March 26, 2007

NEWS RELEASE: Former Maine Lawmaker Appointed to Board of National Jewish Organization

P.O. Box 33821 * Washington DC 20033 * 310-553-1146 * www.jewsonfirst.org * catcher@jewsonfirst.org

Contact: Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak at 310-592-8960 and Jane Hunter at 202-549-7494,
co-directors of www.JewsOnFirst.org )

March 26, 2007. Former Maine State Representative, Stan Moody, D-Manchester, has been appointed to the Advisory Board of Jews-On-First, with offices in Washington DC and Los Angeles, CA.

Moody, founder of the Christian Policy Institute and author of several provocative books on the Christian Right (Crisis in Evangelical Scholarship and McChurched: 300 Million Served and Still Hungry), is an evangelical theologian, serving as pastor of a small, rural church in Manchester – The North Manchester Meeting House. He also serves as Advisory Board member of the Chicago-based Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism.

Jews-On-First was founded in 2005 in response to the growing strength of the Christian Right in imposing their religious values through legislation, executive power and intimidation by Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak of Los Angeles and Jane Hunter of Bethesda, MD.

Rabbi Beliak has been involved with social justice activism throughout his 30 years as a campus and congregational rabbi. He has served as vice chairperson of the American Rabbinic Network for Ethiopian Jews, and is currently a member of the board of the Progressive Jewish Alliance. Founder Jane Hunter, a lifelong political activist on both foreign and domestic policy issues, has worked as a journalist and a labor union researcher.

“Dr. Moody brings a valued perspective to our goal of shedding light on the attack on the First Amendment rights of all Americans,” stated Rabbi Beliak. “His courage in speaking out against the takeover of the Republican Party by the Evangelical Christian Right and his scholarly work exposing the political agenda of Christian Zionism will be very helpful to our efforts.”

“I am honored to be invited to help guide this important work,” stated Moody from his home in Manchester, ME. “After long years of working on these issues and serving in political office, it is gratifying to know that there are others of like mind who are putting their shoulders to the wheel. I look forward to learning and contributing to the protection of our cherished First Amendment rights.”

Among the other Board members of Jews-On-First are: actor Ed Asner; Stanley Sheinbaum, chairman and publisher of New Perspective Quarterly; Rabbi Ken Chasen of Leo Baeck Temple, Los Angeles; Rabbi Lisa Edwards of Congregation Beth Hayim Hadashim, Los Angeles; and Mitchell Gold, co-founder and chairman of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

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