Jewish Community Relations Council Of Greater Boston

Programs: In pursuit of its goals, the council pursues an action agenda by forging collaborative partnerships within the jewish community; and between the jewish community and the broader society. To this end, the council educates, assists and enables the jewish community to pursue social justice. The council advocates on issues of jewish communal concern. The council builds coalitions for effective action and opportunities for community involvement and convenes the community in times of crisis, celebration and commemoration. These purposes are accomplished through the following program activities:social justice - the council works to engage members of boston's jewish community in the work of social justice through community service and community organizing, in partnership with other faith communities and a range of community based nonprofits. The four social justice program areas are: the greater boston jewish coalition for literacy, which mobilizes hundreds of volunteers to provide weekly tutoring to elementary school children in under resourced urban elementary schools; telem, a teen service learning program which engages over 900 middle and high school students in ongoing community service (connected with specially prepared curricula); reachout! , which engages young adults in service, fosters their leadership and builds a cohesive community; synagogue organizing, which involves leaders from area synagogues in organizing and advocacy in the public arena. The council collaborates closely with the greater boston interfaith organization in grassroots community organizing. The council also provides holocaust programming and education, in conjunction with the new england holocaust memorial. Israel engagement - jcrc is committed to engaging with people from diverse backgrounds to foster civil dialogue and build support for israel, the national homeland of the jewish people. The council pursues these goals by engaging in work such as community education, cultivating relationships throughout greater boston, leading study tours to israel with community leaders and supporting national efforts through our partnerships with the jewish council for public affairs. Study tour participants are strategically selected influential leaders, including clergy and elected officials. Government affairs - working together with the massachusetts association of jewish federations (majf), the council brings together broad coalitions of jewish agencies, organizations and individuals, to advocate for compassionate public policies and adequate funding to assist those most in need and improve the quality of life for all. Through successful collaborations with a variety of advocacy organizations in the broader community, the council multiplies its impact and the reach of its contacts and fosters and develops relationships with governmental officials at the federal, state and local levels in order to achieve policy successes in the budgetary, administrative and legislative arenas.