Thread: Push for AMNESTY by U.S. Rabbis and Jewish activists

Hi Alipac Readers ,Found this Interesting article in the Jerusalum Post about a push for Amnesty by U.S. Jewish rabbis and activists and their petition to Congress; Portion of article as follows:


JPost.com » International » Article


Apr 4, 2009 23:35 | Updated Apr 5, 2009 2:15
US Senate moves to fully fund Israel aid
By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER, JPOST CORRESPONDENT, WASHINGTON



Also on Capitol Hill on Thursday, a coalition of rabbis and Jewish community activists were joined by members of Congress at the presentation of a petition with thousands of signatures calling for comprehensive immigration reform.

The petition urges the government to take legislative action rather than conduct wide-scale raids on illegal immigrants, a practice that began to occur with increasing frequency once former president George W. Bush's attempt at overhauling immigration policy failed with no resolution on how to handle the millions of foreigners without work permits in America. The Obama administration has been reviewing the issue ahead of unveiling a new policy on the contentious subject.

A gathering of rabbis representing Judaism's four major branches as well as Jewish immigration activists, including the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, one of America's oldest immigrant aid groups, was in Washington to present the petitions, signed by 3,600 people, ahead of Pessah.

Rabbi Morris Allen of the Conservative Beth Jacob Congregation in Minneapolis-Saint Paul linked their effort, dubbed "Progress by Passover," to the tenets of the holiday at the Thursday event.

"Our liberation [from Egypt] did not lead us to self-pride or gloating or forgetfulness of our roots," Allen said. "Rather we internalized the message of never forgetting those on the margins - those new migrant workers, those new people in need of liberation."

The coalition was welcomed by two Jewish members of Congress, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-New York), who said they would urge immigration reform that would act humanely toward the 12 million undocumented workers in America.

Welcome Becki

There are Jews on both sides of the amnesty issue. The ADL among the large ethno religious organizations favors amnesty and is quick to attack any opponents as being influenced by bigotry and anti semitism. To that I am led to ask would they be as quick to track 12 million people into amnesty and citizenship if they were pro Palestinian Moslems instead of s and other Latinos who they hope to lead.

To that I am led to ask would they be as quick to track 12 million people into amnesty and citizenship if they were pro Palestinian Moslems instead of s and other Latinos who they hope to lead.

That would be my first question. How do they know many aren't people who want to see them wiped off the face of the Earth, like some do us? I mean you'd think they be more cautious and leary.....especially with a blanket amnesty.

More migrants=more law cases=more money for lawyers!

I'm afraid its more about greed than it is about care for the undocumented. Just like politicians look at illegals as potential votes the clergy look at illegals as monetary contributors.

Rahm’s rabbi, Michelle’s cousin join ‘Progress by Pesach’
By Eric Fingerhut · April 2, 2009


Thursday's "Progress by Passover" press conference urging comprehensive immigration reform featured two Chicago Orthodox rabbis with links to two very high ranking officials of the Obama administration: Rabbi Asher Lopatin, of Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation, was White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's rabbi in Chicago, while Rabbi Capers Funnye is first lady Michelle Obama's cousin. Which begged the obvious question: Would they use their connections to help on the issue?

"We'll use all the influence we have," said Lopatin, but he thought that influence would be much less important than the fact that "the voters have spoken" and the new government has "owned up to the moral standard that America was built on."

How about Funnye? He stepped to the microphone and said, "Ditto."

Lopatin and Funnye were two of five rabbis, coming from all four denominations, who joined members of Congress at a Capitol Hill press conference sponsored by HIAS. The organization's president and CEO, Gideon Aronoff, said there had already been "more progress than I could have even imagined" on the issue of immigration reform in the last two months.

"We see a sea change in approach" by the Obama administration, said Gideon Aronoff, president and CEO of HIAS. He noted that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has, according to media reports, decided to focus more on prosecuting employers that are violating immigration laws rather than raiding businesses and arresting illegal workers, such as was done at the Postville kosher meat plant last year. He also pointed to a recent decision by Homeland Security to release 27 immigrants arrested in a February raid and give them temporary legal work permits.

One of the primary goals of the campaign, launched in January, was to urge the Obama administration to change the previous policy of relying on raids as the primary methods of immigration enforcement.

Rabbi Amy Schwartzman of Reform Temple Rodef Shalom said progress also had been made because of the efforts of the 13 national and dozen local Jewish to publicize its importance.

"The opportunity for this issue to be at the seder table is progress at the very least," said Schwartzman.

Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Jerold Nadler (D-N.Y.) also joined the call for a path to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S. The group wants to see congressional passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation by the end of 2009.

Aronoff said the coalition was not deterred by the economy and the many other pressing issues on the country's plate right now, because he said immigration reform will help the economy.

"There is no practical way, nor moral way to remove 12 million immigrants" from the U.S., he said. "These people are here."

"The question is will they working legally, protected by labor laws, supported by our government -- or in the shadows," he said. "If individual workers are out of the shadows, they will have more rights, there will be less pressure on wages" and that will bolster the economy, Aronoff argued.

Also speaking at Thursday's press conference were the executive director of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Jane Ramsey; Minnesota Conservative Rabbi Morris Allen, the founder of the Heksher Tzedek ethical kashrut initiative; and Maryland Reconstructionist Rabbi Doug Heifetz.

National sponsors of the "Progress by Pesach" initiative include the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, B'nai B'rith International, the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Jewish Labor Commitee, the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Rabbinical Assembly, the Union for Reform Judaism, Uri l'Tzedek: The Orthodox Social Justice Movement and Women of Reform Judaism.

Welcome Becki! This makes no sense that all these Jewish groups are supporting amnesty for illegals. Christians make up 76.5 percent of the US population, while those Jewish only 1.3 percent according to the 2000 census. http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html#religions
The only reason for this I can see is the downturn in the economy and businesses continually losing customers and clients.

You're right, Vortex! Plenty of ulterior motives in this group!

They've found a gold mine and plan to work it to the max. They're giddy about the prospects. This is the cheapest labor they've had in ages and definitely want to make the most of it. Dollar signs are dancing in their heads and its not about the immigrants. Its the MONEY. Its all about money.