Kean and possible others. See the text of the letter at the end of these minutes.
We then went over and approved, with a small revision, a letter to Governor Murphy (plus Shawn M. LaTourette, head of NJ EPA and State Attorney General Matt Platkin) that is an update of our summer 2023 letter on the climate crisis. This letter is based on a draft by Daniela. worked over by Esther and MSW. This letter is also at the end of these minutes. For our old letter from this past summer, see https://www.essexethical.org/Social%20Action%20Committee.pdf.
We also discussed and decided to move forward on getting a speaker on the Leni Lenape that Lisa and Zia have approached, Dan Kaslow.
Esther pointed out that if we broaden our focus to other indigenous groups, there can be a link to climate crisis issues as well. Daniela talked about how in New York she was part of groups who planned climate marches and always had indigenous people in the front ranks, and she will look into some of this.
For some general background on indigenous people, take a look at NYU's list of resources at https://as.nyu.edu/research-centers/npf/resources.html.
MSW took some of our ideas about gun violence to the platform committee (Elaine, Alice, Jeanine, MSW and Tom ex officio). Their first preference is for an outside speaker, but were also interested in a panel of students and/or parents who might talk about the impact on a daily basis of this kind of fear.
Daniela, whose daughter is involved with Michael Bloomberg's Everytown organization, will speak to her about ideas for a possible speaker or panel.
Our next meeting will be Friday December 1, 2023– 5:00 pm by Zoom.
Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County 516 Prospect Street, Maplewood, New Jersey 07040
www.EssexEthical.org ecsec.nj@gmail.com 973-763-1905
Tom Cunningham, President; Alice Robinson-Gilman, Vice-President; Jill Farrer;
Lisa Novemsky; Jeanine Rosh; Terri Suess; Andy Weinberger.
Liz Cunningham, Office Manager; Leader Emeriti: Martha Gallahue, Jim White
Meredith Sue Willis, Social Action Committee Chair
November 10, 2023
President Joe Biden (Senators Menendez & Booker)
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500Dear President Biden,
Poverty is most destructive when it affects children. Poverty is not a crime nor an illness, but it can lead to both. Fortunately the Enhanced Child Tax Credit, passed into law in 2021 during the pandemic, reduced childhood poverty to a historic low of 5.2% in the United States.
Unfortunately the childhood poverty rate went up again in 2022 to 12.4% (the 4th worst among the world's 36 richest nations). The reason for the change seems unusually simple: the Child Tax Credit of 2021 was not renewed.
This is a national shame and disgrace. The failure to adequately support children affects their mental and physical health, their proper nutrition, their education, their self-confidence, their safety, and their opportunity to grow into confident, healthy, educated citizens of our democracy.
Each child is like an uncut gem with the potential to shine brilliantly. It is the responsibility of all of us to join together through our government to prepare them to shine. What can be more important than that?
In addition to reducing crime, mental illness, and school drop-out rates, investing in our children is the wisest thing we can do to cultivate their potential to contribute to our democratic society.
Ethical Culture believes in bringing out the best is others in order to bring out the best in ourselves. Thus, the Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, New Jersey, advocates the immediate restoration and enhancement of the Child Tax Credit to help lift children out of poverty. We will all benefit.Sincerely,
Meredith Sue Willis, Chair
Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County 516 Prospect Street, Maplewood, New Jersey 07040
www.EssexEthical.org ecsec.nj@gmail.com 973-763-1905
Tom Cunningham, President; Alice Robinson-Gilman, Vice-President; Jill Farrer;
Lisa Novemsky; Jeanine Rosh; Terri Suess; Andy Weinberger.
Liz Cunningham, Office Manager; Leader Emeriti: Martha Gallahue, Jim White
Meredith Sue Willis, Social Action Committee ChairNovember 10, 2023
Dear Governor Murphy, (And Platkin and Shawn M. LaTourette head)
We have written you in the past about the issue of climate change in New Jersey. This is a reminder and an update. We urge you to use the power of your Executive pen to stop all new fossil fuel projects now.
There has been some good news: we celebrate the halting of the fracked gas power plant in Keasbey, Woodbridge Township, and we again applaud State Attorney General Matt Platkin and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs (NJCA) for joining several other states in a lawsuit against Exxon Mobil, Shell Oil, Chevron, BP, Conoco Phillips and the American Petroleum Institute. We are proud that NJ was the first state to require the teaching of climate science in public schools.
We also are deeply sorry, with you, about the temporary, we hope, end of the wind farm plan off Atlantic City.
But there is more you, as governor, can do. We are in a climate emergency–indeed, facing Climate Catastrophe. The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County's Social Acton Committee, therefore, wishes to join our voice with many others who deplore the new fossil fuel projects and are even suing you, Governor Murphy, for refusing to fulfill your campaign promises regarding the climate. We must cut polluting fossil fuel emissions 50% by 2030 and enact a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure. Specifically, we oppose:1.The Passaic Valley Sewerage Treatment Power Plant in Newark
2.The Gibbstown Liquified Natural Gas terminal (South Jersey)
3. Regional Energy Access Expansion (Williams Transco) in Branchburg and elsewhere.
4. The expansion of the New Jersey Turnpike in Jersey City,
5. The Tennessee Pipeline Compressor Station in West Milford which pressurizes gas to transport it and risks methane explosions.There are things everyone can do at all levels. People are planning meetings to encourage landscapers to use electric tools. But you can do large and great things, Governor Murphy. Please, for the love of our children– for the love of life– declare a Climate Emergency. Be a hero, like Governors Newsom and Inslee, like US Senators Booker, Whitehouse, Markey, Warren, and Sanders and Representatives like Mikey Sherrill.
Be the Climate hero you promised to be when we voted for you.
Stop the fossil fuel projects.
Very sincerely and truly yours,
The Social Action Comm. Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Minutes of the Social Action Committee
of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
September 22, 2023
By Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky
We began with a report and discussion of the upcoming Local Hero award for 2023 to Paula Rogovin. The event will take place at the Sunday morning platform on October 15, 2023. The plaque will honor her for her work on "Environmental Justice."
Our letter on Gun Control appeared in the Village Green on July 18, 2023
Jim White's book discussion group of the 1619 Project was presented first to us at our June meeting, then to the Board of Trustees. He gave the platform on the topic on Sunday, September 17, with the first discussion meeting taking place on Monday night, September 18. Both programs were well attended, and the next book discussion, which will discuss Chapter 6 on Capitalism, will be Monday, October 16, 2023 by Zoom.
The chair then asked for a volunteer to take a look at our Resources page with an aim of improving it, and Bill Graves volunteered.
We have a number of issues of continuing Business, including gun violence, an issue our past leader Martha Gallahue suggested at the platform she gave on April 9, 2023 might be a good society-wide project. We had a robust discussion about how we might do something with some impact, and Esther suggested a panel on what gun violence has done to our lives now, perhaps with students. This would give us a natural opportunity to do a moment of silence or a reading of places where mass gun murders have taken place. MSW will take this to the platform committee as a suggestion.
Esther also brought up the issue of the decrease in childhood poverty during the Pandemic when the government gave families cash, and the ensuing increase in childhood poverty since the grants have stopped. She will draft a letter for the committee to approve and send.
We are continuing to look for ideas for speakers for the weekly programs to pass on to the Program committee. Daniela by email suggested a speaker on Gun Safety issue and mental health for teens aimed at parents.
Finally, we decided to move our meetings to 5:00 p.m. on Fridays to accommodate some people's schedules. Our next meeting, by Zoom, will be Friday October 20, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.
Minutes June 23, 2023
Social Action Committee Meeting
By ZoomAttending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky; Jim White.
The meeting began with several short reports. The chair reported that she has reached out a second time to Paula Rogovin to be our 2023 Local Hero, but hasn't heard back yet.
She also reported that we did the moment of silence for National Gun Violence Awareness at the June 4 platform–and wore orange Also, the Annual Meeting of the Society voted in favor or out proposal to open meetings and platforms with acknowledgment of whose land we meet on. The proposal passed with one small change, and now officially says: Welcome to the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, New Jersey, meeting on land previously appropriated from the Lenni Lenape people.
Lisa Novemsky reported that our showing of the movie "A Dot Not a Feather" by Maplewood filmmaker Teju Prasad with (and taking place at) St. Andrew's church on June 10, 2023 went very well. The AEU gave us a grant for refreshments, and attendance was satisfactory, and we hope to do more combined programs with the church in th e future. Our contact at St. Andrews is Mary Meade.
