Social Justice

The Shir Hadash Social Justice committee engages in sustained effort to bring about systemic social change through grass roots organizing. An important part of its work involves participation in a faith-based community organizing in collaboration with a network of other congregations in the South Bay.

The Social Justice committee is sometimes referred to as SHOC or the Shir Hadash Organizing Committee. In the PACT (People Acting in Community Together) network we belong to, each member congregation’s social justice group is referred to as an “organizing committee.” The Social Justice Committee known as the Shir Hadash Local Organizing Committee (SHOC) should not be confused with the Social Action Committee, which is a separate committee with a different mission.

What Can You Do?

Attend one of SHOC’s monthly meetings. Meetings are on Sunday mornings once each month and are each scheduled for 90 minutes.

Support SHOC’s efforts by attending our next event or action.

Meeting Calendar (Please note to recheck the calendar for potential updates):

• February 24, 2013 10:00 am
• March 24, 2013 10:00 am
• April 28, 2013 10:00 am
• May 19, 2013 11:30 am
• June 23, 2013 10:00

For more information, contact Social Justice chair Jeffry Young, PACT Board co-chair Harriet Wolf, or Rabbi Josh Lobel.

Recent Accomplishments

• A community action at Shir Hadash on Senior issues was held in May 2012. Elected representatives from Santa Clara County, and the cities of San Jose, Saratoga, and Cupertino participated. This was a collaboration with four other congregations. Approximately 280 people attended. SHOC continues to follow-up on this action.

• SHOC members are active participants in the County of Santa Clara’s ongoing effort to execute its Senior Agenda 2012.

• Enlisted the support of the head of one of the major cab companies to work on new ideas for senior friendly cab service.

• On-going collaboration with other congregations in a collaborative Healthy Aging Local Organizing Committee (HALOC) that meets regularly at the PACT office.

• PACT helped restore funds designated for seniors in the San Jose city budget.

• Members of SHOC helped with the successful Proposition 30 by volunteering for the phone bank efforts through PACT.

• SHOC members have helped PACT with its efforts to work for water fluoridation in the Santa Clara Water District.

Learn more about issues relevant to seniors at these sites:

• Council on Aging Silicon Valley
• National Center on Senior Transportation
• County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency

Past Accomplishments

• A community meeting at Shir Hadash on health reform with U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren and Mike Honda The meeting was attended by over 300 people including a large interfaith group of clergy.

• Health care Shabbat service devoted to sharing health insurance stories and relevant Jewish law and tradition.

• Press conference urging the media to spread the news of the silent pain and creeping crisis in Silicon Valley caused by the state of our current health insurance system.

Method

In the PACT network, local organizing committees act on a range of social problems using a consistent cycle of organizing. This cycle involves leadership development, building relationships by listening to people’s concerns, research on alternative solutions to problems, and actions in the form of large meetings designed to educate, motivate and influence public decision makers and individual citizens.

SHOC reaches out to congregants through house parties and one on one conversations to learn what members are concerned about. Based on these methods we have focused on a number of issues in the recent organizing cycle. Examples are included below:

• Senior transportation
• Isolation of our elderly
• Senior nutrition
• Dissemination of information about currently available social services
• Volunteer opportunities for seniors
• Scams and fraud effecting the elderly
• Pedestrian safety