This is a Guest Post by Debbie Stillman, Executive Director of the National Council of Jewish Women, Minneapolis Chapter.
What Is Jewish Women’s Morning at The Capitol? &
Why Do You REALLY NEED to Take The Morning Off To Be There?
So here’s the thing – Jewish guilt has been an effective tool used by Jewish men and women for centuries. That guilt has gotten many a knuckleheaded kid to do their Hebrew School homework…or gotten a young professional to come to Shabbat dinner at Mom’s after a long week’s work… or gotten a middle aged son to visit Bubbe in the nursing home. But the secret you perhaps have yet to unlock is that the very same persuasive capabilities that have been in-bred in our Jewish community have had some very real influence on the larger community and world we live in.
What we learned in European cities and shtetls in the late 19th century, we imported right along with our candlesticks and tablecloths. Perhaps you’ve heard of a few of our successes: The Civil Rights Movement, the Fight for Equal Rights for Women, or the fight for Freedom for Soviet Jews.
So what is Jewish Women’s Morning at the Capitol (JWMC) and why do we want you to come?
JWMC is dedicated to taking your dinner table discussion to the next level: to give voice to the issues that affect the lives of women, children and families in our state and beyond – and not simply Jewish women and their families, but all women and their families. Jewish women have never simply advocated for themselves when called to stand up and fight – we have advocated for those who aren’t able to advocate for themselves.
The morning begins by connecting your innate ability to persuade with a briefing on the most critical issues facing the 2011 Minnesota State Legislature and training on where we stand concerning those important issues. Then we’ll harness your passion for the greater good as we speak with our local legislators in pre-set meetings – letting them know from our hearts how we feel and why. At the end, if you have the time, we’ll gather for lunch in the Capitol Cafeteria and share our stories of the day.
No experience is necessary, just bring your passion, your compassion and, if you want, a friend!
Jewish Women’s Morning at the Capitol will be held on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The morning event is free and open to all Jewish women. An optional luncheon with select legislators will follow. JWMC is co-sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women of Minneapolis, the National Council of Jewish Women of Saint Paul, and the Upper Midwest Region of Hadassah. Please contact Renee Popkin at [email protected] for general questions or Alexandra David at [email protected] or 612-327-5110 to register.
We hope you’ll join us!
