Social justice advocate Lawrence Lerner to speak at Monroe Temple on Feb. 2

International Social Justice Advocate Lawrence Lerner will speak about the current state of Israeli politics on Sunday, Feb. 2, at 11 a.m. at the Monroe Temple of Liberal Judaism, 314 North Main St., Monroe.

He will discuss the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections in which American Jews will have the opportunity to vote online for the Jewish future in Israel and around the world. The film "Now or Never, "about the months leading up to the establishment of the state of Israel, will be shown and a question and answer period will follow.

Lerner will be speaking at the invitation of the Monroe Temple Adult Education Committee and the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County.

Lawrence Lerner's curriculum vitae

Lerner has been a champion of social justice for many years. As the founder of the law firm, Lerner, David in New Jersey, he handled dozens of racial discrimination cases, fought for fair housing and employment and pursued cases that reapportioned New Jersey on “one man, one vote.”

Lerner is a member of the bar of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia and has been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Since 1979, Lerner has been advocating for social justice in the Soviet Union. He helped found an organization that filed legal pleadings for political prisoners based on treaty obligations and the Constitution of the Soviet Union.

He is currently president of the Union of Councils for Jews in the former Soviet Union. This organization, which coordinates the activities of more 50 human rights groups, concentrates on fighting anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and promotes human rights and the rule of law in the former Soviet Union.

Lerner also advocates for social justice and the rule of law in Israel. He has been a long time member of HaShomer HaTsair (a Zionist youth movement) and served as president of Meretz USA (supporters of the left wing, social-democratic and green political party in Israel).

Lerner also was a founding member of the board of J Street (a liberal advocacy group in the U.S. that works to end to the Arab–Israeli conflicts diplomatically) and has been a delegate to the World Zionist Congress for the last 15 years.

Essentials

All members of the Orange County community are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. For more information about this event (or to RSVP for childcare by Jan. 28), contact Monroe Temple at 845-783-2626.