UUJME August 2024 Newsletter
UUJME's Mission
To work within the Unitarian Universalist community to educate and mobilize individuals, congregations and denominational leaders to recognize and counter inequality and injustice in Palestine-Israel and to support our allies in the global justice and anti-oppression movements.
To print this newsletter for sharing during fellowship time at your congregation, visit our News and Events page and look for the August 2024 Newsletter tile. The blog post will have a link to a PDF file with graphics.
To volunteer to help us with graphics, outreach, organizing, and other tasks, please send an email to [email protected].
In this newsletter:
Chalice Moment
First UU Apartheid-Free Congregations
Announcing New Board Member and Additional Organizer
Starting a UUJME Chapter or Becoming a UUJME Local Advocate
Participate in Empty Cups for Gaza Witness Ritual at Ingathering/Water Ceremony Worship
New Resources for Congregational Engagement - Action of Immediate Witness Follow-up
- Flyer and postcards to UU congregations
- First monthly Palestine/Israel 101 Teach-In: August 29, 6 pm Eastern
- DRUUMM Vigils for Gaza - Recordings
UUs Showing Up - Photo Collage
Webinar - September 15 - with Israeli Jewish scholar Ilan Pappe - Meeting Registration - Zoom
Film Salon - September 15 - Israel, Palestine, BDS, and Boycotting in the United States
Solidarity Opportunities - Direct Aid:
- Help Feed Starving Palestinians: Gaza Soup Kitchen
- Join UUJME's Solidarity Circle with Green Olive Collective
- Host a Film Screening to Benefit Creative Cultural Center of Jenin
Share the Plate with UUJME
Chalice Moment
The situation in Gaza as well as the West Bank continues to be dire. More than 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military and settlers, enabled by funding and support from the U.S. and other countries, since October 7. While figures for Gaza are officially stated as over 40,000 Palestinians killed, the Lancet medical journal ran an article claiming that the death toll is likely to be over 180,000. If one considers bodies under the rubble uncounted, injured family members unable to report additional deaths, and deaths from dehydration, starvation, and medical conditions and diseases untreatable due to the decimated health care system, this number seems likely. In fact, by now it is likely that 10% of the 2.3 million people in Gaza have been killed. Sanitation is nearly impossible. Vaccinations are not available. People are suffering from hepatitis, and now polio is spreading, leaving a young child paralyzed from this preventable disease with more to come. Nearly 100 hostages are still held in Gaza, and nearly 10,000 Palestinian prisoners languish in Israeli jails, with hundreds subjected to brutal torture. Four Palestinian towns in the West Bank are being attacked by Israeli forces by bulldozer, helicopter, and fighter jets as well as ground troops. Let us light a chalice and renew our dedication to take action in solidarity with Palestinians. There is only side to take on genocide. We are called to side with life and love. A ceasefire is the only way to stop the deaths of Palestinians and hostages, and a permanent political solution is the only way to true safety. Solidarity can help to achieve the just peace that is needed. This newsletter lists many ways that you can engage on the issue.
First UU Apartheid-Free Congregations
Partly in response to the call of the UUA General Assembly Action of Immediate Witness, Solidarity with Palestinians, two UU congregations have taken the step of signing the pledge to be apartheid-free. The first was the UU Church of Berkeley. The second was the All Souls UU Church of Shreveport, Louisiana. Thanks, congratulations and best wishes to the people who organized this effort, including a local UUJME advocate and local chapter co-leaders, as well as members at these congregations as they embark on the aspirational journey to dismantle ties with Israeli apartheid.
Taha, a member of All Souls UU Church of Shreveport, Louisiana, said "This could not have been possible without individual members within the congregation being so vocal about the need for UUs to stand in opposition to the occupation of Palestine and the genocide of Gaza. Every single board member voted yes without hesitation because they see what is happening on TV and social media and find it unconscionable to not act and show our public opposition to apartheid." Susan, the Director of Religious Education, expressed gratitude to the minister and board president at how supportive they were throughout the process.
These congregations join the UU social justice groups that have previously signed: UUJME (one of the 13 original signatory groups), Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism, the UU College of Social Justice, the UUJME Chapter of Massachusetts, and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.
Find out how to get started on your journey at https://apartheid-free.
Announcing UUJME's new board member and additional organizer
New board member: Rev. DL Helfer
UUJME is very pleased to announce the addition of Rev. DL Helfer to the UUJME board. DL was an officiant for the DRUUMM-led UU Vigils for Gaza since last fall and was the main proposer of the Action of Immediate Witness, Solidarity with Palestinian, that passed at the UUA General Assembly in June 2024. We look forward to collaborating with DL for continued education and transformation in the UU community.
