Justice Committee
The Justice Committee is made up of 12 members, which includes five members of the Am Ha Yam the Jewish congregation that holds their services at the Federated Church. As members of Faith Communities, we consider it our responsibility to see that justice is implemented in so many areas of our personal lives and the lives of the members of our congregations. The Committee meets monthly. At the present time we are focusing on the following issues:
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The Opioid crisis on Cape Cod. This is a major concern as too many of our young people have either died or been impacted by overdoses of drugs. We held a major conference at the church where we showed the HBO film, The Opioid Crisis on Cape Cod. This was followed by a panel of representatives from various groups working on this issue. We are also involved with the schools in assisting them in their efforts to address this concern.
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The refugee problem that is confronting our world. We are working with the Nauset Interfaith Council to find ways to support programs that are in the process of bringing refugees to their communities. We have also been involved in a letter writing campaign to our congressional representatives that has involved a number of our congregation's members.
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The Pilgrim Nuclear Plant in Plymouth. We are endorsing the efforts of those who are trying to close this plant.
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The racial crisis confronting our country. Our congregation will continue to hold programs addressing this concerns.
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Formation of a Network on Spiritual Progressives. This is a follow up to the Rabbi Michael Lerner’s presentation in May, 2016. The formation of a chapter here on the Cape will help in our support of many justice issues.
We will continue to find ways to support and involve members of our congregations in the Biblical implications of Justice.
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To learn more, contact the church.
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In December 2018, our Interfaith Justice Committee issued a joint statement, “Appeal to Faith and Conscience Regarding U.S. Policy Concerning Refugees and Immigrants" in response to the immoral treatment of immigrants on our southern border. Read it here.
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Our Mission Statement: In keeping with the mandate of our faith traditions, the Interfaith Justice Committee was formed by members of the Federated Church of Orleans and Am HaYam Cape Cod Havurah, in response to the Biblical call to do justice and love mercy.
Our purpose is to identify the local, national, and global concerns of individuals and groups whose needs we feel are not being adequately addressed and/or who are facing injustice. Our aim is to strengthen the awareness of, and response by members of our two faith communities to the inequalities in power, wealth, and resources that exist in our world, through acts of education and advocacy developed and identified by the Justice Committee.
Because human need and vulnerability inevitably have political dimensions, as people of faith we understand the connections between faith and political action. We will be guided by our traditions as we seek to engage political leaders and others in the public square. Both our education and advocacy activities reflect tikkun olam: acts of kindness performed to repair our broken and unjust world.