Church World Service’s Post

Is the Jewish community still relevant today? Why do we need Jewish organizations, and what purpose do they serve in today's world? What values justify our communal efforts? What are the core values that drive our extensive social and communal activities? What strategies can we use to instill a sense of responsibility for all Jews? These are just some of the questions The Center for Jewish Peoplehood Eduction is exploring in its work. I am so excited to have just started a project with Ezra Kopelowitz and the team as they build out a pilot workshop that addresses these and other questions. Together, we are looking at the overarching goals of the organization, examining the needs of the Jewish community in a post October 7 world, and designing this workshop in alignment so that educators walk out with key knowledge and understandings and tangible takeaways to impact their work. I am really inspired by the work of this organization and the people involved -- including the familiar faces of some of their fellows: Alex Pomson, David Bryfman, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath, Faith Brigham Leener, Osnat Fox.

📣 Call to our Master Practitioner Alumni: As Master Practitioners you are the essential threads of our living, growing community. We would like to better understand how the communities are growing locally and we have two questions that can help us visualize who we are locally and globally and how we are leading compassionate systems change together. 🌱🌍 Take a moment to fill out our alumni survey ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/g7kHekY5

Doing CVI or grappling with how to reduce to community violence? This will be the first in a series of excellent webinars full of useful info for CVI leaders both new and experienced.

If this was mandatory weekly viewing for every U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employee we'd be losing a lot less of our mighty warriors to suicide. Since 2005 women veterans who go to the VA for help have been TWICE as likely to die by suicide as those who never took an oath to serve. When we ask for help we are drugged, shamed for being lazy, and forced to run a gauntlet of sexual harassment and exploitation to access care. When we are too debilitated by systemic abuse to work we are told to "try harder at self-care." The average American war survivor will receive less than $3000/month to fund their existence, care, food, supplements and survival in a health care system designed by and for men (and we're losing a lot of them too). The key years of our deaths correspond EXACTLY with menopause. And yet not even a Top female dr at UCLA (frequently rated the #1 hospital in America/the world) is allowed to prescribe anything that will help us survive like we did so well, on our own, in combat. But the motivating question for the rest America, the legitimate reason for panic at these stats is this: If we allow this abuse to continue... who will be left to call when Climate Change comes for you?

For many years, my friend and partner, Kim Lande and I have dreamed about how we can offer a program to bring respectful, generative dialogue to the community. Now, we’re making it real, and right on time –when our country is facing unimaginable polarization during one of the most divisive election seasons ever. With a grant from the Peacemakers Fund, we’re piloting a three-part program on civil conversations at Christ Presbyterian Church in La Costa that we’ll take to other congregations, schools, and civic organizations and groups. On an individual level, the goal is to give people the tools to have respectful conversations about challenging topics in their everyday lives – at work, school, and at the kitchen table. In the big picture, it’s to create a citizen army of bridgebuilders and peacebuilders in our communities, to have different kinds of conversations about values and personal stories and what people really care about. Here’s the program: Part I, learning how to ask questions of curiosity and listen to understand: This past Sunday, we led a workshop on The Art of Conversation at Christ Presbyterian Church, to a group of 55 very engaged members. They learned, laughed and shared, and had many light bulb moments as they practiced with their groups. It was truly inspiring. Part II: Congregants, who are interested in facilitating as part of the upcoming Evening of Dialogue event, will have a dialogue experience and then learn some skills for facilitating. Part III: Evening of Dialogue: Congregants and their guests will engage in a different kind of conversation about the upcoming elections by focusing on issues, values, and visions for the future of the country. Once we make some refinements, we’ll be taking this on the road. Please reach out if you’re interested in learning more or offering a civil conversations program in your community. We’re ready to change the conversation. Are you? 

Shout out to my colleagues at Survivor Alliance for their leadership and hard work on developing this Action Plan for Survivor Leadership in the Next Decade! This powerful call to action from survivors from around the world challenges allies to center and elevate the voices of survivor leaders and lived experience experts in the anti-trafficking movement. If you're working to advance social justice in any capacity, please read this document! https://lnkd.in/eCT-_DU6

The success of the 988 Lifeline goes beyond statistics; it represents real lives transformed, like that of a young woman who found the support she needed during a crisis and is now thriving. Each call answered is a step towards healing and hope, showcasing the profound impact of compassionate care in our communities. Read her story: https://hubs.ly/Q02KZDWb0

Are you looking for resources to help build your public and political will? Looking for inspiration on how to pull your stakeholders forward? Sign up for our newsletter! TheCaseMade launches a free newsletter at the beginning of each month with multiple training opportunities and insights from CaseMakers in the field. In this abundant issue, we provide opportunities to:  *Train with us  *Seize the power of the moment  *Join our info session for homelessness leaders   *Learn more about our CaseMaker in Action: Lindsay Knotts  *Lean into your power  *Register for our FREE monthly coaching sessions Link in our comments to join the newsletter community!  

As our MitOst Community Calls have come to an end, we share a few thoughts and questions that stuck with us. We hope you sit with them and find a valuable takeaway for you or your communities. What do we need as a community to stay together, when feelings and experiences of tension, disagreement, conflict, difference come up? 👉 "The current urgent times that are shaping our every day, are also the times when we really need our community the most. It’s time when we discover who is our community and where are the gaps. You know difficult feelings will come up, but its important to not shy away from fear and anger. The question is how do we navigate that difference, and what is our responsibility and our willingness to navigate it.” - Yasmeen Dahr, speaker on the first Community Call 👉 “I think for me it's really key to question who is your community, the importance of chosen communities, and to recognize your agency in building, creating, and maintaining our own communities.” - Dr. Inna Michaeli, speaker on the first Community Call

Reposting Adrian Wagner and Kosha Joubert's work - The UN policy brief core findings of our explorative study using SenseMaker to explore the collective trauma integration process of Thomas Hübl, PhD is now available. Please read and share. We would love to see your feedback in the comments. #PocketProject #collectivetrauma #traumahealing #sensemaker