Next we went over the draft of our Letter to the Editor on Gun Violence, based on Esther's original version, with additions by MSW and further changes by Esther. Bill Graves suggested adding a sentence thanking legislators for legislation that they have already passed, and we agreed to do that. He will send language in the next couple of days, after which we will send it to papers and online publications like The News-Record (and possible other Worrall newspapers), NJ.Com, and the Village Green. MSW will send this out as soon as Bill sends information, and the whole committee has seen the final draft.
Anyone who would like to write their own version may sign it with their name and send it to their local paper. Esther pointed out that papers like local people, but also prefer officers of organizations, so the Committee decided informally that everyone is a Vice-Chairperson of the Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County!
We discussed ideas for further ways of working on this issue in the fall, and suggestions included making a website with a full list of victims of gun violence, if one does not already exist; planting a flower at EC for each child victim; approaching the national organization founded by the survivors of the Marjorie Stoneman school murders, etc. MSW will approach Martha Gallahue, who suggested a visual memorial of some sort at her talk on April 9, 2023.
We also discussed possible speakers and programs for fall: Learn more about local native Americans with a speaker from the Lenape Village at Waterloo Village? Approach the Montclair Museum? A good speaker with ideas for moving forward on gun violence? Zia suggested inviting a panel of Columbia High School students to speak onf being "sweet" sixteen. She also has a coonection at the school with the Poetry Clud sponsor.
Finally, Jim White proposed a fall Zoom book discussion group on books about Critical Race Theory, based on a list suggested by our 6-11-23 speaker Mia Charlene White. Jim will circulate the book list, and we will discuss the plan further, particularly about frequency of the group and who to invite (all Ethical Societies? Members of the SO/Ma Community Coalition on Race?)
The next meeting was set to be by Zoom, Friday September 22, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.
Here is the full committee email list if anyone wants to share information of set up a summer meeting:
dianeb181@gmail.com,jackieherships@gmail.com,danielag333@gmail.com,misseando@verizon.net,
lnovemsky@comcast.net,williamgraves5632@hotmail.com,tsuess05@yahoo.com,farrer.jill@gmail.com,jajorani@gmail.com,james.white173@gmail.com,meredithsuewillis@gmail.com
Minutes of the Social Action Committee Meeting
Friday, May 12, 2023 4:30 p.m. by Zoom
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky.
MSW reported that Esther reached out and received an oral yes from Paula Rogovin to be our 2023 Local Hero. MSW then sent out the official invitation, and we are waiting to hear from Paula. We also posted on the main Society page and on our Resources Page Daniela's "quick and simple way to speak out against new fossil fuel facilities. Everyone agreed that this is something we want to continue doing–to post actions people can take. Lisa reported that she doesn't need anything from us yet in the way of support for her taking over Essex Time exchange or collaborating with St. Andrew's church. She'll keep us informed.
We talked more about the idea Zia brought to us about how other Societies are making regular public acknowledgment of whose land we are meeting on. Bill did some basic research on the British grant to Berkeley and Carteret giving them most of New Jersey. MSW found this quick link to information about who lived in Essex County here before the Europeans: https://www.themontclairgirl.com/essex-county-indigenous-people-history/ . We agreed on language something like "Welcome to the Ethical Society of Essex County New Jersey, meeting on land appropriated from the [?Lenape? indigenous people]." We decided to present this to the Annual Meeting on May 21. Sue will try to get it on the agenda via Jeanine, and Zia will be prepared to present it to the group. Jill volunteered to research further on what tribal group was in our immediate area. This is so that we can be as precise as possible about which indigenous group it was. We all agreed, however, that an acknowledgment is not enough. We hope to find a speaker for a platform as a way to educate ourselves. Several people are looking into this: scholars from universities? Montclair Museum? Lenape Village at Waterloo Village?
We also discussed further whether we want to go on with Martha Gallahue's idea about a memorial for those killed by guns. Jill emphasized not limiting this to murdered children. Lisa reminded us that June 2 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day with multiple events happening and a suggestion for wearing the color orange. We decided we will arrange for a moment of silence on the Sunday after, June 4, when Society Tom Cunningham is speaking. Jill will see if we can get some music to accompany this, and we'll try to wear orange. Esther will come up with some language for introducing the moment of silence. We are still considering something in the fall to acknowledge the fallen: some sort of memorial, perhaps a visual representation; a reading of names some Sunday in the fall?
The next meeting will be by Zoom, Friday June 23, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.
MINUTES Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, April 14, 2023,4:30 p.m. by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar; Daniela Gioseffi; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky.
We had a number of requests for support and ideas for new business.
The chair reported that our platform panel "Social Action: What we've done, What We'd Like to Do" March 19, 2023 seemed very well-received. Participating members were Esther, Zia, Jill, Lisa, Bill & MSW.
We next had a discussion about who to choose for our 2023 Local Hero. We will do the presentation in September or October, and after some discussion, based on the idea that the present world situation demands attention to climate change and the environment, decided to approach environment justice and peace activist Paula Rogovin of Teaneck. Esther will do the initial reach-out, and if she accepts, MSW will send out the official invitation and work on a date.
Other actions included:
– Agreeing to support Lisa as she takes over management of the Essex Time Exchange, helping with technical things like setting up a domain name or giving the ETE a page on our website. Essex Ethical was an "incubator" of this shared skills project some years back.
– Lisa is also meeting with people from St. Andrews Church and the Coalition on Race (both of which want to partner with Ethical and/or the Social Action Committee) in some way. This meeting will be about setting up a showing of a film by a local resident, " Not a feather but a dot."
– In response to a suggestion from Terri Suess that we should buy larger ads in our friends' ad journals (NJ Peace Action, Coalition on Race), we decided to hold the status quo for now.
– We decided to do some research (Bill) and possibly move forward with an idea Zia brought us from other Ethical Culture Societies. This is an oral acknowledgment of whose land we meet on. It would take the form of something like, "Welcome to the Ethical Society of Essex County New Jersey, meeting on land appropriated from the Lenape indigenous people." Bill Graves is researching the grant/charter of the British Crown to Berkeley and Carteret, and MSW found this quick link to some information about who lived here. (https://www.themontclairgirl.com/essex-county-indigenous-people-history/) We hope to take this to the Board soon as a suggestion for language for meetings and platforms.
– We also discussed Martha Gallahue's idea about starting a regular memorial for children killed by guns. We did not make a decision about doing this, but various ideas were presented of things we might do.. Bill liked the idea of acknowledging the fallen innocents; Esther suggested including some visual representation of deaths by guns; MSW likes the idea of a ceremony of readig names ("¡presente!). We agreed that the politicians' "Thoughts and Prayers" is not sufficient. We will continue this discussion at the next meeting.
– Esther forwarded us a report from the League of Women Voters NJ https://www.lwvnj.org/: " We wanted to update you about the dirty money in politics bill, S2866/A4372. As you may have seen, the bill passed in the Senate and Assembly, and was signed into law by the Governor on Monday, despite public outcry and consistent opposition from the League and other organizations....Although we were ultimately unable to stop this legislation, we will not stop advocating for real reforms. At a time when public trust in our democratic institutions is being undermined by voter suppression, election disinformation and denialism, and the flood of money in politics, this bill takes our state in the wrong direction....We must correct the flaws in this legislation and put in place new policies to again make New Jersey a leader in strengthening our democracy. LWVNJ wants partners to advocate for:
• Bringing transparency to the legislature. Advocate that the full text of bills and amendments must be provided to the public 72 hours before a vote is held.
• Close loopholes in pay-to-play law.
• All state and local government contracts are now subject to a single state-wide statute. The League will advocate to close the loopholes in that statute.
• Require real "dark money" disclosure. The legislation requires some disclosure for "dark money" groups that are involved in elections, but the disclosure requirements must be made significantly stronger.
– Finally, Daniela brought us a quick and simple way to speak out against new fossil fuel facilities in New Jersey. Go to www.EmpowerNewJersey.com (a Coalition of 120 eco-orgs including the one Esther works with in the Edison area). The action is simply to call this number 866-586-4069 and follow instructions to call Gov Murphy saying NO NEW FOSSIL FUEL PROJECTS. We agreed to put this on the website and to ask Liz to send it out to the members, including our list of the seven projects Esther brought us.
