National Council of Jewish Women Pledges to Lead Fight to Uphold first Amendment Rights

defending the First Amendment against the Christian right ...

... because if Jews don't speak out, they'll think we don't mind

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National Council of Jewish Women Pledges to Lead Fight to Uphold First Amendment Rights

In email marking Chanukah, NCJW president places resisting religous right in Jewish tradition

Email from Phyllis Snyder, President of National Council of Jewish Women, December 15, 2005

So much of Jewish history chronicles a persecuted minority's perseverance and survival. Chanukah is a celebration of this kind of triumph -- our forebears' heroic fight for religious freedom and the miraculous eight nights of light that followed.

This is our Jewish tradition.

Here in the United States, religious liberty has allowed people of all faiths to flourish, thanks to the Bill of Rights guarantee that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." These 16 words from the First Amendment created a wall separating state from religion, enabling each of us to worship any way we choose -- or not all.

This is our American tradition.

Yet the religious right is gaining momentum, impacting laws so that they increasingly endorse a single religious point of view. What does this mean? Children are now taught about God in public school science classes. Women are denied reproductive choice. Legislatures intervene in end-of-life decisions. These developments threaten the rights of Jews, women, and this nation's many religious minorities. And, increasingly, they are the laws of our land.

This is our call to action.

NCJW is answering that call, resolving to be a leader in the fight to uphold the minority rights protected by our Constitution. Whether it's pharmacy refusals or stem-cell research, NCJW is taking action. This is why Leadership Conference 2006, to be held this March in Chicago, will include a special one-day symposium, "Speaking Out for Women in the Religion-State Debate," that will bring experts, advocates, and NCJW supporters together to explore and protect the critical connection between religious liberty, democracy, and women's rights.

This Chanukah, let us all honor the legacy of the Maccabees' courage and begin 2006 by reaffirming our own commitment to fighting threats to religious liberty -- whenever and wherever they arise.

That is NCJW's tradition -- and its promise for the days ahead.

Click here go to the NCJW's website at www.ncjw.org and learn more about their important campaigns.

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