Rev DL Helfer is non-binary, and in general avoids boxes which traps them into “this” or “that.” Instead, they search for possibility, for deeper truths, and share those glimmers of possibility with others. DL is also a licensed social worker, currently working with transgender and gender diverse children and youth. Rev. DL hails from Southern California but now calls Providence, RI home. They share that home with their beloved partner and two overzealous cats. DL’s entry into Palestinian Solidarity has roots in their late mother’s social activism but was fostered by their partner’s longtime Palestinian Solidarity activism with Jewish Voice for Peace. DL. As a Jewish UU, DL hopes, believes, and is driven by a belief in collective liberation. DL identifies as a Community Minister.
New part-time organizer: Joshua "Jolly" Hollamon
UUJME is delighted to welcome Jolly to our organizing team, working alongside India Wood who was hired in June as our first-ever organizer, and our Organizing Committee. This hiring is funded in part by the Fund for Unitarian Universalism and the Unitarian Universalist Fund for Social Responsibility.
Joshua “Jolly” Hollamon (they/he) is a Los Angeles based activist, with organizing expertise around climate justice and local politics. They previously held the Climate Justice Organizer position at the UU Justice Ministry of California. He has been active in building a healthier and more sustainable community, from traveling to DC to lobby with congressmen to organizing and supporting community events. In 2020, they co-managed the incubation and operations of a new drop-in, homelessness access center. This led to extended outreach to unhoused neighbors, providing service to the previously unserved Sherman Oaks neighborhood. He has been a front-line activist and coalition builder in various movements including the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota. They support their local congregation, First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, as a member of the Animal Ministry and Building & Grounds Committees. They are also on the Board of Urban Partners Los Angeles, a nonprofit that provides weekly food distribution to the community, a diaper distribution, and tutoring to young children. Jolly is delighted to continue their work as a faith-based organizer through UUJME.
Please donate as you are able to support making the organizer positions sustainable into the future. If you are ready to find out more about how to start a UUJME chapter in your congregation, city, or region, please reach out to [email protected].
To read about India Wood, our other organizer, visit UUJME Hires First Organizer!
Start a UUJME Chapter or Become a Local Advocate
Join the growing community of UUJME chapters and local advocates! After passage of the Solidarity with Palestinians Action of Immediate Witness at the UUA General Assembly, congregational leaders and members are curious to find out more. Starting a UUJME chapter or becoming a UUJME Local Advocate in your congregation can provide support and continuity for helping members engage on the topic of Palestine and Israel. UUJME has decades of experience in developing relevant education, helping UUs to transform their understanding and to find ways to engage.
Chapter leaders and local advocates go through an application process and are added to a monthly meeting where people can share ideas and gain support while building community. In the meetings, tips are shared about organizing people from your congregation to learn and take action and advance notice of critical learning and processing opportunities. Our internal email list provides key education. We have two part-time organizers ready to meet with you to answer questions and help you get the ball rolling!
Reach out to [email protected] and [email protected] to find out more. We can set up a Zoom meeting to get to know each other and answer your questions.
Witnessing Ritual: Empty Cups for Gaza at UU Ingathering/Water Ceremony Worship Services
This fall, UUs for Justice in the Middle East is inviting UUs to participate in a symbolic act of witness during their water ingathering service by bringing an empty cup or other container to the service.
UUs across the country are taking this prayerful action in sympathy with the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza who are denied potable water by Israel, a war crime that is enabled by the United States. These people are dying of starvation, thirst, preventable disease, and weapons of war.
UUJME chapter members, local advocates, and other congregants who would like to participate can decorate a paper or reusable cup with designs (e.g., keffiyeh pattern, prayers for Palestine and peace, kites, watermelon, or the faces of healthy Palestinian children), bring that container to the front during the ceremony, spill some "missing water" into the vessel, and then leave the cup behind beside the water communion vessel. UUs could also bring two containers - one with water as usual and one that is empty.
For more information about how to perform this act of witness in the face of ongoing violence, visit our blog post that includes recommendations for discussing with your minister and worship leaders, an example script, newsletter blurb, and links to an explainer video as well as artwork to print and tape onto your container: https://www.uujme.org/empty_cup_for_gaza_ingathering_water_ceremony
Please email pictures and videos of your Empty Cups for Gaza witness to [email protected].