The next meeting is by Zoom on Friday May 12, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.
Minutes
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, March 3, 2023 ,4:30 p.m. by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky.
It was reported that our fossil fuels letter was published in the paper version of the News Record for February 16, 2023. MSW also sent an appeal to people on the members and friends list to send their own letters on these topics.
Esther is leading the discussion on how best to get people to write as individuals on various issues, especially using our research, information, and letters as models or resources for their own. We want to move ahead with this, finding ways to make it as easy to do as possible.
We then discussed choosing a 2023 local hero. One of the people we thought of is running for office, so we laid that name aside. Before the next meeting committee members should pick one or two of the people or entities below (or come up with alternate ones) as their preferred candidates: Michelle Bobrow, Maplewood/South Orange activist; Paula Rogovin of Teaneck, an environmental justice and peace activist; SOCO (South Orange Civic Organization), a fifty year local civil rights organization; Ellen Greenfield, East Orange who has worked for integration in SOMA for many years; Mila Jasey, retiring legislator, long time SOMA board of ed member and much more.
We then talked a length about our platform program for March 19. MSW will send a "run of show" document to the Committee in the next few days with the order of the speakers and times set aside for each. When you get this, please read it and send suggestions/corrections back to the whole committee. Committee emails are in the "to" line of your email
New business included a discussion of an organization founded by Bill McKibben aimed especially at older and retired people who are also activists. Take a look at their website and see if there is a way for us to connect with them as an organization: It's called Third Act, and the website is at https://thirdact.org/
Also, Terri asked if we thought we should sign on to Pax Christi's letter to ask the Biden administration not to renew ICE detention contracts that are expiring this year. The Elizabeth Detention Center is on this list. The group felt after some discussion that we don't have enough information (especially since haven't read the letter!) to sign on. This did lead us to further discussion of the complexity of immigration at the present time, and we think we need a good speaker for an overview.
The next meeting will be Friday, April 14, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.
Minutes
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, February 3, 2023 4:30 p.m. by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky.
We began with an action! We signed onto a letter opposed to the proposed Williams-Transco Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) project, a proposal to expand fracked gas compressor stations in New Jersey. This was a call for organizations to sign onto a statement, and we read it together and signed on as the Social Action Committee–just ahead of the 5:00 p.m. deadline!
We then went on to our usual reports: Sue reported on sending out our hard copy letter on the fossil fuels in NJ issue to Governor Murphy. The letter incorporated ideas and language from Terri and Esther as well as the committee. Digital copies went to (State) Senators Codey and Gill as well as to Assemblypeople McKeon, Jasey, Giblin and Timberlake.
We were reminded that we can now take food staples to the box in the entry hall at the Society building. Marshall gives to people in need, and if there is too much, takes it down to Our Lady of Sorrows for their distribution.
We then began looking at continuing and new business, including the question of what else to do with our Fossil Fuels letter. A lot of ideas were suggested, and Sue will send a version of it to local papers, and to the Society's list encouraging people to send it out under their own names, using it as is, or their own version.
Esther is particularly interested in getting people to write as individuals on various issues, using our letters and information when they need it. We all agreed this is a good direction to go.
The Committee has received a request from the Platform-Living Ethical Culture Committee to do a program called provisionally, "Social Action: What we've done, what we'd like to do." All members present (Esther, Zia, Jill, Lisa, Bill & Sue) agreed to take part in some way. Sue will come up with a list of past activities. Esther and Jill will talk briefly about an action or issue that they are particularly working on. Zia suggested a future idea from her AEU group. Esther also suggested a brief introduction about how the society as a whole generally can't take political positions, although the SAC can, and re-emphasized her idea that we should encourage people to use our research for their own letters.
We will do this on March 19. Sue will send out a general outline/plan for critique.
We also talked about new business such as a Local hero for 2023. Everyone was enthusiastic about continuing this, and several names were suggested. Please bring more ideas to the next meeting.
Also for next meeting, Esther suggests discussing finding a way to support the work of the Community Coalition on Race.
Other things to think about for the next meeting include Terri 's suggestion that we look for a way to support President Biden's efforts to extend Temporary Protected Status: https://www.nj.com/opinion/2023/01/we-should-not-have-to-live-in-fear-opinion.html For more information about the program, see https://rollcall.com/2022/12/22/biden-expands-immigration-tool-that-doesnt-require-congress/
The Temporary Protected Status program allows immigrants who cannot safely return to their home countries to work legally here and avoid deportation for 18-month periods. It also allows President Biden to unilaterally designate which countries are eligible, bypassing Congress.
Finally we set the next meeting as Friday March 3, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.
Minutes
Social Actiaon Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, December 9, 2022,4:30 p.m. by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky; Terri Suess.
We began with short reports, mostly about collections. It turns out that the Society is still collecting food at the Society building. People come in off the street and Marshall gives it them. If there is too much in the box, he shares with the Our Lady of Sorrows food bank. So please take staples to the box in the entry hall at ECSEC!
We also collected shoes in good condition for CHUMS, Inc. (chums-inc.org), a women's sorority, who ship gently used shoes and sneakers and ship them internationally to be sold for profit to benefit women in Africa.
Finally, there is still an opportunity to donate coats to the Columbia High School clothing drive.
We spent the bulk of the meeting discussing our climate change/New Jersey letter to Governor Murphy. There were several improvements and a general sense that this is one letter on certain topics centered around fossil fuels, with more to come. The process now is for Sue to incorporate what we agreed on into the text, run it by Esther, and then send it to the state legislators who represent committee members. Terri is to send a sentence plus her legislators' names to Sue for inclusion. We are committed to having this out to the people named above before our next meeting. At that point we will see what else might be done with it–op-eds? Letters to editors? Individual committee members are encouraged to send personal letters too.
Other business included ideas for future Sunday morning programs. Bill is planning to do a presentation on Gary Wills' book Lincoln at Gettysburg . Esther is considering one of Ted Glick's books.
New business included a discussion from a meeting between Terri and Jill on the use of a carbon foot print calculator. Terri is moving forward with an idea from Birgit Matzerath about having perhaps the SAC and then the society calculate their carbon footprints and make pledges aimed at minimizing them. Jill offerred some specific suggestions about using cold water when washing clothes, electric cars if possible, etc.
Bill Graves reported that he had received an e-mail inviting him to nominate a local hero from Mikie Sherrill's 11th congressional district. He was looking for ideas, and will will make a personal nomination, considering the seven local heroes the Social Action Committee has nominated as well as the SOMA Coalition on Race.
Zia reported that she is participating in a reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2022. She is doing her portion in Urdu! Congratulations and thank you, Zia.
We set the next meeting for Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:40 p.m. by Zoom.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, November 4, 2022, 4:30 p.m. by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Lisa Novemsky.
The meeting began with reports: neither Valley Settlement House nor the Haitian church are taking coats or other clothes this year. The church does, however, hope to find some child-sized desks for schools in Haiti.
Our GOTV Card signing on October 16 went well: Bill Graves spoke, and around a hundred cards were handwritten and sent to North Carolina. Card writers included SAC members Bill, MSW, Zia, Lisa, Esther, plus Andy, Jeanine & Elaine. MSW paid for the stamps and cards and has invoiced the society for repayment.
We decided to ask around for who might be looking for coat collections, and Zia brought up food security. She will get information about the NJ Food Bank to see if they can pick up donations. Sue will check if Our Lady of Sorrows is still collecting.
We also have been active in getting speakers for the platform talks: Esther brought us Ted Glick on October 23, 2022 on "Divesting Our Way Toward Clean Energy and Other Lessons From An Environmental Activist," and Zia has provided the speaker for November 13, Manju Kak, a visitor from India, talking about the Russian artist and humanist, Nicholas Roerich. We tossed around ideas for more speakers to be shared with the Platform Planning committee, which is always open to suggestions. Books for presentation and discussion might include Gary Wills' book Lincoln at Gettysburg or Ted Glick's memoir, Burglar for Peace: Lessons Learned in the Catholic Left's Resistance to the Vietnam War.
MSW suggested that people might do GOTV phone banking this week-end. For instructions, go to https://www.centerforcommonground.org/phonebanks.
