Doug Lavey participated in Or Tzedek’s first program in the summer of 2007. In this op-ed for Or Tzedek, Doug shares his opinion on the evolution of the Occupy movement, arguing that it must become a political power in order to create effective change. Doug currently studies Political Science and Economics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  The Politicization of OWS By Doug Lavey Or Tzedek Participant, Summer 2007 As we enter 2012, we look back on all that has occurred and all that has changed this past year. One event that should certainly jump to mind is the emergence of Occupy Wall Street (OWS). Soon after it began, the protests quickly became one of the most talked about and debated topics throughout the world. Though the protests in New York led to similar movements nationally and internationally, after over 3 months of protesting, the Occupiers have little tangible change to show for their efforts. I like to think that 20 years from now I will be able to point out the Occupy protests as the beginning of an era when socioeconomic policy no longer favored the super wealthy or corporations and that our democratic system more accurately represented the citizens that make up this country. Ultimately, however, I believe the only way for these protests to make this broad type of impact is to join the political process. Add Comment Doug Lavey participated in Or Tzedek’s first program in the summer of 2007. In his first post for Or Tzedek, Doug reflects on how his Or Tzedek experience fostered a commitment to social justice and led him to take advantage of other opportunities. Doug currently studies Political Science and Economics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  My Experience with Social Justice
By Doug Lavey Or Tzedek Participant, Summer 2007 It is rare to be offered the opportunities for learning, growth and social justice that one can find at Or Tzedek. Indeed, your high school and college years offer a small window to take advantage of social service programs directed specifically towards teenagers. My involvement in social justice programs began at Or Tzedek in the summer of 2007. Since that summer, I furthered my involvement and dedication to social justice through my academics, extracurricular activities and work. Teen Activist Reflects on Or Tzedek Retreat 01/27/2012
Providing the Tools for Change: Or Tzedek’s Winter Leadership Retreat  By Emily Isaacson
Or Tzedek participant, Winter 2011 Many people observe problems that plague today’s world. But it takes a special kind of commitment to not only take a stand, but also choose to search deeper under the surface-to discover the depth of an issue and advocate for changing root of a problem. Or Tzedek has provided Jewish teens like me a unique opportunity to observe and begin to truly understand the corruption in our world. With this understanding, the program provides the tools to begin to make the changes we wish to see in the world today.  On the last morning of the leadership retreat, Or Tzedek participated in an immigration justice vigil at the Broadview federal detention center. At the close of the interfaith vigil, we read personal prayers and messages that we had prepared the previous day, using text from the Torah to guide us. Below are our messages of solidarity.
A Reflection on the Retreat 01/10/2012
The following is Sophie Leff's reflection on Or Tzedek's inaugural Winter Leadership Retreat. As a member of the retreat's leadership team, Sophie planned and lead her first workshop, demonstrating her considerable organizing skills.  Going into the Or Tzedek winter retreat, I was a little hesitant. I am very passionate about social action and I had a great experience on the summer program, but, in reality, I didn’t really know what to expect from the retreat I had helped plan. I wasn’t sure exactly what the experience would contain or who would be participating in the retreat. I was also very nervous about leading a workshop for the first time. However, within the first hour or two I knew the retreat was going to be a great experience.
Leading my workshop, called “What is Or Tzedek?” was nerve racking, but a great experience overall. I felt like the group really hit on what I was trying to get at about the involvement of the Jewish community in social issues. I also got great feedback and support from my peers. I was very interested by the discussion on power and where it is placed justly or unjustly; I think that is something that is very important to understand if you intend to make change. When we reached the topic of “one-on-ones,” I was fascinated because I had actually never heard of the concept before, but making personal connections in order to serve a cause made a lot of sense to me. I think one-on-ones will be a very valuable skill for me in the future. As I usually do, I loved phone-banking with SOUL. I think I love things like phone-banking and canvassing so much partly because I am a big people person. I also like taking part in such activities because they can bring awareness of important issues and events to people who might have otherwise missed out on a really amazing opportunity- and all with just a simple phone call. Or Tzedek Winter Leadership Retreat 01/05/2012
 Last week, 15 amazing high school and college students came together as a community to visit community partner organizations, learn leadership and organizing skills, explore Chicago, and take action. These youth leaders, activists and organizers gathered for the first annual Winter Leadership Retreat, created by Or Tzedek, JCUA’s Jewish teen institute for social justice.
Sukkot Housing Action: A Photo Essay 11/10/2011
JCUA's Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP) intern from Germany photographed and put together this beautiful photo essay about JCUA's Sukkot Housing Action on Oct. 11, 2011. Shot with color film, our ARSP intern chose these photographs out of over a hundred negatives to tell a narrative about the protest. She scanned the photos and then used Photoshop to transform them into black and white. If you are interested in learning how to create your own photo essay about a JCUA or Or Tzedek action, your Or tzedek summer program experience or an action in your home coummunity, "shoot" Rebecca (get it? like you shoot film...puns are hysterical) an email. Think you can make a better leadership retreat video? (And, let's be honest, you definitely can...) Send your videos to rebecca@jcua.org and we will post them on the blog! Just make sure to include: the date (Dec. 28-30, 2011), the name (Or Tzedek Winter Leadership Retreat) and how to register (www.jcua.org/retreat).  Ariel, Or Tzedek Summer '10 and '11 participant, Lauren, and Miguel Suarez, Lathrop Homes resident and community leader, at Lathrop Homes Over a year had passed since I was last at Lathrop Homes when I went back there for Tashlich this fall. The day was beautiful (it was Sunday) and Rebecca, another student activist and I were meeting with a Lathrop Homes resident, Sandra, before taking part in the traditional Tashlich ceremony and planning our future actions. Sandra shared poetry with us and voiced her opinion regarding the precarious status of Lathrop Homes, the affordable housing community where she lives and raised her family. Currently the future of Lathrop Homes is up in the air as steps are being taken to transform much of the property into market-priced homes. This poses a huge problem for the many families and individuals who live and have lived in the community for decades. It was shocking to realize how unpredictable the residents’ futures are. However, it was also inspiring to see Sandra’s passion and love for her community. I met Sandra in the summer of 2010 when I attended Or Tzedek and it was wonderful to see her again. During the brief time we met with her, I was reminded of her enthusiasm and the vivacity of the Lathrop Homes community. Oftentimes the only image of affordable housing people have is of a dangerous, dilapidated place, but Lathrop Homes looked nothing like what people expect. Later during the Tashlich ceremony we discussed the changes we would like to make this year and committed ourselves to continuing social action, specifically with Lathrop Homes in mind. - Lauren Bergelson, Or Tzedek Participant, Summer 2010 A Call for Blog Posts! 10/24/2011
We want Or Tzedek's blog to be a forum for Or Tzedek activists, both in high school and college. Share your experiences with social justice and Judaism by submitting an article (50-250 words). Let's use the blog to connect Or Tzedek alumni living all over the country in a dialogue about social activism. We all know it can be hard to start those writing juices flowing. To facilitate the process, here are two "Questions of the Month":
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