Resources for Congregational Engagement - Action of Immediate Witness
Follow-up
Engagement flyer and post card
UUJME and other UU groups and leaders are continuing to provide resources for Unitarian Universalists to engage on the topic of Palestine/Israel. The Action of Immediate Witness, Solidarity with Palestinians, calls on UUs to Witness, Educate, Organize and Advocate.
The flyer and post card listing ways to engage on Palestine/Israel will be emailed and mailed to all UUA congregations; click here for a printable flyer to distribute at your congregation earlier than our mailing planned for September.
The following are spaces being set up for engagement that are planned for the coming months, including webinars and other opportunities. We are also promoting interest in joining Diverse Revolution UU Multicultural Ministries for BIPOC UUs and highlighting the caucus for Southwest Asian and North African UUs formed by DRUUMM in 2023. Our aspiration is also to support a UU Jewish Caucus centering solidarity with Palestinians.
- Listening Circles
- Palestine/Israel 101 Teach-ins - first monthly session Thurs. August 29 at 3 pm Pacific/6 pm Eastern - RSVP at https://www.uujme.org/palestine_israel_101_teach_in
- Solidarity Circles
- Empty Cups for Gaza Ingathering Water Ceremony Information
- Resources Teach-ins
- Sacred Grief Spaces
- Author/Scholar/Activist Talks
- Countering Anti-Palestinianism
- Countering Antisemitism - a talk with Shane Burley and Ben Lorber on their recent book Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism - Tuesday October 10 at 4:30 pm PT/7:30 pm ET - RSVP at https://www.uujme.org/author_talk_safety_through_solidarity_fight_antisemitism
- Becoming Apartheid Free - UUJME will host monthly info sessions about what it means to become an apartheid-free congregation or group. This month the first two UU congregations signed the Apartheid-Free Pledge! In the UU community, they join UUJME, Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, the UU College of Social Justice, and the UUJME Chapter of Massachusetts. Read more at https://apartheid-free.org.
- Starting a UUJME Chapter
Vigils for Gaza by Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries
DRUUMM has initiated eight meaningful vigils for Gaza online since last fall. You can access the recordings of several. We highly recommend inviting a group to watch together, or at least on your own. This provides an important grief processing space for healing and coping with the ongoing violence against Palestinians in Gaza. To see past vigils that were recorded, visit their YouTube. These have reached hundreds of UUs. It is a deeply touching experience that will bring you comfort and community. UUJME was a proud co-sponsor of these vigils. The most recent vigils were held after passage of the Action of Immediate Witness in summer of 2024.
The most recent vigil recordings:
Part I: Raising Voices for Palestine: Palestinian, SWANA and BIPOC voices
Part II: Raising Voices for Palestine: UU Jewish Voices
UUs Showing Up for Justice
It has been beautiful to see Unitarian Universalists showing up to demand an end to the war on Palestinians. We worked with others to develop a T-shirt design and had a batch shipped to DC in time for the Interfaith Action for Palestine protesting the convention of the Christians United for Israel. UUs were there for vigils and direct action, and we are thankful for your witness and courage. More UUs participated in Not Another Bomb across the country and at and around the Democratic National Convention to push the party to call for a ceasefire, ending military aid to Israel, and to allow a Palestinian speaker.
Multifaith Prayers for Peace: Solidarity with Gaza Event
Multifaith clergy and leaders in the DC area showed up to speak words of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The UU Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, one of the proposers of the Action of Immediate Witness, was one of the speakers. Gratitude to Rev. Abhi and all the others who spoke, and the many UU clergy and leaders across the country that are conducting similar acts of witness.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/MbhRj3MU-FE?si=BkZP7tkMORRxptok
UUs in Solidarity with Palestinians: from DC to Reading to Brooklyn to Chicago (and many more) to Palestine
Email us your photos from vigils, talks, rallies, and protests so we can inspire one another.
Discussion with Israeli Historian Ilan Pappe - September 15, 2024, 9 am PT/12 pm ET
Christian Zionism and the Israel Lobby: A Conversation with Ilan Pappe
Dr. Ilan Pappé is an Israeli historian and professor of history at the University of Exeter, where he leads the European Centre for Palestine Studies. He is the author of numerous books including The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. Those who donate $100 or more to the organizer of the event, Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace (PCAP), will receive a copy of his most recent book: Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic (One World Publications, 2024). UUJME is a proud co-sponsor of this event.
To make a donation, visit Donate — Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace (pcap-us.org).
Film Salon - September 15, 2024 - 12 pm PT/3 pm ET
Monthly Film and Discussion with Voices from the Holy Land
In Conversation: Israel, Palestine, BDS, and Boycotting in the US
Sunday, September 15, 12 pm Pacific/3 pm Eastern
First they ignore you, then they attack you, then…
That old saying seems to reflect the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement’s experience since its inception. But where is this movement today?
