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February 6, 2004/Shevat 14 5764, Vol. 56, No. 20
Luncheon at the legislature
BARRY COHEN
Editor
As part of the "Day at the Arizona Legislature" on Feb. 2, members of the Jewish community had a chance to share lunch with state legislators and voice their concerns and viewpoints.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona co-sponsored the event.
Twenty-two legislators, 40 members from the local community and 15 members of the Tucson community, took part in the luncheon.
Adam Schwartz, federation executive vice president, spoke about the role and responsibilities of the Phoenix and Tucson federations and described the needs of the local community, such as helping those who struggle in poverty or those in need of social services.
"The best thing about (the luncheon) was meeting with legislators and letting them listen to our concerns and problems," such as immigration reform, said participant Her-man Brown.
Esther Feuerberg, head of school of The King David School, mentioned the need to encourage both the Jewish community and the greater community to protect the tax credit programs, which help both private and public schools.
Another concern is to prevent evangelical groups from spreading their message in public schools, said Gina Asulin, office manager of The King David School.
In addition to the luncheon, the Day at the Legislature included an educational session about how a bill becomes a law. During a Senate session, participants were announced and wel-comed from the Senate floor; participants also attended a session of the House of Representatives.
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