Human Welfare and Community Action Commission Supplemental Communications List (content too voluminous to print but will be available in Records Online) October 21, 2015 1. Cindy Shamban 51. Steven Davidoff Solomon 2. Dina Ezzeddine 52. Liz Jackson 3. Marge Sussman 53. Benjamin Lerman, MD 4. Stephanie Roth 54. Robert Gordon 5. Fred Werner 55. Barry Gustin, MD 6. Katharine Samway 56. Dietlaw 7. G. Meir 57. Laura Walklet 8. Youval Dar 58. Laura Sigura 9. (anonymous-Redwood, CA) 59. Yoel Schwartz 10. Nina Wouk 60. Klaus Rotzscher 11. David Kaye 61. Barbara Schick 12. Gabriela Kipnis 62. Leanne Orowitz 13. Dan Cronin 63. G. Weitzner 14. Linda Rothfield 64. Alan Manin 15. Sheldon Whitten-Vlle, MD 65. Eve Hershcopf (2) 16. Wesley Rosenthal 66. Sheldon Whitten-Vlle, MD 17. Issy and Patricia Kipnis 67. Sandra NK 18. Caterina and Jonathan Polland 68. Abby Maimon, PsyD 19. Selma Soss 69. Paul Shkuratov 20. Maureen Clearfield 70. Yehuda Ferris 21. Gila Perach Hirsh 71. Armando Davila Kirkwood 22. Donna Cooper 72. Dan Fendel 23. Janine M. Mogannam 73. Green Party of Alameda Co. 24. Barbara Schick 74. Wilma RK Rader 25. Ian Zimmerman, Esq 75. Liora Brosbe 26. Barry Kanel 76. Dianna Dar 27. H. Milstein 77. Marvin Lewis (2) 28. Yetta Rossofsky 78. Russell Ward 29. Rose G. Schlecker 79. Rochelle Gause 30. Adam Spam 80. July Galper 31. Esther Brass-Chorin 81. Jill Siegel Dodd 32. Daniel Isaacson 82. Jessica Kosmin 33. Jeff Morgan 83. David Spero RN (2) 34. Lenny Kristal 84. Frederica Barlaz 35. Keren Stronach 85. Alice Diane Kisch 36. Robert Cole 86. Anne Gold 37. Felicia Cole 87. Jerry Berkman 38. Dr. Susan Brand 88. Elliot Helman 39. Gabi Klausner-Abrahamson 89. Philippe Assouline 40. Stan Roodman 90. Cheryl Davila 41. Joel Siegal 91. Carol Sanders 42. R. Gubkin 92. David McCleary 43. Allen Mayer 93. Marge Sussman 44. Sophie Hahn 94. Linda Diamond 45. Mike Kurtz 95. Marvin Lewis 46. Mark Brilliant and Lisa Frydman 96. Amy Solomon 47. Roberta Silverstein 97. Barbara Segal 48. Stephen Sperber 98. Norman Postone 49. Helise Cohn 99. Devin 50. Moshe Govrin 100. Marcia Diaz 148. Robert Collins 101. Rebecca Abravanel, Ph.D. 149. Marvin Lewis 102. Anna Packer 150. Karen Platt 103. David Jaffe 151. Marge Sussman 104. Carol Hoffman 152. David R. Evans 105. Ann Gonski, MSW 153. Joe Callahan 106. Martha Larsen (2) 154. Joanne Donsky 107. Fadia Damon 155. Shifra Pride Raffel 108. Andy Cohn 156. Stephen Fisher 109. Kate Doherty 157. Martin Griss, PhD 110. Lorelai Kude 158. Michael Harris 111. Richard Mynick 159. Julia Lutch 112. Larry Waldron 160. Sheree Roth 113. Maris Schwartz 161. Judy Maller 114. Margaret Fouda 162. Seth Watkins 115. Barbara Erickson 163. Marc Estrin 116. Glen Hauer 164. Susan Sholin 117. Jeanie Shaterian 165. Joseph Schechla 118. Dorothea Dorenz (2) 166. Ben Norton 119. Nikki Sachs 167. Candance Malone 120. CJ Kingsley 168. Rebecca Taralom 121. Linda Cedarbaum 122. Ory Sandel 123. Ian Zimmerman 124. Bette Flushman 125. Christopher Jadallah 126. Hatem Bazian 127. Nasira Abdul-Aleem 128. Susannah Nachenberg 129. Susan Blachman 130. F. Procaccia 131. Marilyn Sarig 132. Yaeir Heber 133. Susan David 134. Jon Simon 135. P. Hardy 136. Malka Weitman 137. Jonathan Reinis 138. Andrea Cassidy 139. Carol Denney 140. Ellen Brotsky 141. Norman and Carolynn Licht 142. Clyde Leland 143. Katharine Davies Samway 144. Marc A. Greendorfer 145. Barry Kanel 146. Allen King 147. Barry Gustin, MD, MPH Molina, Raquel P. From: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2015 8:47 AM To: Molina, Raquel P. Subject: Support for Divestment Resolution and Commissioner Davila Hi Raquel: Below is the letter I sent to the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission on September 21, 2015. I was very upset to find that it was not included in the list of letters received that is a part of the Agenda for the October 21, 20015 meeting. Please confirm that this letter will be sent to the HWCA commissioners before Wednesday night's meeting. I understand that there are a number of other letters sent to [email protected] that also were not included. Please look that the emails at that address to make sure the Commission has a complete record of their correspondence. Best Regards, Cindy Shamban From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, September 21, 2015 3:07:54 PM Subject: Support for Divestment Resolution and Commissioner Davila To Members of the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission: My name is Cindy Shamban. I have been a Jewish resident of Berkeley since 1985. I am a strong supporter of former Commissioner Cheryl Davila’s Divestment Resolution which was on the agenda of last week’s Commission hearing. As you know from the over 100 people who attended last week’s meeting, there is strong community