As the world calls for a ceasefire and an end to hostilities in Israel-Palestine, join our Q&A panel to explore the challenges faced by this nonviolent economic movement, successful advocacy, and ways to take on an active role in this movement and environment.
Register at the link above, watch the film at your convenience, and join the online film salon on September 15 at 3:00 PM Eastern for a discussion of BDS - and state/local/university response with: - Olivia Katbi - North America coordinator for the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement - Adrienne Pine – Author, Visiting Professor, Anthropology and Social Change at American University - Merrie Najimy - Education Committee Chair, Institute for The Understanding of Anti-Palestinian Racism
Solidarity Opportunities: Direct Aid
Please join the growing UU community taking solidarity actions that support an end to oppression of the Palestinian people.
Help Feed Starving Palestinians: Gaza Soup Kitchen (GSK) Mutual Aid
In addition to UNRWA, MECA, ANERA, and World Central Kitchen, there are direct aid opportunities to help feed Palestinians in Gaza. Before the war, there were 500 aid trucks getting into Gaza every day, and that has slowed down to much less because of Israel blocking the entry of aid. Dozens of children have already died of starvation and dehydration, with a United Nations alert stating that 96% of the population faces food insecurity at crisis levels or higher, going days without food. The Gaza Soup Kitchen is our focus this month, an initiative of the extended family of Hani Almadhoun, Director of Philanthropy for UNRWA-USA. Your donation will be direct aid; there is not a nonprofit associated with this fundraiser.
To see daily photos and videos from the soup kitchens, visit Hani's Facebook Page.
Join UUJME's Solidarity Circle with Green Olive Collective
This is an incredible opportunity to build relationships between Unitarian Universalists here and Palestinians living under military occupation.
You are warmly invited to sign up for the UUJME solidarity circle as a member of the recently launched global Solidarity Network of the Green Olive Collective, a group of Palestinians and Israelis making common cause, opposing oppression, and advocating for a just peace. How does it work? If you join the Green Olive Collective as a paying member on a sliding scale, you'll have access to monthly Zoom events to build relationships with Palestinians in the West Bank who are continuing to struggle from the violence of the occupation. You'll also get advance invitations to take part in global solidarity actions.
To become a member as part of the UUJME solidarity circle, click the Join button below to fill out the membership form. Choose UUJME in the drop-down under Are you becoming a member as part of a solidarity circle? Click the drop-down under Select your currency to choose the correct one for your country. Then the monetary amount fields will appear to choose your desired monthly membership fee. You will receive a confirmation email and future communications about the monthly gatherings.
Host a Film Screening for Mutual Aid to Benefit Creative Cultural Center of Jenin
UUJME was invited by past UUJME board member Rev. George Kimmeach Beach to engage with a project supporting the Creative Cultural Center of Jenin. You can schedule a film screening or film festival with a package of five films to choose from, either in-person at your congregation or community location or via Zoom with proceeds from the event fee that you charge to be transferred to a bank in the UK and from there to the center director in Jenin. The city is under severe attack this week and support is needed.
The current packaged films are:
- The Silent Protest, 2019
- An Orange from Jaffa, 2023
- 120 KM, 2021
- Bethlehem 2001, 2020
- One Minute, 2015
Reply to this email if you are interested in more information.
Share the Plate with UUJME
UUJME has received several "share the plate" donations from congregations over the past year. We are very grateful for this. If your congregation has a tradition of sometimes sharing the plate offering, please consider asking your congregation's leaders to plan a share the plate collection for UUJME. We are a 501c3 non-profit and can provide a tax ID. Donations can be sent by check to
UUJME
PO Box 380355
Cambridge MA 02238-0355
or can be made online via the Donation page on the website (https://www.uujme.org/donation).
Help us build on the amazing grants we have received, to make our plans sustainable into the future! Consider becoming a monthly donor. That option is available on the donation page of our website.
We rely on the generosity of our supporters to carry out our programs! Please help us make a difference and donate to UUJME in whatever amount you are able—gifts are appreciated and none are too small. Click here to donate.
Our vision is of a just peace in Palestine-Israel that reflects our UU values of respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every human being and justice, equity and compassion in human relations. Our mission is to work within the Unitarian Universalist community to educate and mobilize individuals, congregations and denominational leaders to recognize and counter inequality and injustice in Palestine-Israel and to support our allies in the global justice and anti-oppression movements.
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