For more than a decade, Temple Beth Elohim has been actively engaged with the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO), a vibrant multi-faith coalition of 62 institutions fighting for social and racial justice. With the collective voices of thousands of congregants from area synagogues, churches, and mosques, GBIO has become a force to be reckoned with, bringing about policy changes, new laws, and financial resources to address important social issues.
GBIO typically works on a two-year cycle, following the legislative calendar. Labeled “campaigns,” one of GBIO’s first successes was 2008’s Health Care Reform Legislation, followed by significant victories in every subsequent campaign. The biennial platform derives from data gleaned from hundreds of community meetings (including TBE’s Community Conversations last year), then informed with research about opportunities and actionable strategies that will result in substantive change.
There is a “Core Team” at each GBIO member institution, with identified liaisons and action teams, and every member of the congregation is considered a GBIO member (that’s ALL TBE!) TBE’s Core Team is led by Sheri Kassirer and Eric Ruder with Bud Schram serving as a GBIO Liaison. This past year, GBIO’s platform called for the creation of three Action Teams, led by local “captains”: Housing (Sheri and Eric Ruder); Mental Health/ Substance Use & Recovery (Karen Silken) and and Re-entry of citizens returning from incarceration (Eric and Ediss Gandelman).
As we enter a new legislative session, GBIO is launching a Housing Justice Campaign! This builds on significant recent achievements including $50M to rehab the Mildred Haley Housing Development; a $2.9M expansion of the City of Boston’s Office of Returning Citizens to ease the reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals; and the passage of an omnibus mental health bill! NOW, GBIO is poised to take on a three-pronged comprehensive, statewide effort that highlights investments in public housing; affordable rental and home ownership opportunities; and housing access for formerly incarcerated individuals and those with a history of substance use and mental health issues. To educate the TBE community about this new effort, RJI’s December 5th meeting focused on “The Legacy of Housing Discrimination and RJI’s Partnership with GBIO’s Housing Justice Campaign.” To view the recording of the meeting, please contact Sheri at skassier1@gmail.com.
AND, stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to support GBIO’s Housing Justice Campaign. In addition to providing “people power” for future legislative actions, please consider supporting the talented and dedicated staff organizers by making a donation to the GBIO Impact Fund. Contact Sheri for more information.