support for the divestment resolution. Well over 30 people spoke in favor of the resolution. The range of people 1 represented in the room was truly astounding in that there were people of all ages, many races and ethnicities all united in support of the divestment resolution. It was with anger I learned at the Commission meeting on Wednesday that Commissioner Davila had been fired by Council Member Moore because of the Commissioner’s refusal to withdraw the resolution. It showed an incredible level of disrespect towards someone who has been working on the Commission with diligence since 2009. I was disappointed that the divestment resolution with changes was voted down and sent to a sub-committee for reconsideration of a modified proposal in 30 days. While understandable that you would want the support of other commissions, it is unrealistic to think you would be able to get answers within 30 days as they also have to make room on their agendas in order for them to discuss the proposal. The issue of Israel and Palestine is very important to discuss as a community. There is no reason why this conversation should be censored. Has anyone else ever come before the Commission to direct you not to discuss an agenda item? In addition to Council Member Moore’s dismissal of Commissioner Davila, Council Member Kris Worthington came to speak to suggest that several items, fracking and divestment, do not belong under the purview of your Commission. I doubt he has come before you with this argument in the past. I believe that his comments about Fracking were actually a cover for his having come to remove the divestment resolution from the agenda. It is clear that at least some members of the City Council do not want to have this discussion and is working hard to squelch the proposal at the Commission level. We are all impacted by the Israeli government’s actions towards the Palestinians and the ongoing Occupation which is support ed by US 2 tax dollars. The Occupation is illegal on the basis of International law and several UN resolutions. The recent experience of the politics of the Iran Treaty exposes the complicated politics of Israel and its influence on US policy and politics. There are many connections between the treatment of poor people and people of color in Berkeley and the treatment of Palestinians under Occupation as well as Palestinian citizens of Israel treated as second class citizens. The HWCAC Commission is a proper venue for the Resolution because it deals with human rights, exploitation, racism and homelessness all of which harm children disproportionally - all of which impact the lives of poor people in Berkeley and Palestinians under Occupation. Part of the Commission’s reason for being is for Community Action and by the presence of so many people at the meeting, it is clear that many in the Berkeley community want action on this issue. The divestment resolution needs to work its way through the City of Berkeley’s process. This is not an issue that the Berkeley City Council can duck by trying to stop it at the Commission level. We are very engaged residents of Berkeley working to ensure that this discussion continues. I urge you to move this resolution forward in October. If Councilperson Moore has not yet reappointed Commissioner Davila to her seat than I support the Commission to appoint her to one of the open positions for which she would qualify. It is up to the Commission to stand in solida rity with their colleague who has been treated so poorly by Mr. Moore. She has done great service to the Commission since 2009 and to the citizens of Berkeley as well. I look forward to hearing from you on your plans to move forward on this matter. 3 Regards, Cindy Shamban 1621 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94703 4 Molina, Raquel P. From: Dina Zayour <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2015 1:43 PM To: Molina, Raquel P. Subject: Divest from corporations that profit from occupation and racism , please include my letter in the supplementary Packet to the Human Welfare and community action commission My name is Dina Ezzeddine, I am a physician who works in Berkeley and I have two daughters who go to Cal. I was greatly disappointed that the resolution to divest from Israeli companies involved in occupation and colonization of Palestinian people was defeated. In fact, I felt that there was external political pressure exerted on the members of the commission in order to postpone the vote despite overwhelming support from the community. The name of your commission is human welfare yet the performance was typical of political welfare of the powerful and of the lobbyist. Berkeley is THE place not only to deal with these issues, but in fact to lead tin the nation on human rights issues.