Esther then outlined some of the issues re: fossil fuels in New Jersey. Esther will send bullet points to MSW for drafting a letter to be vetted by the entire committee and sent to the governor and various legislators. The issues include the contradiction between the government's support of infrastructure fossil fuel projects around the state; the government's suit against fossil fuels; and the pension plans' attempt to divest from fossils fuels.
The next meeting is set for Friday, December 9, 2022 at 4:300 p.m.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, September 23, 2022, 4:30 p.m. by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky.
The meeting began with an update on the Local Hero Program, which takes place as a hybrid in-person and Zoom meeting honoring Cecilia Zalkind this Sunday, September 25, 2022. We have the plaque honoring her as the 2022 local hero for her founding and continuing leadership of th Advocates for Children of New Jersey,
There was also an update and discussion on preparations for our get-out-the-vote carding that will take place Sunday October 16 at the Society Building. It will take place roughly from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., but people can start whenever they're ready. Depending on the weather, we'll use the Society building porch or possibly the back yard (or at widely spaced seats indoors if the weather is bad).
Sue reported that we have 100 cards and addresses but need stamps. She is to find out if we can send them with post card stamps or if we need first class ones. We will take donations on the day of the card writing, but will invoice ECSEC for the rest.
We have North Carolina addresses, and the cards must be mailed between 10/13-10/25.
People should bring their own pens!
Sue will prepare small packets of cards with address lists and scripts for people who want to pick them up from her early at the Society building. Anyone who doesn't finish on 10/16 may take some home– Bill said that at another carding he wrote 25 cards in two hours.
We decided that anyone who wants to bring a bag of pretzels or other snacks, or a personal lunch, should do so.
We also had some other business. The group was interested in resuming the coat collection that has been suspended during the pandemic. Sue will check on whether Valley Settlement House or others are taking coats this year.
– Esther requested that we get in touch with Governor Phil Murphy to encourage him to slow down or stop the many fossil fuel projects that are presently underway in New Jersey.
– Zia said there has been a request that we provide snapshots of us writing cards for the AEU publicity people. Elaine has the contact information.
– Bill suggested we all read Gary Wills' book Lincoln at Gettysburg, and this led us into a lively discussion about the intersection of climate change, politics, and human irrationality. Sue added a suggestion to look at Heather Cox Richardson's blog.
The next meeting will be Friday, November 4, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. by Zoom.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, August 19, 2022, 4:00 p.m. by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Lisa Novemsky
The meeting began with a report that after the June meeting, the Committee signed on to the New Way Forward Act (which would be a comprehensive reform of New Jersey immigration law and procedures), and within twenty four hours we had a thank you from Detention Watch Network. Learn more about the New Way Forward Act here: https://immigrantjusticenetwork.org/newwayforward/.
In June the Committee also sent an email asking Governor Murphy to stop building fossil fuel power plants in New Jersey.
Member Esther Barcun is very active in the Food and Water Watch organization, which is following new fossil fuel power plants being planned for New Jersey, with an emphasis on pollution in Middlesex County. Earlier this week, Esther joined rallies at the Woodbridge Town Hall and at the NJ Turnpike Authority. To learn more about these gas power plants, and for easy ways to call and email t he governor, go to https://dontgasmiddlesex.wordpress.com
After Esther's report, we discussed getting a speaker on issues of fossil fuel power plants and other environmental issues in New Jersey. Esther is going to approach Charlie from Food and Water Watch about a possible September 18 platform, or another date.
We then discussed our presentation of the 2022 Local Hero Award award to Cecilia Zalkind on September 25. Sue will get in touch and ask her about whether she prefers in person or Zoom, and Lisa suggested that we encourage her to speaking person. The Committee will continue to present a plaque to the Local Hero.
Finally, we made further plans for a Get Out the Vote carding event. Our tentative plan is to do it on the Society building porch or possibly the back yard (or at widely spaced seats indoors if the weather is bad). We decided on a two hour session on (tentatively) October 16 after platform–1:00 to 3:00 perhaps. Bill pointed out that depending on the kind of cards we get (printed message? How much writing?) We can do more or fewer cards. Sue has begun reaching out about how to get the cards and lists of targeted address, and we agreed on tr4ying to do at least 100. Zia and Esther volunteered to provide some very light snacks. We talked about possible outreach to bring in more people, and the question of donations for stamps.
We will finalize the plans for this at our next meeting, scheduled for Friday, September 23, at 4:30 p.m.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, June 17, 2022 by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Martha Howlett; Lisa Novemsky
The sad news today was that our excellent member Martha Howlett is moving out of state and will be reorienting her social action work toward Pennsylvania. We all wish her well and thank her for excellent work the past few years.
We began with reports on actions taken since the last meeting, including Martha sending out more of the "New Values" bill letters to New Jersey legislators for a total of 16.
We also sent out a letter giving our support to Assemblywoman Sumter for NJ Assembly bill A938/SE86 on forming a committee to study reparations.
We also made a report on our work during the past year to the Annual Membership meeting of the Society, and followed up with a written report to all members.We then discussed and took action on several new and continuing items and issues. First, we agreed to sign on as an organization to a letter sent to us by Kathy O'Leary of Pax Christi and Hillary Li of Detention Watch Network. This letter to Democratic members of the New Jersey Delegation to the House of Representatives asks them to co-sponsor the New Way Forward Act, which takes crucial steps toward remedying injustices in the current immigration system. The federal legislation would end mandatory detention, restore judicial discretion, and end summary deportations. Learn more about the New Way Forward Act here: https://immigrantjusticenetwork.org/newwayforward/. We signed on, and within twenty four hours had a thank you from Detention Watch Network.
First Friends is advocating for the New Jersey state version of the bill,"The Values Act," A1986, revising immigration policies. First Friends is asking us to call certain NJ Legislators TUESDAY JUNE 21 to ask them to bring the New Values bill to the assembly before the holiday break. Here are phone numbers:
• Speaker Coughlin (732) 855-7441
• Assembly Members on the Judiciary Committee
o Raj Mukherji (LD33) - (201) 626-4000
o Carol Murphy (LD7) - (856) 735-5334
o John McKeon (LD27) - (973) 377-1606
o Victoria Flynn (LD13) - (732) 856-9833
o Robert Auth (LD39) - (862) 248-0491
The New Values Act is the state version of the New Way Forward bill in the House of Representatives. This bill too would clarify and improve the situation of many immigrant detainees. The objective here is to help the immigrant detainees, especially to keep them with t heir often U.S. Citizen families.
First Friends is also offering Visitation and Pen Pal Opportunities. They have arranged for virtual visitations with detainees at Elizabeth Detention Center (New Jersey) and Goshen and Batavia Detention Centers (New York.) If you would like to become a virtual visitor and/or pen pal. please send an email to Volunteer Coordinator Bernardo Flores at bflores@firstfriendsnjny.org
Next, Esther brought up an upcoming Rally on the issue of Fossil Fuel power plants in various municipalities of New Jersey, including Woodbridge, near where she lives. This plant will burn gas from fracking. She will send out information on the Woodbridge plant (ask Esther to include you on emails on these topics) as well as other plants that seem to gainsay the Murphy Administration's supposed support of clean air.
We voted to send immediately an email from the Committee asking Governor Murphy to stop building fossil fuel power plants in New Jersey.
Finally, we discussed letters, cardings, and phone calls on getting out the vote. The American Ethical Union suggests doing it by registering through https://www.centerforcommonground.org/postcarding. Questions go to jrose@NYSEC.org.
Bill is already doing letter writing with SOMA Action–letters that will be mailed in October. Zia and Esther suggested an in-person event at the Society building, perhaps in the backyard or on the porch, in early September. We agreed to work on this: Sue will do the research on how to get lists of people for mailing letters and cards to, and will get together some supplies. Zia and Esther volunteered to provide some sort of refreshment for the letter writers.
We'll finalize this at our next meeting.
The summer meeting will be Friday August 19, 2022 at 4:00 by Zoom.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, May 13, 2022, 4:00 p.m. by Zoom
A set of hard copy letters going out!Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Martha Howlett; Lisa Novemsky
We began with a series of reports and news and then moved into action items. First, Celia Zalkind, President and CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey has accepted the offer to be our Local Hero for 2022. Her talk and award will take place Sunday, September 25, 2022.
