Blog

Rosh Hashanah is a time of reflection and celebration of the past year and the year to come. As we reflect on 5782, we celebrate the legislative victories from this past year.

Hispanic Heritage Month is particularly important for me this year as I feel more connected to my Hispanic, Latino identity than I have in the past.

September began National Voter Registration Month and this week is Disability Voting Rights Week! This week is a national, nonpartisan initiative dedicated to building the power and presence of the disability vote by getting people with disabilities registered and ready to vote, and spearheading voter education and community engagement opportunities, and more!

As the Racial Justice LA, my work is rooted in my belief systems and experiences as a JOC. Not only do I get to be the person I never saw growing up, but I hope to help create more opportunities for those like me in the future. And as I finish up my first year at the RAC, I am eager to make my mark as I continue my work for another year to advocate to end the death penalty, pass legislation to study reparations for Black Americans, expand and protect the right to vote for all as we approach the primaries, and push for true policing reform. Those who are disproportionately harmed by these issues don’t have the benefit of growing up in communities who claim to be color blind. The world sees and treats us differently.

Last week, President Biden issued his second Executive Order to improve access to abortion services since the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. This executive order is meant to support patients traveling out of state to receive abortion care, ensure health care providers comply with federal non-discrimination law, and promote research and data collection on maternal health outcomes.

Tishah B'Av is a day of mourning, commemorating the destruction of the first and second Temples. In recent years, it's also a day to mourn other tragedies that have darkened Jewish history - the Romans putting down the Bar Kochba revolt, mass murders of Jewish communities during the Crusades, expulsions from England, France, and Spain in the Middle Ages, and the Holocaust.

L'Taken is a transformational, innovative, and fun four-day program in Washington, D.C. that teaches high school students about the intersection of Jewish values and public policy. The program also trains them in leadership skills.

Today we celebrate the 32nd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark legislation that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to state and local government' programs and services, and more.