Genocide in Darfur

Kathy Kreida, Shelly Spiegel-Coleman and Cindy Gotz will organize a group wanting to go participate in this event: They will run the Olympic torch of compassion!

Sunday, November 18 at 10 a.m. will launch our mission for the people of Darfur.

This event will begin in Newport Beach and travel down our beautiful coast of Orange County to the San Clemente Pier. We are looking for runners and volunteers. We need people to provide water, banners, green and white balloons for the finish line.

Let’s send the message to China that they can and should do more to help end the genocide in Darfur.

“Save Darfur” will provide Tee-shirts and written materials.
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Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 17th!
ACTION AGAINST GENOCIDE

There is much to report on the continuing crisis in Darfur. First, I would like to mention the great work done by our congregant, Aaron Coleman, who during the “Days of Darfur” campaign organized a rally in San Diego. There was a mock burial of about 60 people representing the victims of Darfur. It was very powerful and moving. A professor from his university gave a thorough history and described the current situation in this 21st century genocide. Thank you, Aaron, for doing your part in tikkun olam.

We are still collecting money for solar cookers, and solar cooker training began mid-May in the refugee camp in Nyala, South Darfur (the camp that Justin visited).

President Bush has announced additional sanctions against the Sudanese government; however, it will do no good unless and until the international community acts as a whole. Please continue to write letters, send e-mails, and call 1-800-GENOCIDE to plead with our leaders to push for a United Nations Security Council resolution to impose targeted sanctions on key leaders and companies and for a no-fly zone to protect the people of Darfur.

A campaign for divestment in Sudan is going strong, but it still has a long way to go. So far thirteen states (CA, CO, CT, MD, IL, IA, IN, KS, ME, NJ, OR, MN, and VT) have passed divestment policies. We need 37 more.

Fidelity announced it has greatly reduced its holdings of PetroChina, one of the largest offending companies helping to fund the genocide. The Chinese government is the largest shareholder in PetroChina and is Sudan¹s largest foreign investor. Revenues from the oil drilled in Sudan by Chinese companies are directly linked to arms purchased from Russia and China and to salaries for the Janjaweed militias. The Chinese government provided a $13-million loan to build a new palace for Sudan¹s leader, Omar al-Bashir. The Sudan Divestment Task Force targets are in the oil, mineral, and power industries. They are targeting irresponsible investments that end up supporting the Sudanese government in committing genocide. For a list of companies being targeted, go to info@sudandivestment.org <mailto:info@sudandivestment.org> If you are interested in learning how you can divest, please let us know.

The newest campaign under way is one to shame China vis-a-vis its ties to the Sudanese government and thus to this genocide. The 2008 Olympics are scheduled to be held in Beijing and will become known as the “Genocide Olympics.” Keep doing your part to have your voice heard to stop these atrocities.
B’ Shalom,

Cindy Arana, Darfur Task Force

Unbelievable as it might sound, the crisis in Darfur has entered its fifth year. Unable to stand by while the genocide rages, AJWS recently endorsed targeted divestment from Sudan and, in the process, became the first national Jewish organization to take this step.

Targeted divestment is a new and powerful tactic in the ongoing efforts of AJWS to stop the genocide in Darfur. The Sudanese government depends heavily on foreign investment to fund its genocidal campaign in Darfur. And the vast majority of this money comes from companies that many individuals and institutions invest in - including you, your workplace, synagogue, JCC, college, city or state.

AJWS is about to embark on a multi-state grassroots campaign to promote divestment nationwide, with the goal of sending a message to our elected officials and the Sudanesegovernment that the murder, violence and displacement must stop. By supporting divestment legislation at the city, state or national level, or by taking a closer look at your own investments, you can make a difference.

Please make a note of the following url into your web browser to join AJWS and support divestment from Sudan today http://action.ajws.org/ct/Z1LzE-Y1Mmpj/

Several months ago, I challenged you to raise $2500 to purchase 100 solar cookers for the women of Darfur. I explained that 100 cookers would keep 50 Darfurian women protected from rape as they collected firewood for cooking.

