(see information on the July 31 training on how to meet with your legislators below - groups can also sign up for private trainings)
Thank you for supporting Together for an Inclusive Massachusetts (TIM). We are writing to invite you to participate in an important aspect of our work: educating our legislators about the surge in proposed policies and laws here in Massachusetts that claim to address antisemitism while actually opening the door to repression and criminalization of Palestinians, free speech and the right to assembly. We want to ensure that the MA legislature does not make the mistake of conflating antisemitism with anti-Zionism or with other protected speech critical of Israel. If adopted, the Antisemitism Commission’s recent K-12 education policy recommendations would repress the teaching of Palestinian history or perspectives and subject students and educators to serious discipline (see TIM’s response).
To ensure that legislators hear from folks who are concerned about the use of accusations of antisemitism to attack proponents of the Palestinian cause or folks who are critical of Israel, we are helping to organize meetings with legislators. We are meeting with as many of them as possible to educate them about inclusive ways to deal with the very real issue of antisemitism in MA within an antiracist, solidarity framework.
Sign Up to Meet with Your State Legislators
Whether you have no experience or if you are a seasoned advocate, we invite you to meet with your legislators in the State House, your district or on Zoom and TIM is here to support you. Sign up here so we can share the resources you need, including training opportunities. If you have already met with your legislator(s), let us know so we understand legislators’ positions and the questions they have at tinyurl.com/TIM-LegFeedback.
For those who are interested, TIM is holding a training session.
DATE: THURSDAY, JULY 31ST
TIME: 6:00-7:30
LOCATION: ZOOM
The training will include:
Talking points about the issues
Setting up a meeting with your legislator
Organizing the meeting agenda
The legislative ‘ask’ (what we want them to do)
An opportunity to practice in a safe setting
If you cannot make the training on July 31st, let us know and we’ll do our best to schedule another time to accommodate you and others. Our team can also schedule a training for your group(s). We ask that you organize a minimum of 10 people or more for a private training.
Please join us in this important work!
The TIM Legislative Work Group