Zionism, Israel, and Embracing the Palestinian Call: ICUP Friday Forum with Mark Braverman, Kairos USA

 

Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum October 2, 7:30-9:30 am Pacific Photo courtesy of Kairos USA Zionism, Israel, and Embracing the Palestinian Call Mark Braverman, Kairos USA Join videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82728708577 Call in by phone: +1 (669) 900-6833* Meeting ID: 827 2870 8577 PASSCODE: 495348 10th Annual Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture Wed. Oct. 7 10:00 am Pacific Focusing on climate justice, the online event features Vanessa Nakate and Greta Thunberg. Register and wish the Archbishop a Happy Birthday on the event web page. Help Support Families in Need During this pandemic, the need for Immanuel Presbyterian's Food Pantry has been greater than ever. Please donate here Thank you! *Meeting controls for call-in attendees: To mute/unmute yourself: *6 To raise hand: *9 NOTE: Starting with this meeting, you'll need a password (included above) to join Friday Forums. Please be sure to keep this email handy! Mark Braverman is Executive Director of Kairos USA, an ecumenical organization of churches in the U.S. founded in response to the Kairos call of the Palestinian Christians. In his presentation, he'll discuss Zionism and the State of Israel from a political and historical standpoint, as well as his own journey from being raised as a Zionist in a traditional Jewish home, to questioning the very fundamentals of Zionism as political ideology and theology. A particular emphasis will be on dispelling the myth of a Jewish liberation movement with  reality: A settler colonial project that both flagrantly violates international law and humanitarian norms and hijacks the Jewish faith. Mark will talk about the global network of church-related organizations that have responded to the Palestinian call, and discuss how Christians can deal with the charge that taking a stand against Israel’s human rights violations is anti-Semitic. Mark is a Jewish American with deep family roots in the Holy Land. In his writing and speaking, Mark focuses on the role of religious beliefs and theology and the function of interfaith relations in the current search for a just peace between Israel and the Palestinians. He is Research Fellow in Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and has worked with church leaders from numerous traditions on their policies and actions with respect to Israel and Palestine. Mark has authored two books: Fatal Embrace: Christians, Jews, and the Search for Peace in the Holy Land and A Wall in Jerusalem: Hope, Healing, and the Struggle for Justice in Israel and Palestine. ----- Passing the Virtual Bucket We can't pass the green donation bucket in person, but ICUJP still needs your support. Please give as generously as you can: • On our donation page. You can set up recurring gifts too! • Use the Give+ app for iPhone or Android • Text a gift amount to 323-701-1467 Thank you! Start your morning with us! Reflection: Veda Veach Facilitator: Michael Novick Zoom host: Daryn Kobata * Link to this week's agenda. *   ** Meetings begin promptly at 7:30 am Pacific. ** ----- Here's how to join the online meeting: To join by video conference, you'll need to download the Zoom app on your computer or mobile device. Click on the link to join the meeting and then enter the Meeting ID number and passcode. You'll be able to see slides and video, as well as speakers and other attendees. If you prefer to join by phone, you'll be prompted to enter the Meeting ID number and passcode. You won't be able to see the visuals or attendees, but you can view them on the meeting video recording afterward.  If you're new to Zoom and would like to use the video option, we recommend you download the app well ahead of time. ICUJP Friday Forum 10/2 Time: 07:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Option 1: Join Zoom Video Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82728708577 Meeting ID: 827 2870 8577 PASSCODE: 495348 Option 2: Dial in by phone only: +1 (669) 900-6833 US (California) Meeting ID: 827 2870 8577 PASSCODE: 495348 (To find a dial-in number closer to you, go here.) ----- Please note: Our Friday Forums and other events are open to the public. By attending, you consent to having your voice and likeness recorded, photographed, posted on ICUJP's website and social media, and included in ICUJP materials and publications for noncommercial purposes. If you don't want to be photographed or recorded, please let the facilitator know. UPCOMING FRIDAY FORUMS OCT 9: Discussion of November ballot propositions You are receiving this email because you are a part of the ICUJP Mailing List. You cannot reply to everyone through this email. If you wish to send something to the entire discuss list, email: icujp-discuss-list@googlegroups.com. Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace http://www.icujp.org/     Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace · 3300 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010, United States This email was sent to interfaithquaker@aol.com. To stop receiving emails, click here. You can also keep up with Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace on Twitter or Facebook.