First, many of you sent in your donations and the fund began to grow. Then Hayley Slavitt sold t-shirts and collected $1000.00 for cookers. The Berro children sold cookies and lemonade and collected more money for our cause. In honor of the marriage of Michael Belkin and Elena D’Orio, George Clooney made a donation to our fund. Congregants and friends purchased cookers in honor of Nettie Coleman’s’ 80th birthday and many of you purchased cookers in the memory of my father who passed away in November. The temple youth choir pledged money to purchase 33 more solar cookers. Yasher Koach to all of you!

Last month, we sent a check to Jewish World Watch in the amount of $6200.00!! That will purchase 248 cookers which will help 124 families for the next year. The money is still coming in and I am amazed at what we can do. I checked with JWW on the status of sending the cookers to Chad and Darfur. The cookers are being sent and delivered by a company through Belgium and the Netherlands; security is tight, but they are still getting to their destinations.

I am sure the women of Darfur appreciate all our efforts and donations. Remember that every bit we do, does make a difference to improve our world.

The compassion of our Temple Israel Family warms my heart and continues to fuel my desire of Tikkun Olam.

HELP THE WOMEN OF DARFUR

Recently, I attended a panel discussion on Darfur at Valley Beth Shalom in Sherman Oaks. The event was organized by Jewish World Watch and was most informative. One of the panelists, John Prendergast from the International Crisis Group, does believe an end to the genocide in Darfur can become a reality. The government is working on it and progress is being made. He credits all of us who have made our voices heard by our campaigns of letter writing, postcard mailings, emails, and rallies. He asked us to continue our work….IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Jewish World Watch has embarked on a new project to

HELP THE WOMEN OF DARFUR.

Last month, I wrote to you about a project started by Jewish World Watch which will supply solar cookers to the women in refugee camps in Darfur. These cookers will stop the need for firewood collection outside the camps where 82% of the rapes occur.

I challenged you to raise funds ($2,500.00) so we could purchase 200 cookers to help 100 displaced families. So far, we have collected $1,257.00!!! I am overwhelmed by the compassion of so many of you, especially the children of the Berro and Slavitt families.

If you have not had a chance to contribute, it is not too late. $25.00 will buy 2 stoves for one family. Call Temple Israel 434-0996 for more information.

About 82% of the rapes occur outside the refugee camps as the women go out to collect firewood for cooking. The men do not go out because they will be killed, and to them, rape is better than death. We can do our part in helping save the Darfurian women from getting raped. Simply donate money to purchase solar cookers which will reduce the need for fuel wood and thereby reduces the need for firewood collection outside the camps. $25.00 will buy 2 stoves for one family. JWW’s goal is to buy 1,600 stoves to help 800 families for one year (refer to temple website under Darfur for more information).

It is my hope that the congregants of Temple Israel can raise the funds to purchase 200 stoves that will help 100 displaced families. Please join me in supporting this project. Send your check to Temple Israel and mark it "Darfur Solar Cookers." I will keep you posted on our progress.

I thank you for doing your part in Tikkun Olam.
L’Shalom,
Cindy Arana
Social Action Chair

HOW DARFUR CAME TO OUR FAMILY by Cindy Arana
(and how you can help with a phone call)

My parents are immigrants from Czechoslovakia and are holocaust survivors; my father’s mother and all his siblings were put to death in the concentration camps of Auschwitz. My father’s war stories for his children and grandchildren were his way to ensure that we never forgot and that it should happen "NEVER AGAIN."

While my son Justin was a student at USC majoring in international relations, he became aware of the atrocities taking place in Darfur, Sudan. He became enraged to know that not only was there a genocide occurring, but that very few people were aware of it, and worse, nothing was being done to stop it. Justin was determined to go visit the region and do whatever he could to help the victims in Darfur. A planned two-week humanitarian mission to Darfur changed Justin’s life forever and deeply affected the Arana household. He came back determined more than ever to help and to enlighten us all to the harsh realities of the atrocities and of the world’s inaction.

One Shabbat, Justin spoke at Temple Israel, sharing his experience and bringing awareness to many and that very emotional and moving Shabbat re-energized our family. Additionally, so many people were moved and infected by Justin’s compassion, that the organization of the Darfur Task Force, as we know it today, was created. The energy of people working together for a cause is overpowering and very fulfilling.