Second, we sent out a letter (see text below) giving our support to Assemblywoman Sumter and her A938/SE86 act to establish a committee to explore reparations by New Jersey for slavery. The e-letter went to Legislators Codey, Jasey, McKeon, Gill, Timberlake, and Giblin. We will add to this list the legislators for Districts 18 and 31. To read the bill, but and paste and go to https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/A938. Mila Jasey's chief of staff Mary Theroux aid send back this note: May 9, 2022 Hi Sue – I am pleased to advise that Mila is a sponsor of this legislation. Hope you and your family are well. Best, Mary
GOOD NEWS! Esther Barcun had a letter published in the May 13, 2022 Star Ledger newspaper opposing a liquefied gas in her area in New Jersey. You can see the letter below this report. Congratulations, Esther!
Bill Graveshas been working on increasing awareness of the radical right turn of the Supreme Court, especially via Sen. Booker, asking for increase in # of justice. We talked about how we might take some action on this. He spoke about the coming possibility of overturning many important rights (interracial marriage; the use of contraceptives; same sex marriage, etc.), and Bill offered to draft a letter for the committee to go to legislators and print and digital media giving our position, especially focusing on the privacy of the individual.
Next we disccussed about the letters Martha Howlett drafted some months ago in support of the Values Act (NJ) and New Way Forward Act (US). The committee voted to have Martha send these letters out. We are expanding our list of NJ legislators to include those of all our active SAC Committee members: Districts 18, 27, 31 and 34.
As new business, Zia brought up the carding campaign from the AEU Ethical Action group for getting out the vote. We participated in this last year. This time we have to order our own cards and also pay for our own stamps. We decided to ask for volunteers from the society at large at the annual meeting.
We also had a go-round sharing on some of the various issues our committee has been working on outside of our Committee. There was an impressive list, including ranked choice voting, Food and Water Watch, VoteForward, racial integration, the AEU (national organization of Ethical Culture) social action, a text hot line for people considering suicide–and many other things.
Our next meeting will be Friday June 17, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. by Zoom.
Minutes
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, April 1, 2022 by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar; Martha Howlett; Lisa Novemsky.
We had a short but productive meeting that began with reports and old and continuing business–and decisions!
First, the chair reported that we collected an extra $25 to pay for the NJ Peace Action journal ad which we used to purchase food for Ukrainian refugees. She also reported on several Sunday morning programs of interest to the Committee, including Terri Suess on the ethics of democracy (3-27-22); the Coalition on Race's program on Reparations (3-20-22); and Julia Julstrom-Agoyo on Abolishing Prisons in the U.S. on (3-6-22).
Jill has reached out to local temples for information on how they are helping Ukrainian refugees, and Zia reported that the AEU is also taking action on this. We will gather this information and make it available to our members for further action and/or donations.
Next, Martha talked about her attendance at the First Friends March rally at the Elizabeth detention center. Great to know we had a representative there! She also made a presentation on what she learned about two bills that are being put forth, one for New Jersey and one at the Federal level, on issues of importance to immigrant detainees. The committee decided that we will read over the information on the bills that she sent, and meanwhile, Martha will draft letters on the two bills, the NJ "Values Act" and the Federal bill about rules for asylum, which she will then circulate to the committee for approval.
Our next action was to decide to ask Celia Zalkind, President and CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey, to receive our 2022 Local Hero award. Learn about her and her organization here: https://acnj.org/. Lisa will reach out to her, and also to Elaine about a platform. Then MSW will write up an official letter of invitation.
Finally we voted to give support to Assemblywoman Sumter's New Jersey Bill A938/SE86 on setting up a committee in New Jersey to study reparations for the descendants of enslaved people. (To read the bill go to https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/A938) . MSW will draft and circulate a letter to go to our various NJ legislators supporting this.
Our next meeting will be Friday May13, 2022 by Zoom at 4:00 p.m. NOTE THE CHANGE OF TIME!!
Minutes
Social Action Committee Meeting
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, February 25, 2022
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, Esther Barcun, Zia Durrani, Jill Farrar,
Bill Graves, Martha Howlett, Lisa Novemsky
The Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County met by Zoom on 2-25-22. The chair reported that she sent her personal check for $50 with our ad for the New Jersey Peace Action Ad Journal. She is contributing part of it, and Martha Howlett has contributed too. Those who want to kick in should write checks to Meredith Sue Willis and mail them to her at 447 Tremont Place, Orange, NJ 07050. If there is extra money, we will decide how to use next meeting
MSW next reported that First Friends is having a volunteer training Monday Feb 28, 2022. Martha plans to attend and report back to us. If you want to resister, go to this link .
Martha also brought up the issue of whether or not the immigrant detainees we are supporting have committed serious crimes, and Sue and Bill thought they had mostly been picked up on motor vehicle charges, not felonies (called "high misdemeanors" in New Jersey!). Martha will, however, inquire at FF about this. Their website is https://firstfriendsnjny.org/.
We decided that most coat collections are done for the season, but that everyone should check around for other needed donations for refugees or anyone else in need. Please send information to MSW, and she'll make it available to our committee and to the members of the Society.
We moved on to Continuing Business. Bill will look a little more into whether or not this is the right time do more on Convicted Felons voting rights. He'll let us know if there is an obvious place to apply pressure.
We talked more about a Local Hero for 2022, and decided we will make a final decision at the next meeting between the organization Coalition on Race, or Celia Balkind who advocates for children. Other ideas are still welcome, however. To see previous honorees, take a look at our web page.
Esther and Bill will talk together about finding a Sunday morning speaker on Voting Reform to share with Elaine and the Living Ethical Culture Committee. Zia is working on a separate speaker, and Lisa may reach out to Celia Balkind, irrespective of whether we tap her for Local hero.
For more ideas for future projects, take a look at the newsletter of the activist church Esther recommended.
Finally, Zia reported that the AEU is preparing a statement on the Russian incursion into Ukraine.
We set our next meeting for Friday April 1, 2022 at noon by Zoom.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, January 21, 2022, 12:00 noon
by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar; Lisa Novemsky
The meeting began with some reports and accomplishments. First, our letter on ranked choice voting appeared in both The News-Record and Record Transcript. We sent digital copies of the published letter to NJ legislators Codey, Jasey, McKeon, Gill, Giblin, Timberlake. We worked up our letter based on one Esther wrote for her local paper.
Also, Sue, Zia, and Martha Howlett sent packets of signed Advocacy post cards to First Friends requesting our national and state representatives to work with family members of people in so-called immigrant detention, their attorneys and advocates to bring about just closures to ICE detention facilities. We are asking them to dismantle the ICE immigrant detention infrastructure and move toward a "release not transfer" policy that ends profit from incarceration.
We had a short discussion about the difference between writing individual letters and group communications by organizations– both of which seem valuable in their own ways.
ACTION NEEDED: Sue is to check with First Friends about what would be good next actions, doable and small.
We also had a number of items under continuing and Old Business.
– Jill and others are looking for places to donate good quality clothing.
ACTION NEEDED: Zia will check if we are still collecting for the Columbia High School group, and also about some local temples collecting for refugees.
– Who will be our Local Hero for 2022? Sue suggested the Coalition on Race as this is its 25th anniversary. A health care worker would be good too. Lisa has a couple of people she will share. (One is from Advocates for Children).
We hope to make a decision on this and begin reaching out within the next two meetings. Ideas are welcome! If you want to know more about our award (since 2015!) take a look at the web page: https://www.essexethical.org/local%20hero.html.
– We also discussed some idea for speakers to pass along to Elaine and the Living Ethical Culture Committee. Zia was very impressed by an AEU program discussion on Feminism. Another topic we might take on is Democracy.
New Business focused on ideas from Esther. First, she told us about a webinar on learning about adding teeth to environmental legislation. This takes place Tuesday, January 25, 2022• 6:30 PM, and here is the information on how to attend: https://actionnetwork.org/events/educational-webinar-learn-the-ins-and-outs-of-the-nj-pact-rules
ACTION ITEM: Sue will pass on Esther's information about the webinar to the Society's email list.
Esther also reminded us about several ongoing issues on Voting reform in New Jersey, and we want to think about where to give some committee energy.
1–Ballot reform–getting rid of the Party line;
2– Ranked Choice Voting, which was the subject of our recent letters published in the Worrall newspapers; and
3– the Instant Runoff Act that allows towns to act on their own.
The Next Meeting will be Friday February 25, 2022 at noon.
Minutes of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, December 17, 2021, 12:00 noon
by Zoom
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Martha Howlett; Zia Durrani; Lisa Novemsky.
