Jewish community lobbies for Mass. healthcare, housing
By Alexandria Lima
The Daily News (Boston University)
Rallying for Massachusetts citizens who say their voices are not always heard by lawmakers, more than 200 Jewish residents gathered at the Statehouse Thursday morning for the eighth annual Jewish Community Advocacy Day to lobby for healthcare reform for senior citizens and the poverty-stricken.
Advocacy Day, sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston and the Massachusetts Association of Jewish Federations, is an annual event designed to facilitate reform on behalf of elderly and disabled members of the community in need of government services to survive, according to JCRC Executive Director Nancy Kaufman.
"We bring members of the Jewish community across the state -- young, old, everything in between -- to make our voices heard," Kaufman said.
Emphasizing that they were lobbying on behalf of every Massachusetts citizen, JCRC leaders called for comprehensive health coverage reform, saying that one out of every 10 Massachusetts adults have no form of health coverage. The JCRC called for $19,000 worth of healthcare coverage for all low-income uninsured adults as well as fairer rates for doctors and hospitals.
"The Jewish community has been an integral part of the interfaith coalition supporting five principals of comprehensive health reform," according a JCRC statement handed out at the event.
The JCRC also targeted the need for "safe and affordable housing" for all residents of Massachusetts -- one of the nation's most expensive retail markets - with a focus on aiding senior citizens and people with disabilities.
Ninety-three-year-old Max Siegel said he attended Advocacy Day because it provided an opportunity to voice often-overlooked senior citizen concerns.
"[Those] in power are too interested in themselves and don't care about older people," Siegel said. "That's why I am here."
The program opened with a written statement from Gov. Mitt Romney recognizing March 30, 2006 as the Jewish Community Advocacy Day, emphasizing the importance of speaking out for the good of the community.
Following the opening remarks, guest speaker Rep. Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) posed the Jewish public with the challenge of "encouraging leaders of the Commonwealth to step outside their leadership positions" and make a real difference in Massachusetts.
"That is the reason you have for being here today," said Kaufman, addressing the assembly of people.
Phil Gordon, event chair and JCRC board member, stressed the importance of the day for the people in attendance that had a chance to meet with state legislators throughout the day.
"The people here feel as though they can do something positive for their community, even though some of the issues may not concern them directly," Gordon said. "It's important for us to work together to make a difference."
