Power @ BZBI
POWER @ BZBI – Racial & Economic Justice on a Livable Planet
In 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine and in light of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Walter Wallace, and others, the BZBI Board of Trustees joined POWER Interfaith as a congregational member. POWER Interfaith (Pennsylvanians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild) is a grassroots organization of over 50 Pennsylvania congregations committed to racial and economic justice on a livable planet. POWER is a faith-based, non-partisan, non-profit community organization affiliated with the Faith in Action national network.
Formed more than a decade ago, POWER now coordinates and represents over 150 congregations and ethical organizations throughout Philadelphia, southeastern Pennsylvania, the state’s central counties, and the Lehigh Valley. The BZBI POWER Committee is part of our synagogue’s commitment to Tikkun Olam in carrying out social justice activities.
POWER’s work is organized around five campaigns:
Live Free Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform: Organizing faith leaders, people who’ve been involved in the criminal justice system, and their allies, to advocate for an end to criminal justice practices which disproportionately penalize and incarcerate the poor and people of color. Learn more.
Education Campaign: Organizing public school parents, teachers, people of faith and their allies to push the Pennsylvania legislature to fully and fairly fund public education across the state. Learn more.
Economic Dignity Campaign: Organizing people of faith, low-wage workers, and their allies, to promote living wage policies, and to promote workers’ rights to unionize, at both the municipal and state levels. Learn more.
Civic Engagement Campaign: Organizing voters from across all of Central Pennsylvania, Greater Philadelphia, and the Lehigh Valley so that their communities have a voice in government. Learn more.
Climate Justice Campaign: Organizing faith leaders to promote a just transition to a sustainable economy, holding energy corporations accountable for creating “green jobs” in communities that need them most. Learn more.
Our BZBI POWER Committee meets each month to share the news from these campaigns and to develop program ideas for the broader BZBI community. To join our standing meeting on the 3rd Wednesday of each month on Zoom, 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM click here.
To learn more, please contact Bill Brookover at bill.brookover@gmail.com, or fill out this Google Form.
