NCJW Supports Fly-In to Fight Marriage Amendment

May 22, 2006, Washington, DC -- Today, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) leaders from Ohio and Louisiana will join other clergy and faith leaders flying into Washington for the day to speak out against the so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment." This special fly-in, organized in large part by NCJW, is an effort of the Clergy for Fairness coalition to oppose adding a restrictive definition of marriage into the US Constitution. NCJW's Ohio State Public Affairs Chair, Judi Wolf, and Vice President for Public Affairs of NCJW's Greater New Orleans, Louisiana Section, Ina Davis, will be among the more than 30 clergy and faith leaders from ten states visiting their senators.

Speaking for NCJW, President Phyllis Snyder issued the following statement supporting the fly-in:

"NCJW strongly supports the Clergy for Fairness coalition's fly-in lobby day to prevent adoption of the so-called 'Marriage Protection Amendment.' We are proud to have helped spearhead the broad coalition of faith-based organizations and religious institutions working against this measure. It is important for lawmakers to hear from religious leaders who understand that this amendment would undercut the separation of religion and state by imposing one definition of marriage on all of us, despite the fact that definitions of marriage vary among faith traditions. The proposed amendment would enshrine discrimination into the US Constitution for the first time since slavery was abolished by the 13th amendment.

"NCJW pledges to fight this amendment in Congress. We urge others to become active in this struggle now, before our First Amendment liberties are diminished by this amendment. Our generation must not be remembered as the first to allow discrimination to be added to our Constitution -- a document that, until now, served to guarantee our fundamental liberties."

NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.

Contact:
Vanessa Schnaidt
212 645 4048 x179; vschnaidt@ncjw.org