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Julia Morgan and Civic Center Proposals in the Star News

 

Developers pitch five possibilities for Pasadena’s historic YWCA site

Julia Morgan, the state’s first licensed woman architect, may be best-known for her design of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, but she also designed the former YWCA building in Pasadena, pictured Jan. 17, 2012. Potential rehab projects have come and gone, but city officials are hoping to find one that sticks this time around. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Walt Mancini/SXCity)

By BRADLEY BERMONT | bbermont@scng.com | Pasadena Star-News

PUBLISHED: September 24, 2020 at 4:18 p.m. | UPDATED: September 24, 2020 at 4:18 p.m.

Five developers pitched their respective visions to restore and rebuild Pasadena’s historic YWCA building and the adjacent municipal services building on Tuesday evening, both sites across the street from City Hall.

Three nonprofit developers focused on affordable housing plans for the former Pasadena Water and Power building. Meanwhile, two of the three partnered with a pair of for-profit developers who both proposed a hotel for the YWCA building.

If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is.

Proposals were already submitted once late last year, but the process was restarted after a state law came into effect in January, forcing the city to expand the pool of developers vying to build a project on the city-owned sites.

The city intended to pick up the ball earlier this year, but its plans were disrupted by a global pandemic — until now.

More than 150 folks tuned into a Zoom call with city officials and developers on Sept. 22, weighing in on the various projects before they’ll be analyzed by city staff and, eventually, brought to the City Council which will award the contract to one or two developers.

“This is really exciting,” local housing advocate Anthony Manousos said on the call. “It’s like choosing between three different kinds of your favorite chocolate cake.”

Abode Communities and Edgewood Realty Partners

Abode Communities, a nonprofit developer based in Los Angeles, suggested building affordable housing on the former Pasadena Water and Power site at 280 Ramona St.

“We are a neighbor, a community stakeholder and an owner here in Pasadena,” the group’s president and chief executive, Robin Hughes, said.

She explained they were using architect Brenda Levin — who was behind affordable development Centennial Place — to design the 103-unit building, which would be completely affordable.

·        27 studio apartments would be reserved for residents making less than 30% of the median area income. That’s about $520 per month, according to a presentation.

·        52 one-bedroom apartments would be reserved for residents at the 30%-60% median area income range with monthly rents ranging from $547 to $1,135.

·        24 two-bedroom apartments would be reserved for residents at the 50%-60% median area income range with monthly rents ranging from $1,123 to $1,358.

On the ground floor, they’re planning 2,400 square feet of commercial space, hoping to install a cafe or coffee vendor that would serve the city employees working nearby, according to Sara Tsay, vice president of business development.

Additionally, there would be a sizable residential lounge with a great view of Pasadena’s famed City Hall to “to encourage a strong connection to City Hall,” Tsay said.

While the plan could be accepted as a standalone project, Abode partnered with Edgewood Realty Partners, a for-profit developer, which wants to renovate the YWCA site — a historic landmark designed by California’s first licensed female architect, Julia Morgan — and transform it into a hotel.

Edgewood proposed placing nine hotel rooms in the historic site after renovation, then building a new wing to house 151 additional rooms.

Inside the YWCA, Managing Partner Peter Kutzer said the group is “striving to reuse the space for which they were originally intended.”

For instance, the lobby would stay the lobby; the pool would be restored to its former glory; a restaurant would be installed in the old cafeteria, but with a new dining patio overlooking Holly Street.

The building’s historic courtyard “is a beautiful space and one we want to explore,” Kutzer said.

Palisociety, a hotelier company, would run the proposed business, Kutzer said.