The following week, at my first Board retreat, a social action chairperson was needed, and of course, Darfur Task Force was a perfect fit (G-d really does work in very mysterious ways). So, my dream of lazy days of retirement were overtaken by the daily activities of forming committees, attending meetings, connecting with other activists, spending hours on the internet reading and learning as much as possible, and thinking of ways that our temple congregants could make a change to repair a part of our world.

I pray for an end to this genocide and wish I did not have this work to do. However, I made a promise to my son, and this whole experience of activism has enriched my life as well as my family’s. It has also taught me that each day is indeed a gift and not to be taken for granted. We are truly blessed and we must use the compassion in our hearts to help the unspoken for and do whatever we can to repair our world for ourselves, our children, and all future generations.

I invite you to join us to help make a difference. If you are interested in adding other causes to our "Social Action Package," please feel free to contact me.

I encourage you to contact Senators Boxer and Feinstein in our continuing effort to help stop the genocide in Darfur.

On Sunday, April 30th, tens of thousands of us joined together to demand an end to the genocide in Darfur. In Washington, D.C. and cities around the country, we stood side by side with Members of Congress who promised action. (read details on the rally).

The day after the rallies, the U.S. government’s lead negotiator for Darfur, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, was sent to peace talks between the government of Sudan and rebel groups. A major reason for his last-ditch effort to negotiate a peace agreement was due to the overwhelming turnout at the rallies.

Today we have news that the Sudanese government and the largest rebel group in Darfur have agreed to sign a peace deal.

This news is promising, but the agreement is fragile and there is still a long road ahead. Until all parties sign on and the agreement goes into full effect, until the Janjaweed is disarmed and the Security Council authorizes UN peacekeepers to go into Darfur, people remain at risk.

We cannot afford to lose the momentum here in the U.S. We must hold our political leaders accountable to their promises of action.

Please take a moment to call your Senators and ask them to support the swift passage of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act already passed by the House of Representatives. The Bill instructs President Bush to increase pressure on the Sudanese government to stop the genocide in Darfur.

D.C. RALLY FOR DARFUR

On Sunday, April 30th, eleven Temple Israel congregants met in Washington, D.C. to attend a rally to raise awareness and support to end the genocide in Darfur. Roni Love, Jacob Beizer, Elizabeth Slavitt, Jenna Fields, Marc, Shelly, Aaron, and Olivia Coleman, my husband David, my son Matthew and I were among the thousands in attendance on the mall sitting before the Capitol. For three hours, we were moved by dynamic speakers in the political, religious, and humanitarian realms. The experience was awesome and one I will cherish forever.

I would like to share with you a reflection of the event by Shelly Spiegel-Coleman:

I remember asking my mother many times what they did during World War II to stop Hitler and the killing of 6 million Jews. Her answer, with some shame, was always that they just didn’t know and trusted President Roosevelt. So now we cannot say we didn’t know about the genocide in Darfur and three generations of Temple Israel members are working to stop this century’s first genocide. There are few times when you feel that you are a part of something that can really make a difference. Being in Washington, D.C. with our family and our Temple Israel Darfur Committee was one of those moments. We had the honor to help prepare for the rally with the Save Darfur Committee the day before the rally, several hours on the day of the rally, and then to lobby our two Senators, Boxer and Feinstein the day after the rally. The high energy of tens of thousands of people who came from all over the U.S. to stop genocide was almost overwhelming. The media coverage for the two weeks before the rally and then during the rally brought Darfur to the forefront finally. Hope for the future of Darfur and hope for the future of our world came from the younger generation who has taken a leadership role in this movement. We had six of our Temple Israel young adults with us. The passion from the most diversified group of speakers often brought tears to our eyes and I think we all recommitted ourselves to continue our work to stop the genocide. Now, talks of peace agreements, UN peacekeeping forces, and the U.S. active involvement in Darfur only makes our work that more urgent. We left convinced that if everyone continues to work for peace in Darfur, we can make a difference in the lives of millions of Darfurians.

Temple Israel of Long Beach
3538 E. 3rd Street
Long Beach, CA 90814-2709
562-434-0996
info@tilb.org
http://www.tilb.org/