Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East

2024 Annual Letter to Supporters

I am sending care to you during this time of turbulence in the nation and the world. As UUJME continues our mission to educate and mobilize Unitarian Universalists into greater awareness and advocacy for peace based on justice in Palestine and Israel, we need your support more than ever.

With the election of a Republican administration, there are growing concerns about the implications for multiple justice agendas. As this letter goes to the printer, a bill will be discussed in Congress that would give unilateral ability to strip non-profit status from any group. Main targets are Palestine solidarity groups and religious organizations involved in solidarity. If passed, such power can be used to target groups working for all kinds of rights that a fascist administration wants to deny.

The one-year mark has passed since the brutal response from the Israeli military after the Hamas-led attacks on October 7. And this tragedy did not begin on October 7.

During more than 400 days of genocide at the time of writing, I have felt deep grief for the worsening catastrophe, and I have felt inspiration from people’s responses. As our U.S. government continues to defy the will of the majority of people demanding a ceasefire, it is gratifying to see many UUs among people calling for a ceasefire, opposing repression of activism for Palestinian rights, and supporting an arms embargo along with boycott and divestment. One UU congregation and one UU social justice committee have become the first local UU signatories of the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge. More than 40 congregations held Empty Cups for Gaza rituals. These last two milestones are because of the presence and work of UUJME.

Despite and also because of the state of emergency around Palestinian rights, UUJME has achieved some historic accomplishments that I am proud to share with you.

UUJME Major Accomplishments since November 2023

• Received our first-ever grants from the Unitarian Universalist Funding Program.

A double grant of $29,200 was received in May 2024 for organizer hiring and educational programming. Title: Empowering UUs to Engage on Palestine and Israel.

• Hired two part-time organizers – for the first time in our history.

India Wood, a Jewish UU activist and seminary student, was hired as our first part-time organizer. Jolly Hollamon, former organizer for the UU Justice Ministry of California, was hired as our second part-time organizer. They have amplified our abilities.

• Passed an Action of Immediate Witness (AIW): Solidarity with Palestinians at the 2024 UUA General Assembly with a coalition of UU groups: 74% of delegates said Yes. See https://www.uua.org/action/statements/solidarity-palestinians.
• Co-sponsored UU Vigils for Gaza initiated by Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM). View the recordings at https://www.youtube.com/@druumm.
• Produced multiple webinars – more than 1,000 RSVPs.
  Visit our Calendar page via https:/www.uujme.org.

  • Three webinars in support of the AIW, with multiple co-sponsors: Conflict Resolution in Congregations, Countering Antisemitism, and Multifaith Solidarity.

  • Five Palestine/Israel 101 teach-ins. Co-sponsors include DRUUMM, Black Lives of UU, UU College of Social Justice, Church of the Larger Fellowship, and UU Refugee and Immigrant Services and Education (UURISE).

  • Webinars about protest safety, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian racism.

• Organized UUs to attend the Interfaith Action for Palestine in DC in July.
• Published resources for the first time on the UUA Worship Web: Empty Cups for Gaza Ritual and Jewish liturgical resources.
• Sent an email with a flyer about Palestine/Israel resources to more than 900 UU congregations.
• Co-sponsored an Apartheid-Free training during the UUA’s Mosaic gathering.
• Initiated the first of regular sharing meetings with UUA senior leadership.
• Welcomed Rev. DL Helfer to the UUJME Board.

DL, the main AIW proposer, is a long-time solidarity activist and a Jewish UU.

• Welcomed Rachel Rott to the UUJME Advisory Council.

Rachel, who was instrumental in passing the AIW, provides communications advice.

Other Accomplishments

• Edited a three-tier resource document to match congregations with activities.
• Approved four new UUJME Chapters.

Chapters were launched in Michigan, Louisiana, New York, and California.

• Provided ongoing support for chapters, local advocates, chapter inquiries, and other groups.
• Coordinated federal, state, and local legislative and policy advocacy.
• Supported UU groups to explore signing the Apartheid-Free pledge.
• Produced a UU for Ceasefire T-shirt.
• Maintained an Actions and Information Google document.

See https://bit.ly/UUJME-Action-Info-Doc.

• Published more than 15 blog posts. See News and Events via https://www.uujme.org.
• Added more than 500 subscribers to our email list.
• Signed on to six solidarity statements and campaigns.

 UUJME Goals

• Raise $7,500 above our usual year-end donations to sustain organizers’ pay and webinar speaker honoraria. There is a possibility that the UU Funding Program grants may be renewed; the chance of renewal is boosted if we receive higher donations as the funding managers want to see that UUJME can sustain the programs.
• Continue to collaborate with UU faith leaders and activists on action alerts to UUs.
• Mail a union printed postcard to all UU congregations about resources.
• Donate to Gaza relief efforts and Palestine solidarity groups.
• Continue supporting UU rituals, actions for ceasefire and arms embargo, and additional Apartheid-Free Congregations.
• Continue Palestine solidarity work with UU groups and others.
• Continue enacting the priorities in our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan.

  • Organizing, political education, and UU relationship priorities strengthen UU engagement in the movement for Palestinian rights.

  • Internal Structures committee volunteers are analyzing and recommending important processes and policies.

• Continued collaboration with Palestinian and ally groups.
• A strong UUJME presence and coalition at 2025 UUA General Assembly.
  The General Assembly is a powerful opportunity to reach more UUs with our message. We want to ensure a strong UUJME booth. We plan to submit a proposal for a live workshop about the Apartheid-Free Pledge.

Your Support: An Investment in Transformation and Global Justice

Your support is an investment in the mission of inspiring more UUs to collective engagement for Palestinian liberation and a just peace for all people in the region. Thanks for all you are doing to bend the arc of the universe towards justice.

With immense gratitude,

Dana Fisher Ashrawi, President of UUJME

Ways to Donate

Your generous donation will help us to sustain our plans for organizing and programs.
Thanks very much for your support. UUJME is a 501c3 organization.

1. Send a check: Please make the check out to “UUJME” and mail to:
   UUJME, P.O. Box 380355, Cambridge, MA 02238-0355.
2. Donate online: Please go to our website https://www.uujme.org/donation. You can use your credit or debit card to make a one-time donation or a monthly recurring donation. Monthly donations ensure income throughout the year and allow us to predict how much money we will have at some future time. We have Stripe as our current donation processor. If you have been using PayPal, your donation will still process, but we encourage you to donate via our website so we can move all online donations to our new payment processor.
3. Make a bequest: The UUA department of Planned Giving can help with bequests to UUJME. Contact our Treasurer for information about various ways of making a bequest at [email protected]. Please let us know if you make a bequest so we can thank you.
4. Access matching funds from your employer. UUJME is registered with the matching funds site Benevity. Supply the name UUJMECORP and Unique Identifier number 261404531 when requesting matching charitable funds.
5. Share the collection plate. Ask professional and lay leaders in your congregation how to arrange for a sharing of plate collections made for UUJME.

Donation purpose designation. You may designate some, or all, of your donation for a specific purpose such as Organizers or Education or in honor of or in memory of an individual or organization. If donating by check, please include a designation note in the envelope. If donating online, make a note in the box for Donation Purpose or notify [email protected].

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Contact Information Form

If you cannot donate at this time, the information requested below is very helpful to us. Please provide this information online at https://www.uujme.org/join or print and mail to:
UUJME, P.O. Box 380355, Cambridge, MA 02238-0355

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