Just Congregations @Sinai Makes a Difference

DC Council Members Evans, Bowser, Barry, Wells
and Mendelson at WIN Sinai action

On April 22nd, Temple Sinai hosted the first action the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) ever held in a synagogue. It was a significant night on many levels: a culmination of our efforts in the past two years to re-ignite Sinai's role as a center for social justice in DC; a clear demonstration of the breadth of WIN's coalition; a successful action that produced results within days and continues to resonate in the current DC budget mark-ups and hearings. Just days after the action, DC Council Member Evans proposed a Community Benefits Agreement just as he and the other council members promised on the bima of Temple Sinai.

The action at Sinai focused on job creation for district residents through DC Water, which has an embarrassingly low job hire rate in the district. Mike DeBonis picked up the story for the Post and describes the ongoing situation - including a mention of the action at Sinai. Barbara Kraft, Sinai member and volunteer leader on this issue, testified along with others from our WIN coalition on May 8th at the DC Water Board’s public hearing on the water bill rate increase. On June 3, there will be confirmation hearings for new Board members, at which point Council Members will stress jobs.

This is great example of why we joined WIN and how our commitment to social justice has become manifest.


WIN Action team prepares before the April 22nd action