We began with reports, news and continuing business, including recent accomplishments like:
– The Local Hero Award for 2020-21was presented to Nancy Zak on 9-26-21.
– – Sunday morning Speaker on November 21, 2021 was from Giselle Holloway, Executive Direction of First Friends of New Jersey and New York..
– We co-sponsored with CHS's Students for Justice a coat collection on the porch at Ethical. This runs through January 1, 2022.
– Martha Howlett sent out the letter we agreed to at the October meeting on just-cause termination protections for New Jersey employees. She sent it to NJ elected officials, asking them to consider acting on the injustice of a system where workers can be fired for no reason. See letter after this agenda.
– Esther Barcun reported on how she has sent an email to Gov Murphy urging the ban of gas-powered leaf blowers. She says there are now two bills on our Legislature. S4273 would prohibit the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers within a year of passage and ban their use entirely after 4 years. (introduced by Sen Bob Smith). A6238 would establish a rebate program for the purchase of electric or battery-powered leaf blowers. Gas-powered leaf blowers produce as much CO in one hour as a car emits over eight hours. Their noise level is also dangerous and disturbing. Princeton, Maplewood, Montclair already have ordinances prohibiting or limiting their use. We agreed this would be an individual choice for the committee members.
At this point we went on to New Business.
First, Esther told us more about Ranked choice voting. She suggested we look at https://www.fairvote.org/ranked_choice_voting_amendment_passes_u_s_house_of_representatives_1 The Voter Choice Act was passed as an amendment to the Protecting Our Democracy Act. Soon after, PODA itself was passed by the U.S. House. This is the first legislation specifically allocating money to expand RCV elections passed by either chamber of the U.S. Congress!
ACTION ITEM:
We decided we want to send out a letter to local papers on ranked choice. Esther will send her letter to MSW who will draft it in a form for the Committee to go over and approve.
The second piece of new business was Advocacy post cards that First Friends has asked us to fill out. These advocacy post cards request our national and state representatives to work with family members of people in so-called immigrant detention, their attorneys and advocates to bring about just closures to ICE detention facilities. We are asking them to dismantle the ICE immigrant detention infrastructure and move toward a "release not transfer" policy that ends profit from incarceration. FF requests that we each fill our legislators' names and our names and contact information, send this to First Friends, who will deliver the big stacks to the legislators.
ACTION ITEM:
MSW is mailing six cards to each person who volunteered, one each for the 2 national senators, 1 for your congressperson; 2 for your state assembly persons, and 1 for your state senator. You then send your cards to FIRST FRIENDS at 53 S. Hackensack Ave, Kearny NJ 07032. First Friends wants to give a mass of cards to each of the legislators being targeted.
People taking this on so far are MSW, Zia, and Martha
We also spend some time discussing who might be our next Local Hero. Esther thought a local journalist would be a good idea; Sue said perhaps someone from the Coalition on Race as it is their 25th anniversary. Esther thought of a teacher at CHS who spoke at Ethical.
Finally, Esther told us about a church in Highland Park near her that is collecting for Afghan refugees who need pretty much everything to get set up in apartments. If you have furniture, clothes, household items, contact Esther.
ACTION ITEM:
MSW to send this information to membership.
ACTION ITEM:
We also talked about a needy friend who lives on a second floor and has a broken leg. If you want to participate in this, please get in touch with Lisa Novemsky.
The next meeting will be Friday January 21, 2022 at Noon by Zoom.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, October 15, 2021
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Zia Durrani; Jill Farrar; Lisa Novemsky
We began the meeting with with several reports and continuing business: The Committee sent a letter 8-20-21 to Gov. Murphy re: S3361/A5207 to ban new, renewed, and extended contracts with ICE in New Jersey, and he finally signed the bill in mid-August. Related to this issue was the issue of where ICE sends local immigration detainees if not to local prisons. Some of our members sent personal communications to the NJ national senators about not transferring detainees away from their families. Senator Booker's office responded that both U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez have urged the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to end the out-of-state transfer of people detained in New Jersey, and to release detainees from custody who do not fall under the current enforcement prioritization scheme.
The chair also reported that we presented our 2020-2021 Local Hero award to Nancy Zak on 9-26-21. She gave a lively presentation about her work in the Ironbound section of Newark and appreciated the plaque. Zia, in her update from the American Ethical Union where she is now a Board member, said that she had described our Local Hero award to the Board and received some enthusiastic responses. She encouraged us to send a short description of the project with links to our honorees to Carolyn Parker and Bart Worden, which MSW agreed to do.
Bill Graves has done some research for us about the rights of convicted felons the right to vote. He says the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, Section 2, provides, in part, that States may be denied representation in congress if they deny the franchise to male citizens over 21 years of age, except in the case of rebellion or "other crimes." In a 1974 Supreme Court case, the majority reasoned that since Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment excused States from having their representation reduced if they denied the franchise of males citizens over 21 years of age in the case of rebellion or "other crimes," that the Equal Protection Clause of Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment had no application where states denied convicted felons the right to vote.
We moved into discussions and actions, and agreed we want to ask Bill to do more research on this, especially what actions we might take. We also agreed that we will continue the Local Hero award, with everyone tasked to think of names of possible candidates for (probably) a spring 2022 presentation.
We also agreed that we would like to bring a speaker in for a Sunday morning Zoom program from First Friends, to update the group on immigration detainee issues. We are likely to get Bernardo Flores the volunteer coordinator or possibly Executive Director Giselle Holloway.
For anyone looking for a place to do phone banking for the upcoming get-out-the-vote push, try the Center for Common Ground Phone Bank at https://www.mobilize.us/cfcg-rov/
We then talked at some length about Martha Howlett's letter on just-cause termination protections for New Jersey employees. Martha has made an exellent draft, and we decided to ask Martha tentatively to send out the letter to NJ elected officials, asking them to consider acting on the injustice of a system where workers can be fired for no reason. Unions, of course, have won protection for their members, but some of the lowest paid workers are also the least-protected workers in the state, MSW will get in touch with Martha with a couple of corrections and with Lisa's question about whether this comes out of union organizing or other organizations.
Next Meeting: Next Social Action Committee is Friday, December 17, 2021 at Noon
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, August 13, 2021
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Martha Howlett; Lisa Novemsky
The Social Action Committee met by Zoom, beginning with some personal news. First, long-time beloved member of this committee and the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, Barbara Cotler, sadly passed away last month. On a happier note we learned that Zia Durrani, SAC committee member and past president of the Society has been elected to the Board of the American Ethical Union! Congratulations to Zia–and to the AEU Board!
MSW reported on our work with First Friends of NJ & NY and the immigrant detainees. So far, Gov. Murphy has still not signed the no-ICE-contract bill that was passed in June by the NJ Senate and the Assembly. MSW talked with Bernardo Flores, the volunteer coordinator at First Friends. He said the situation facing those detained in northern New Jersey's ICE facilities is changing quickly, and our informed support is needed more than ever. Either he or their executive director Giselle Holloway will be able to speak this fall for Ethical.
They also have a new advocate committee,, and we're on their list. At the request of this committee, MSW & Bill Graves made calls to NJ Senators Booker and Menendez about two young men being deported to Sierra Leone.
First Friends still needs the following help for the immigrant detainees:
1. People to meet and pick up released people and make sure they get where they're going.
2. Places to stay.
3. Still need calling cards for the centers that are NOT closing (Elizabeth, Hudson, etc.)
Bill updated us that in general the Biden administration is continuing too many of the immigration policies of the former administration., using Covid as an excuse for keeping people out. Martha Howlett pointed out that one improvement is that they are giving at least temporary asylum to children.
As new business, Martha proposed writing letters to New Jersey legislators regarding legislation to address arbitrary termination of work. This is the situation of far too many workers around the country–people can be terminated from their jobs without cause. This situation is something that unions have, in the past, offered protection on, but very few workers in private business are unionized now. The Committee has asked Martha to do the basic research on this and draft a letter for us to work on.
Esther then reported on the upcoming meeting of "RepresentUs" NJ by Zoom on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 11:00 AM . Register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Esther then started us discussing how best to maximize our impact by working with other organizations, especially other ethical societies and Unitarians and other churches. She and Zia will explore where we can plug in our present interests and work. Bill suggested some churches in the South Orange Maplewood area.
Lisa Novemsky gave as a final new business item that she has connections (family!) inside Columbia High School who could help us connect with the students there.
