The Board of Directors of Congregation Beth Israel in Bangor, Maine’s oldest Jewish congregation, unanimously supports LD2130/HP1354, “An Act to Prohibit Unauthorized Paramilitary Training.” It should go without saying that Jewish communities throughout North America have been subject to a significant increase in antisemitism since October 7th. Our community in Bangor was already on edge […]
December 10, 2022, at 5:30 P.M. 144 York Street, Bangor, Maine This event is in person and will also be streamed. Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3101770875 Meeting ID: 310 177 0875 One tap mobile +13126266799,,3101770875# US (Chicago) +16465588656,,3101770875# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 […]
Our hearts are broken as we’ve learned about the slaughter of 21 innocent children and teachers in Uvalde, Texas. There are no adequate words. There’s an obligation of religious communities to offer the anodyne bromides of “thoughts and prayers” in the wake of such horror, and make no mistake, parents and families will be in […]
We are gravely concerned about the decision of the Supreme Court to permit the Texas “fetal heartbeat” law to take effect. This legislation permits private citizens to sue physicians that perform abortions six weeks after conception and threatens to deprive women in Texas of essential health care. We recognize and teach that there are a […]
By unanimous vote of the Board of Directors, Congregation Beth Israel urges Senator Susan Collins to provide her support for the current Equality Act. We ask her to set aside unnecessary concerns over transgender sports participation and “religious liberty.” As a religious institution, we see no real threat to religious liberty by affording federal workplace […]
The Board of Directors of Congregation Beth Israel voted unanimously to send a letter to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs in support of this legislation. Our community encourages the state of Maine to make both African-American History and the History of Genocide a mandatory component of public school curriculum. Letter (PDF)
Our President submitted the following testimony for LD 55: As President of Congregation Beth Israel in Bangor, Maine’s oldest extant Jewish house of worship, and as a parent of school-aged children, I am voicing my strong support for LD 55, “An Act to Protect Minority Religious Groups by Eliminating the Prior Approval Requirement for a […]
Most know that Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the auspices of “separate but equal.” This of course promulgated Jim Crow legislation throughout the South. Chief Justice Melville Fuller, a native of Maine, presided over Plessy v. Ferguson, voting with the majority. Justice Fuller’s complicated judicial tenure also included Lochner v. New York, in which […]
These were the shocking words of Kosi Ifeji, a student in Bangor schools. Members of Congregation Beth Israel are no strangers to the sting of discrimination. From our earliest presence in the Bangor area through to today, we’ve felt the same sting of racism. Our Social Action Committee lead the charge in a local effort […]
