Jews Join with Other Faith Groups in Urging More Attention to Poor

Leaders of major American Jewish, Catholic and Protestant organizations came together this week to call for a grass-roots movement that would focus more attention on American social welfare problems.

The Synagogue Council of America, together with the National Council of the Churches of Christ and the U.S. Catholic Conference, sponsored a two-day seminar Tuesday and Wednesday titled “Seek the Common Good.”

At the seminar, which marked one of the first large-scale joint efforts among the three religious groups since the civil rights movement of the 1960s, they put out a statement called the “Call to the Common Ground for the Common Good.”

“The goal of the project,” an accompanying statement said, “is to articulate clearly and persuasively the moral basis for a renewed national debate concerning social welfare policy.”

The three religious groups have been working together on the project for months.

They seek not only to reinvigorate the debate among their congregants on helping the poor, but also to encourage elected officials to formulate accompanying policy measures.

“We believe the social deficit is every bit as important as the fiscal deficit,” the Rev. Joan Campbell, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, said at a news conference Wednesday.

Campbell said the religious community has worked hard to assist the poor and the vulnerable in American society, but that it alone could not solve the problems.

She said the poor need to become “empowered” to speak for themselves and that the religious community needs to continue speaking up to encourage the politicians to act.

“We are communities of faith” and “will be judged on how we take care of the most vulnerable in our society,” said Monsignor Robert Lynch, general secretary of the U.S. Catholic Conference.

Rabbi Henry Michelman, executive vice president of the Synagogue Council, made the point that societal improvements often take place over a long period of time, and often these incremental changes are ignored.

“We are committed,” Michelman said, “to see that this call gets translated and implemented in every community.”

Also participating in the news conference with the three religious representatives was Benjamin Chavis, executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Chavis said his organization supports the goals outlined by the religious groups. He said the country is at a “defining moment” and that it is important to ensure that the religious and civil rights communities work together.