“This civic center truly is one of the most magnificent civic centers in the country,” Palisociety Founder Avi Brosh said. “We all want to pay homage to that. … Running a hotel is not the real estate business — running a hotel the way we do it is about connecting with the neighborhood.”

Bridge Housing and HRI Properties

Using a similar arrangement, nonprofit developer Bridge Housing suggested affordable housing on the Pasadena Water and Power site while the for-profit HRI Properties pitched a hotel for the YWCA site.

San Francisco-based Bridge Housing has built thousands of units of affordable housing across the country, its presentation says, including Pasadena’s Heritage Square.

Kim McKay, executive vice president of Bridge Housing, said they partnered with New Orleans-based HRI Properties to ensure the YWCA development and the affordable housing project would mesh with one another. Plus, it would make the entire construction process more cost efficient, she said.

Bridge Housing wasn’t as far along in the design process as its competitors, she said, explaining they wanted input from city officials and residents.

While the Water and Power site would have 72 units of affordable housing, HRI Properties’ chief investment development officer, Michael Coolidge, said his company seeks to build a 179-room boutique hotel site.

Of those, 165 rooms would be in a new building that would be directly adjacent to a renovated YWCA building, Coolidge said.

HRI Properties has a large portfolio of hotels it has designed and manage, including many for the Hilton, Mariott and Hyatt companies, he said.

HRI Properties is seeking to “honor the historical legacy of the YWCA building,” he said, using the spaces as they were historically intended. There would be a ballroom, a meeting space, a revitalized outdoor courtyard and a pool with a restaurant.

The new five-story building would neither dwarf the YWCA building, he said, nor would it seek to mimic or copy it either.

Instead, the goal is to “compliment it and make it feel like one integrated project at the end of the day.”

National CORE

Partnering with Union Station Homeless Services, National Community Renaissance, a nonprofit affordable housing developer based in Rancho Cucamonga, also wants to build affordable housing on the Pasadena Water and Power site. It didn’t partner with anyone to develop the YWCA site.

Working with Onyx Architects Pasadena, the nonprofits plan to build a 112-unit building with 26 studio apartments, 78 one-bedrooms and eight two-bedrooms, according to their presentation.

It would be 100% affordable, the presentation says, ranging from 30%-70% of the area median income.

National Community Renaissance, also known as National CORE, partnered with Union Station to build Marv’s Place, another affordable housing site in Pasadena.

When a similar site was getting built in San Clemente, Steve Pontell, National CORE’s president and chief executive, said residents would regularly come up and ask folks on the worksite how they could get one of these apartments.

Pontell would have to tell them they didn’t qualify, though they’d frequently push back and say they had plenty of money — but that’s exactly why they didn’t qualify, Pontell recalled telling them.

The site would be five stories and, similar to the other proposals, setup a corner-entrance that stares at Pasadena City Hall across the street.

It’s “quality housing in a good neighborhood” with wraparound services to help its struggling residents, Union Station Chief Executive Anne Miskey said.

She recalled a story of a homeless couple getting an apartment in Marv’s Place. It had a domino effect, giving them a chance to get jobs and stabilize their lives.

“Our goal is that our developments aren’t just landing pads, but launch pads,” Pontell said. The end goal isn’t to have residents stay in the affordable housing, but get folks back on their feet and into normal life.

“We have no shortage of demand.”

Compassionate Listening and Compassionate Speaking: Tools to Connect When It Seems Almost Impossible Yael Petretti

 

Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum September 25, 7:30-9:30 am Pacific   Compassionate Listening and Compassionate Speaking: Tools to Connect When It Seems Almost Impossible Yael Petretti Join videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85323385789 Call in by phone: +1 (669) 900-6833* Meeting ID: 853 2338 5789 TONIGHT! WE ARE MANY Mon. 9/21, 5 pm PT ICUJP is supporting the North American online premiere of this film on the 2003 anti-Iraq War protests, the largest in history! With Noam Chomsky, Hans Blix, Danny Glover, Rev. Jesse Jackson and many more. $12; $7 students/seniors. We get 40% of ticket sales we generate. Learn more and buy tickets with this link. Thank you! *Meeting controls for call-in attendees: To mute/unmute yourself: *6 To raise hand: *9 PLEASE NOTE: As of Sept. 27, Zoom meetings will require extra security. Starting Oct. 2, passwords (included in each weekly email) will be needed to join Friday Forums. Yael has been teaching the practice of Compassionate Listening for almost 20 years. Now she is focusing on using its powerful tools to help heal the racial suffering resulting from the pervasive racial, economic and political injustice on which this country was built. Currently, she works primarily with white people who have been awakened to the pain of racism and who now want to take responsibility for their own roles, often unconscious, in it. "Our work is to create a loving and caring world for everyone by dismantling the social mechanisms which perpetuate racial injustice and suffering," she says. Before earning a bachelor's degree in international relations at U.C. Berkeley, Yael was passionately involved the struggle for civil rights during the 1968 Poor People’s March on Washington. Certified as a Compassionate Listening (CL) facilitator in 2004, she led and co-led CL delegations to Israel-Palestine, where she lived for 29 years. Co-author of Making Peace with Faith: The Challenges of Religion and Peacebuilding (2018), Yael conducts CL trainings and volunteers as an Alternatives to Violence facilitator in a men's high security prison in New England. Witnessing the “new Jim Crow” there has brought her full circle to rejoin the struggle for racial/social justice in the U.S. In January 2020, Yael initiated and co-led the first domestic Compassionate Listening delegation, “Listening in the Heart of Alabama.” She looks forward to many more such trips to explore the perfect “marriage” of CL and antiracism (and all other “isms”) work in the world. Visit her website here. ----- Start your morning with us! Reflection: Avon Leekley Facilitator: Steve Rohde Zoom host: Michael Novick * Link to this week's agenda. *   ** Meetings begin promptly at 7:30 am Pacific. ** ----- Here's how to join the online meeting: To participate by video conference, you'll need to first download the Zoom app on your computer or mobile device. When you log in, you'll then enter the Meeting ID number. The video conference will allow you to see slides and video, as well as speakers and other attendees. If you prefer to join by phone, you'll be prompted to enter the Meeting ID number. You won't be able to see the visuals during the presentation, but you can view them on the meeting video recording afterward.  If you're new to Zoom and would like to use the video option, we recommend you download the app well ahead of time. ICUJP Friday Forum 9/25 Time: 07:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Option 1: Join Zoom Video Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85323385789 Meeting ID: 853 2338 5789 Option 2: Dial in by phone only: +1 (669) 900-6833 US (California) Meeting ID: 853 2338 5789 (To find a dial-in number closer to you, go here.) ----- Please note: Our Friday Forums and other events are open to the public. By attending, you consent to having your voice and likeness recorded, photographed, posted on ICUJP's website and social media, and included in ICUJP materials and publications for noncommercial purposes. If you don't want to be photographed or recorded, please let the facilitator know. UPCOMING EVENTS WED, OCT 7, 10:00 am PT: 10th Annual Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture. Focusing on climate justice, the online event features activists Vanessa Nakate and Greta Thunberg. Register and send the Archbishop birthday greetings on the event web page. FRIDAY FORUMS OCT 2: Mark Braverman, Executive Director, Kairos USA Passing the Virtual Bucket We can't pass the green donation bucket in person, but ICUJP still needs your support. Please give as generously as you can: • On our donation page. You can also set up recurring gifts by credit card or bank transfer! • Or use the Give+ app for iPhone or Android • Or text a gift amount to 323-701-1467 Thank you! You are receiving this email because you are a part of the ICUJP Mailing List. You cannot reply to everyone through this email. If you wish to send something to the entire discuss list, email: icujp-discuss-list@googlegroups.com. Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace http://www.icujp.org/     Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace · 3300 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010, United States This email was sent to icujp-discuss-list@googlegroups.com. To stop receiving emails, click here. You can also keep up with Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace on Twitter or Facebook.

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