Finally we discussed our meeting schedule. We decided to continue by Zoom, and we adjusted the meeting time.
Our next meeting will be Friday, October 15, 2021 at 12:00 noon.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, June 25, 2021
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves
We began with reports on recent actions and research. Bill Graves had done research on New Jersey legislature bill 5207 which says that State or local government agencies "shall not enter into, renew, or extend any immigration detention agreement," and that private detention facilities "operating in this State shall not enter into, renew, or extend any immigration detention agreement.." The good news is that the Assembly and Senate just passed this bill, and New Jersey could soon become the fifth state in the nation to limit local jails from entering contracts to house federal immigration detainees– if Governor Murphy signs the bill. The Senate approved it Thursday June 24, 2021 23-15 after the Assembly approved it on Monday. For more information, look here.
MSW then reported that the Committee sent ten more calling cards to First Friends to help immigrant detainees talk by phone with their families. These 30 minute $10 cards were made possibly by donations from Martha Howlett, Bill Graves, Jeanine Rosh, and MSW. We asked in the cover letter what is going to happen when the immigrant detainees leave the jails in Essex County, and haven't had an answer yet.
The other project we finished up since the last meeting was sending several letters from the committee supporting ranked choice voting. Martha send the final version to Codey, Jasey, and McKeon; MSW sent to Giblin, Gill, and Timberlake. See attached a sample copy of our letter, and our description of ranked choice voting.
We had some discussion of the possible difficulties of ranked choice voting–how do you pick five from 13 as in New York City's democratic primary for Mayor? Bill pointed out that so many candidates is highly unusual, and that we should keep in mind the value of voting for who we really want, like a third party candidate, but also giving some support to a second choice.
We discussed the vast continuing issue of immigration in the United States, recalling our general letter on immigration, spearheaded by Jackie Herships. We hope to find ways to put pressure on the government to make a more rational and compassionate system
.Individuals committed to doing these things:
• Martha offered by email to take on letter drafting and research.
• MSW will call or otherwise get the latest information from First Friends on what will happen to the immigrant detainees in Essex County jails when the contracts with ICE end. Will they be released till their court dates or moved to prisons farther away from their families?
• We plan to invite Giselle Holloway, the new ED of First Friends, as a Sunday morning speaker.
• Bill will do some basic research on changes in immigration and ICE since the Biden administration came in. For example, when ICE finds immigrant detainees, is it promptly putting them in jail or giving them court dates?
• Bill is also going to look into an organization centered on heiress Abigail Disney that is aimed at reducing the obscene wealth passed on to descendants by the biggest fortunes in the U.S.– Disney, the Waltons, etc.
Next Meeting: Friday. August 13, 2021 2:00 p.m. by Zoom
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, May 7, 2021 by Zoom
Attending: Chair Meredith Sue Willis; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Martha Howlett
The chair reported that we bought and mailed to First Friends of New Jersey and New York 10 international phone cards with funds collected from our committee. Each card costs $10 and provides 30 minutes talk time for the immigrant detainees. We had a thank you from Giselle Holloway, new Executive Director of First Friends who said: "We received the donated international calling cards from the Ethical Culture Society Social Action Committee. Thank you so much! They are exactly what we need to help our friends in detention stay in touch with their families through our telephone hotline. Please convey our thanks to everyone at your organization. We greatly appreciate your compassion and generosity."
We agreed to send one more set of cards, with money to go to MSW, w ho will mal them to First Friends of NJ and NY, 53 S. Hackensack Ave., Kearny, NJ 07032.
MSW also reported that Bill Graves' EC platform April 18, 2021 "Making Voting Fairer" had a good turnout and was well-received. He used Martha Howlett's sheet on ranked choice voting, and praised it as the best thing of its kind he'd seen.
The chair reminded everyone to check occasional on the new Social Action Committee RESOURCES PAGE at https://www.essexethical.org/socialaction%20RESOURCES%20page.html
We then went over for typos and a few small additions Martha Howlett's draft of a letter supporting New Jersey Bill S1820/A1200 (establishing ranked-choice voting procedure for elections for Governor, State Senate, State General Assembly, United States Senate and House of Representatives, and presidential primaries and general elections for electors for United States President and Vice President). The letter also talks about the county line that encourages straight party line voting, and it will have attached to it a copy of the one page introduction to ranked choice voting. Martha will put it on SAC letterhead, sign it with her name, representing the Committee, and send it to State Senators and Assemblypeople of members of the Social Action Committee.
We also discussed at some length changes in immigration detention in New Jersey. Essex County is ending its contract with ICE, and First Friends is supporting this conditionally: what will happen to the immigrant detainees? Will they be released till their court dates or moved to prisons farther away from their families?
We are considering the following actions:
Invite Giselle Holloway, the new executive director, as a Sunday morning speaker?
Ask her if they are recommending no contracts with ICE?
Has ICE made any changes in arrests since the new Biden administration? That is, when ICE finds immigrant detainees, is it promptly putting them in jail or giving them court dates?
Bill is looking at the NJ legislation that First Friends supports. This legislation opposes contracts with detention for ICE.
Esther brought some new business about a group working to divest the NJ Pension system from investments in fossil fuels. She told us that Jersey City just took action to divest their own money. We could work on our own towns in a large state-wide movement. She is to bring more information on this to our next meeting.
The next meeting will be Friday, June 25, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, April 2, 2021by ZoomMost recent minutes here
Next meeting 5-7-21
Attending: Chair Meredith Sue Willis; Esther Barcun; Irene Dunsavage; Zia Durrani; Martha Howlett
The chair reported that our Local Hero 2020-2021, Nancy Zak, has agreed to be honored Sunday, September 26, 2021 either by Zoom or in person, depending on circumstances at the beginning of September.
She also reported that we bought a $50 ad in the 64th Anniversary New Jersey Peace Action Dinner Journal 2021. We buy a few selected ads in celebration journals to support fellow organizations and to publicize ourselves and our work.She also spoke by phone with First Friends NJ NY, the organization that works with immigrant detainees. At the present time, they do not need stationery, but they do need $10 International Calling Cards which provide 30 minutes of conversation with families and friends overseas. The Committee decided to buy five of these cards as a $10 donation from individual members. MSW will purchase the cards and mail them to First Friends of NJ and NY, 53 S. Hackensack Ave., Kearny, NJ 07032. It was also suggested that we approach the Board for funding to buy more cards with our budget or other Society funds.
Irene volunteered to do some basic research and take notes on the history and function of ICE, which has been in the news so much lately.
Esther announced that for those interested in taking individual action, there is new urgency over a continuing effort by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company to run fracking pipes through the NJ Highlands. They are asking for a special state exemption. To express your individual opinion, send a letter/message. For more informtation, see http://bit.ly/NoHighlandsExemption.
Other new business included Zia's report from the All-Societies platform about how some societies are providing meals for the homeless. Jeanine told Zia that Essex used to do something similar. We are interested in hear more and considering this is it appears feasible with limited Committee and Society person-power.
We spend a large portion of the meeting going over Martha's excellent researched report on ranked choice voting. There were some suggestions for a second draft with fictionalized candidate names to make the point of how it works rather than past NJ gubernatorial candidates. Martha's intention is to create an informational piece that is as neutral and objective as possible. Here is a link to an article about a recent ranked choice vote in New York: https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/politics/campaigns-elections/selvena-brooks-powers-victorious-nycs-first-ranked-choice-vote
Esther pointed out that ranked choice voting is one of three important changes needed to voting. The other two are open primaries and getting rid of the party line. We hope to use this document (and perhaps further documents on open primaries and no party line) at Bill's planned platform; on website; to AEU; and perhaps to our legislatures.
Finally, Esther announced that she is working in her home town Edison with the League of Women voters for the town's first mayoral debate/forum.
And Zia drew our attention to a 96 year old lady in South Orange who was born in the Ethical Culture building when it was a private hospital!
The next meeting will be Friday, May 7, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Friday, February 26, 2021, 2:00 – by ZoomMost recent minutes here
Next meeting 4-2-21Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Bill Graves; Martha Howlett. Absent with suggestions by email: Irene Dunsavage.
