Support for Amendment 1

As the words of Isaiah denouncing corruption and our traditional tikkun olam obligations may still be ringing in our ears from the High Holidays, we recall an earlier passage from Isaiah, 33:15: One “who walks in righteousness . . .waves away a bribe.” 

Many of our state legislators accept massive lobbyists’ gifts and large contributions from a few major funders to do their bidding, instead of that of their constituents.  Thus I write as an individual to urge your readers to study and vote for Amendment 1, a much-needed, citizens’ bipartisan initiative on the Nov. 6 ballot. 

Among the supporters are National Council of Jewish Women STL and Jews United for Justice. The Jewish Community Relations Council presented an educational program on Amendment 1 on June 20. 

Our Missouri Legislature refuses to clean itself up. Fed up, more than 300,000 Missouri voters from all over our state have signed a petition to amend Missouri’s Constitution to take back our representation. 

Amendment 1 will:

• Limit lobbyists gifts so legislators can’t take any gift over $5.

• Lower state campaign contributions (to $2,500 for senators and $2,000 for representatives) to limit the influence of big money and lobbyists in state government. 

• Require politicians and their staffs to wait two years after leaving office or employment before becoming lobbyists. 

• Prohibit political fund raising on state property and require that legislative records and hearings be open to the public including the media. 

• Ensure that neither political party is given an unfair advantage whenever new state senate and house maps are drawn by requiring a nonpartisan expert to draw fair legislative district maps, which would then be reviewed by a citizen commission.

For more information, contact the League of Women Voters (www.lwvmissouri.org) or cleanmissouri.org. 

Steve Skrainka, Former Board Member and Vice President, JCRC, Former President, Central Reform Congregation

Remembering Rosalind Neuman 

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote that a friend is “a present you give to yourself.”  Whether you were her close friend or a casual acquaintance, the friendship of the late Roz Neuman (subject of the Sept. 26 article, “Rosalind Neuman, geneticist, past JCRC president, dies at 80”) was one of life’s best presents.

Rosalyn Borg, University City

Healing, support available at Shalvah meetings each week

I am writing in support of the letter Rabbi James Stone Goodman wrote in the Sept. 5, 2018 issue of the Jewish Light.  The commentary Goodman was responding to stated the Jewish community needed to be better when it came to helping our own with the current substance abuse epidemic. 

I have been attending 12-step meetings for more than two years. As a Jew, I have never felt uncomfortable or that I did not belong in a meeting. Also, all of the people in our Shalvah meeting (the majority but not all, are Jewish) attend other anonymous meetings, of different varieties. The 12-step program is not religiously based.  Instead, the program is about spirituality, healing, acceptance, forgiveness, understanding, friendship and love (for others and ourselves).

For those of our Jewish community who are looking for help, healing and support, I urge you to start by first coming to our Shalvah meeting on any Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. at Neve Shalom (6 Millstone Campus Drive, located in the CHAI Apartments building) or Monday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Central Reform Congregation (5020 Waterman Blvd.). There may be many reasons for those in our community to not seek recovery, but because we are not welcome or comfortable in the meetings, is not one of them. 

Judy D., a grateful member of Shalvah and the 12-step program, Creve Coeur