Events

MAZON’s Jewish Clergy Justice Mission is an annual convening of rabbis and cantors from all Jewish denominations to learn about hunger in America through a Jewish lens and directly engage with Members of Congress and their staff. Front-line advocacy has become more pressing and more urgent in the wake of COVID-19 — through this event, clergy can advance policy solutions that address hunger and poverty.

This year’s JCJM is being reformatted in light of the latest COVID surge. We invite our clergy partners and their communities to join us for a learning series throughout the year. Details are forthcoming.

A Look Back:

We are so proud of the strong advocates who joined MAZON in speaking truth to power in our previous Jewish Clergy Justice Mission cohorts, and the policies we advanced together. Learn more about our past programs:

• 2020: Press release; Detailed Schedule, featuring links to recorded learning sessions
• 2019: Press release; “Serving Our Veterans,” a reflection from Rabbi Michael Singer 
• 2018: Press release; “Feeding People, Body and Soul,” a reflection from Rabbis Deana Sussman Berezin and Brian Schuldenfrei

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the plan for 2022?
In response to the latest COVID surge, MAZON’s 2022 Jewish Clergy Justice Mission is being reformatted to ensure we can offer strong programs while respecting the additional challenges facing our participants, staff, featured experts, and congressional partners.

Our learning sessions will be offered as a series over the coming months, and congressional meetings will be scheduled as strategic opportunities arise. We will share details of the learning series as they become available, and send invites to constituents as congressional meetings are set.

We will also open up the audience of this series to your whole community, a change we make in consideration of thoughtful feedback we received from former cohorts. Though we find immense value in the model of an intimate cohort of clergy partners learning and advocating in chevruta, we have an opportunity to build a bridge to your lay leaders, staff, students and more. This is an open door for your congregants to learn about the work you engage in when you come to the Hill with us, building those partnerships in a new way. We hope you will share these invites with your community, and we look forward to learning with all of you.

What is MAZON’s Jewish Clergy Justice Mission?
This event will convene rabbis and cantors from various denominations to learn about hunger in America through a Jewish lens, participate in trainings and briefings about hunger-related policy issues, and directly engage with members of Congress and their staff about these issues — all on a virtual platform. This will be a multi-track event, with opportunities available for those who wish to engage deeply or selectively.

Highlights include:

• High-level briefings on current issues related to anti-hunger advocacy from experts;
• Advocacy training and preparation for strategic visits with members of Congress and key policymakers;
• Special update on MAZON’s priorities and new initiatives from MAZON leadership;
• Networking between rabbinic and cantorial colleagues who share a commitment to social justice.

When is MAZON’s Jewish Clergy Justice Mission?
Dates for the 2022 learning series have not yet been announced. All public programs will be recorded, and we will try to keep the time commitment limited on any given day out of respect for your schedules.

Where is MAZON’s Jewish Clergy Justice Mission?
This will be a completely virtual event.

Who is invited to participate in MAZON’s Jewish Clergy Justice Mission?
JCJM is open to rabbis, cantors, and rabbinic and cantorial students of all denominations. We further invite our clergy partners to share the 2022 learning sessions with your communities.

How do I register?
Registration is not yet open for the 2022 learning sessions; registration will be offered for each individual session. Please contact Liz Braun-Lilenfeld, Deputy Director of Outreach, or Paul Sherman, Senior Outreach Manager, with any questions.

How much does the Jewish Clergy Justice Mission cost?
There is no fee for this virtual series of events.

What is the program schedule?
We look forward to hosting the following sessions:

• A Conversation with Chanan Weissman, White House Liason to the Jewish Community
• A Historically Avoidable Crisis: Addressing Food Insecurity in Puerto Rico
• Revitalization from Destruction: The Movement to Protect Traditional Food Systems
• Single Moms in the Perfect Storm: The Feminization of Poverty and Hunger

Do I need to schedule my own Congressional meetings?
No, MAZON will schedule congressional meetings on your behalf.

What should I wear?
We recommend business attire for all congressional meetings.