The meeting opened with sharing what social action people are doing as individuals: Esther is active in several organizations, but most recently with a group that is trying to have state pensions divest their investments in fossil fuels. For a link to a recommended presentation on fossil fuels, look for the link on the Social Action Committee's Resources page for more information . Bill is active with a couple of groups on trying to get ranked voting; Zia got in touch with First Friends about their needs for stamps and stationery; Martha is doing, among other things, work at the local level in Jersey City on better voting strategies, and MSW wrote post cards to Arizona in a voting initiative.
Other reports included the announcement that our RESOURCES page is now online and needs to be evaluated. How to make it useful to people?
Irene Dunsavage has offered to be point person for collecting information, which would then be send to Sue for uploading to the wegsite.
The chair reached out again to Local Hero 2020-21 honoree Nancy Zak suggesting an in-person honoring in September, and Nancy said she'd let us know ASAP.
We were then reminded of our decision last month to narrow our efforts as a committee to focus on
(1) issues around immigration detainees (working with First Friends of NJ and NY) and ICE (especially to look at ICE with greater historical precision)
(2) ethical issues around voting (the electoral process in the US–ranked voting, getting rid of the so-called "county line," etc.)
The balance of the meeting went to considering action steps to move our issues forward:
Bill is getting closer to putting together a Sunday morning platform on ranked voting and other ethical issues of voting, and Martha has volunteered to put together a fact sheet (Bill will send her information). This can be used as a fact sheet or become the basis for a letter-to-the -editor from the committee.
Sue will e-mail First Friends to find out exactly what they need in the way of stationery and stamps, and the following people committed to sending some: Zia, Martha, and Sue.
Sue also suggested making stop-voter-repression phone calls through Reclaim Our Vote. In Collaboration with the NAACP, you call Georgia voters and alert them to the fact that bills now in the state legislature would reinstate a number of voter repression measures. Ask them to call their rep and express opposition. You can register here: votinginformation.org/callhub. This is a sign-up. Once they make sure you are not a troll, they will send a link so you can get into phone bank. This is the group that several of us worked with over the summer.
The next meeting will be Friday April 2, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
January 22, 2021, 2:00 p.m.
By ZoomMost recent minutes here
Next meeting 2-26-21
Attending: Meredith Sue Willis, chair; Esther Barcun; Zia Durrani; Irene Dunsavage; Bill Graves; Martha Howlett; Bill Stoever. Absent with regrets and/or comments: Jackie Herships; Terri Suess
The meeting opened with reports from the chair on work since the last meeting. First, she reported that we are still waiting to hear from Local Hero 2020 honoree Nancy Zak about when to do the honoring. Second, we sent a letter to officials of ICE, copied to the NJ Senators. The letter protested the transfer of two immigrant detainees who had been on a hunger strike from the Bergen County Jail to the Batavia Detention Facility near Buffalo, New York. Transfer to the Batavia Facility, which is far away from the detainees' families and supporters, is tantamount to an unfair punishment for participating in the hunger strikes. We additionally asked that they as well as the other individuals on hunger strikes who do not pose an imminent threat to public safety be released immediately while they wait for their deportation hearings. For the full letter, see https://www.essexethical.org/socialaction.html#iceletter2021
Martha Howlett had sent a report earlier on the organization Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War (No to War). Her notes said that it was started in 2002 in opposition to Iraq War and emphasizes human rights internationally and immigrants rights and racial equality domestically. It opposes most current US interventions. The group has coffee houses for discussions, and list a lot of interesting events in the Highland Park area of central New Jersey. To learn more, see their web page at https://www.againstendlesswar.org. Esther added that they have many listings of many social justice and diversity events. The group is in Highland Park and she attends their coffee houses, now all on zoom. The next coffee house is Jan 30 at 7 PM.
Irene sent us an update on the ongoing hunger strikers among immigrant detainees in New Jersey jails and other facilities. Learn more at https://gothamist.com/news/ice-hunger-strikes-spread-another-new-jersey-jail.Finally, Sue reminded people to look at the Ethical web page for memoir writing by Society Friend Affraz Mohammed at https://www.essexethical.org/#affraz.
The discussion then turned to how best we might move forward in the new year. Should our small committee merely act as a clearing house for information from other organizations? Should we narrow our interests? By email, Terri Suess said she thought we should not focus too broadly and should try to link everything we do to the idea of Ethics and how important that is in our democracy. Irene definitely wants to narrow the focus to one or two areas, and that was the general consensus. After considerable back and forth, and with an expressed desire for both self-education and concrete actions (sending cards, collecting coats, sending stamps and stationery to immigrant detainees, etc.), we decided to do the following:
Set up an online clearing house of organizations and list-servs that we believe are good places for individuals to go to get information and o action (MSW will set this up somewhere on the ethical web page. PLEASE EMAIL HER SUGGESTED WEB PAGES BY FEBRUARY 1, 2021).
Continue our long-standing work with immigrant detainee issues, probably through First Friends of NJ and NY (Zia to update us on what they need, do they want pen pals, stamps. who the new staff are, etc.)
Begin to work on issues around the ethics of voting. Esther listed three areas of immediate concern, including (1) non-party line ballots; (2) open primaries; and (3) ranked choice. Bill Graves will be getting in touch with Elaine to set up a time to give a platform on the ethics surrounding voting.
Martha Howlett suggested that at the next elections we take on publicizing the actual meaning of referenda.
The next meeting will be Friday, February 26, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
Minutes Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
December 11, 2020, 2:00 p.m.
By ZoomMost recent minutes here
Next meeting 1-22-2021
Attending: Sue Willis, chair; Zia Durrani; Irene Dunsavage; Bill Graves; Martha Howlett; Lisa Novemsky.
All the members of the Committee seems to be in relatively good health and busy. Jackie Herships couldn't come because she's taking a friend to the doctor. Irene Dunsavage is writing post cards for the Georgia run-off election.
The chair reported that we are waiting to hear if Local Hero 2020 honoree Nancy Zak prefers a Zoom or (much later) in-person honoring. Nancy said she wanted to think about it awhile. Bill pointed out that it may be next fall before we can really do in-person meetings.
Next, Sue reported that we used our fast-action agreement (at least 5 committee members in favor via phone or email) to offer the Ethical building to help out Ayla Novemsky's Columbia High School group in their food collection–but they decided in the end to use the home of one of their members.
Martha agreed to look into Esther Barcun's organization, the Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War (CJCAEW), to see if it is a good fit for us to use some of our energy. Their url is https://www.againstendlesswar.org/
We then had a discussion about signing on to a letter from Kathy O'Leary of Pax Christi that was brought to our attention by Committee member Terri Suess. This letter asks for release of 8 immigrant detainees being held in the Bergen County Jail. These men have been on hunger strike since 11-27-20, and the conditions for the ICE detainees there seem to be very bad. Unfortunately, the language of the letter seemed to suggest that all prisoners be released, and we couldn't tell if this was only immigrant detainees or possibly violent offenders as well, so in the end we decided to draft our own email to ICE officials copied to the NJ senators.
Martha did some instant internet research and discovered that at least two of the men on hunger strike have already been transferred to the Batavia facility, which is near Buffalo and far from the supporters and friends of the detainees. Sue is drafting the email and sending it to the subcommittee that was part of this discussion for revision.
We also discussed ideas for Sunday morning platforms: Zia is working on a colloquy based on a talk on a webinar by Nicolas Kristof and doing a panel with Esther Barcun about books on systemic racism from the AEU discussion group..
Bill is still interested in doing a program on issues around voting, and he will ask Lorraine if she's interested in doing one on Zero waste.
The next meeting will be Friday, January 22, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
Recent Letters Sent Out
Reparations Letter
May 9, 2022
Dear Legislator,
The Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County is writing to ask for your support-- and to thank you if you have already offered your support-- for New Jersey Bill A938/SE86, the New Jersey Reparations Task Force Bill. This bill establishes a committee to study reparations for New Jersey's infamous participation in the immoral practice of enslaving human beings over many hundreds of years.
This committee would, according to our understanding, collect information and study how to take responsibility for New Jersey's role in American slavery and its aftermath. It would also set forth comprehensive policy recommendations aimed at developing ways to mitigate the harm done to the descendants of enslaved peoples.
Ethical Culture, as a religious and educational institution dedicated to ethical living and to making the world a better place for ourselves and our children, leads us to find this idea of a Reparations Task Force an essential first step for New Jersey, and we highly recommend its passage.
Thank you for your time and interest.
Sincerely,
Meredith Sue Willis, Chair Person
Social Action Committee
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County