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  • Subject:  PNVRC Sister City Proposal 
  • Date:      Thu, 10 Jun 2004 14:24:12 EDT 
Dear Supporter of Peace and Justice,

You or your organization have endorsed the proposal put forth by the Peoples NonViolent Response Coalition (PNVRC) to simultaneously establish a Sister City relationship between Oakland and the Palestinian village of Deir Ibzi'a and another between Oakland and the Israeli village of Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam. 

We are nearing the date to go before the City Council, however, we have encountered some resistance.  The JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) has vigorously worked against us.  To counter their claim that they represent the East Bay Jewish community, we have drafted a letter from "unaffiliated" Jews (see below.)  If you are Jewish and live in and around the Oakland area (basically the EastBay) please sign onto this.  If you know of other Jews who are not on this list and might be interested, please forward to them.  

To sign onto the letter below all you have to do is email me with your name and city and put in the subject line something like "Yes to SisterCity". 

We need as many signatures that we can get. 
 

Thank you very much. 

For PNVRC, 
Wendy Kaufmyn 
 
 

Letter from Unaffiliated Jews: 

To Whom It May Concern: 

We are Jews who live in and around the Oakland area. Some of us are secular, some of us are religious, most of us fall somewhere in between. While we include members of temples or synagogues, many remain unaffiliated. In short, we represent a broad spectrum of Jews.  

We wish to go on record in support of the proposal put forth by the Peoples NonViolent Response Coalition (PNVRC) to simultaneously establish a SisterCity relationship between Oakland and the Palestinian village of Deir Ibzi'a and another between Oakland and the Israeli village of Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam. This proposal reflects our values of justice, compassion, peace, nonviolence and hope, and provides an opportunity to work for a better world. 

Many in our city are confused about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and we believe that SisterCity relationships will provide a better understanding of the tragic situation. We believe that such relationships can make a substantial contribution to the peace process by providing cultural exchanges and educational opportunities to learn about each other's rich diversity and history. We look forward to people-to-people contacts, trade and educational exchanges and peaceful conflict resolution to implement these aims. 

We acknowledge that the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) has taken a strong position against this proposal. While we respect and support their right to air their views, we are troubled when they purport to represent all Jews. The Jewish community covers a broad spectrum and diversity of voices, and has a long history of struggling for peace and justice. 
 

Sincerely, 

   
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