Postville Remembrance Day – May 10

POSTVILLE IMMIGRATION RAID -  5 YEARS LATER

JCUA marches in solidarity with the people of Postville, Iowa, 2008.  » See more photos

On Friday, May 10, 2013 a gathering commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Postville, Iowa immigration raid will take place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The purpose of the event is to remember the 389 persons who were arrested on May 12, 2008, to reconcile with those who contributed to the injustices, and to advocate for the reform of immigration policies.  JCUA was very involved in the efforts five years ago and we continue to be committed to worker and immigrant justice.

The event will begin at noon with a remembrance ritual in front of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, 111 7th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids.

A “Walk for Justice” will follow at approximately 12:20 p.m. to Immaculate Conception Church, 857 3rd Ave. SE.  Here an interfaith prayer for reconciliation and a call for reform of our immigration policies will take place around 1:00 p.m. The assembly is being planned by a wide coalition of those involved in the response to the raid as well as those affected.  It will include immigrants who were part of the 2008 raid, church representatives who ministered to the immigrants and their families, lawyers who saw the injustice of the system, as well as others who are concerned about immigration reform.

The remembrance ritual is being held in front of the federal courthouse because of the court’s role in the raid and its significance to the ongoing national conversation about immigration.  Postville was one of the largest raids in American history and it devastated families and ripped an entire community apart.  We now must move forward to make sure Congress takes the necessary action to reform our immigration system—making sure we provide a path to citizenship, protect workers and end raids.

More information is at www.lirs/postville-anniversary.

RSVP:

If you are interested in going to Cedar Rapids with JCUA, please contact Rabbi Ali Abrams at alison@jcua.org.

 

[Guest Post] Turn a Tragedy into a Victory for Justice

In May 2008, federal immigration agents raided the small town of Postville, IA – separating families and devastating a community. JCUA responded immediately (see photos), and worked with the Postville community in the years following the raid (read article). Nearly 5 years after the raid, JCUA’s partners in Iowa are calling for comprehensive immigration reform with renewed hope and urgency. 

by Sr. Mary McCauley, BVM
Dubuque, Iowa

Soon we will commemorate the Fifth Anniversary of the 2008 Immigration Raid in Postville, Iowa.  Having been in Postville at that time, I still carry with me the suffering of the people.

JCUA members, Postville – July, 2008 (more photos)

I recall the small girl with a scrap of paper in her hand crawling up the steps into the sanctuary and handing her paper to our Hispanic Minister with words that were clear and direct.  “Please bring my daddy home!”

I recall the women walking the streets of Postville with mandated GPS devices on their ankles.  During our walks and prayer vigils they held their heads high and carried signs that read:  “We are not criminals.  We came to work.  We came to feed our families.  We are mothers.”

I recall the words of Rigoberto Menchu, the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner from Guatemala, who visited with those affected by the raid:  “I see the problem of Postville as full of injustices.  You should not rest until justice is done….”

The people, the memories, the pain, the injustices and the words of Menchu continue to haunt me.  I cannot rest until justice is done.

Five years ago a tragedy took place in Iowa.  Iowans responded with compassion, sensitivity and justice. Today there is another opportunity for Iowans to respond.  May we unite with one another and support legislation for comprehensive immigration reform.    May we turn the tragedy of Postville into a victory for justice.   May we not rest until justice is done!

Mary McCauley, BVM
Dubuque, Iowa 52003

Ramsey Retrospective: Long and Winding Road

Chicago Jewish News Profiles JCUA President Jane Ramsey

By Judy Levey
Chief Executive Officer, JCUA

Congratulations to Jane Ramsey, the subject of a major cover story in the Chicago Jewish News (March 16, 2012). As we announced recently, Jane was named to the new position of president after many years as executive director. In the article, writer Pauline Dubkin Yearwood chronicles Jane’s many contributions to JCUA.

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Long and Winding Road
By Pauline Dubkin Yearwood

There are so many memories, so many accomplishments, they tumble forth from her so fast, she sometimes has to stop and catch up with herself for a minute.

The day after Sept. 11, when a Jewish organization reached out for the first time to the Muslim community as a partner in eradicating hate.

The press conference at the Robert Taylor Homes, when the public took notice for the first time of what the Chicago Housing Authority was doing to residents there.

The time a coalition of Jews, Latinos and African Americans, wanting to send a message to Sears about jobs, flooded the teller lines at the bank on the first floor of the then-Sears Tower, leading to an elevator shutdown – and a meeting with Sears officials.

The successful effort to wrest a Pilsen housing complex from the forces of gentrification and save it for the area’s low-income residents.

And the many quieter, less public successes: a curriculum on Judaism and urban poverty that now reaches some 30,000 students; an Urban Mitzvah Corps for college students; voter registration drives; and, most cherished, joining forces with groups from other Chicago ethnic and religious communities to fight against poverty and oppression.

That’s only a small part of what Jane Ramsey recalls as she looks back over her three decades as executive director of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, a 48-year-old organization that works in partnership with other Chicago communities on social justice issues.

Read the rest of this story at the Chicago Jewish News website

Immigration Enforcement: From the Postville Raid to Today

More than 200 people showed up to watch “Abused: The Postville Raid” at a Jewish Council on Urban Affairs film screening and panel discussion at the National Museum of Mexican Art on July 20, 2011. Below are photos from the event. Stay tuned for video of the event.

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Chew by Choice: The Postville Raid and Magen Tzedek

Gadi Capela

By Gadi Capela
JCUA Rabbinic Fellow

On May 12, 2008, the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided AgriProcessors Inc., the kosher slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa.  Nearly 400 undocumented immigrant workers, mostly from Mexico and Guatemala, were arrested in what became the largest raid of a workplace in U.S. history until then.

Most of those who were arrested were convicted for document fraud and identity theft. Correspondingly, several AgriProcessors employees and managers were convicted for conspiracy to harbor undocumented immigrants.

But there was more.

AgriProcessors Inc. (photo: The Gazette)

AgriProcessors was  paying substandard wages and offering minimal safety instruction and health care to its 800 employees, and was hurting the animals and the environment. As a result, the Conservative movement reacted with a new initiative called Magen Tzedek.

By invoking the verse from Deuteronomy, “You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a stranger,” Rabbi Morris Allen advocated for an ethical certification for kosher food in addition to the current kosher slaughtering certification.

Magen Tzedek was founded on the principle that we are what we eat. It is an ethical seal signifying that kosher food has been prepared with the highest standard of integrity and care, including employee wages and benefits, health and safety, animal welfare, corporate transparency and environmental impact.

Magen Tzedek demonstrates that ritual and ethical commandments have an equal place at our tables.

To learn more about Magen Tzedek, join us for lunch with Gadi Capela on Tuesday, July 5 at noon at the JCUA office, 610 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 500. The event is free, but you need to RSVP on our website.