Category Archives: JP Forum

Ibrahim Miari, “In Between” – Sunday, March 4, at 7 p.m.

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In Between is a semi-autobiographical one-man show that portrays the complexities and contradictions inherent in Palestinian-Israeli identity. On the precipice between two cultures stands Ibrahim Miari. His play recalls his childhood in Acco, memories of his Jewish and Palestinian grandmothers, of war, and of the struggle to shape and understand his own multi-faceted identity.

Nehar Shalom Community Synagogue, First Church in Jamaica Plain Unitarian Universalist, First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, and JP Forum are co-presenting this production of In Between, which will be performed on Sunday, March 4, at 7:00 p.m. at First Church. To reserve tickets, call Allie at First Baptist (617-524-3992). Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. If you’d like to help promote the show, a one-page flyer for the performance may be found here.

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JP Gazette: “Officials rally against ‘three strikes’”

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The Jamaica Plain Gazette reports on the January 27 JP Forum event at First Church:

A panel discussion about controversial prison sentencing reforms—including the “three strikes” laws—turned into a political strategy rally by several prominent Boston elected officials on Jan. 27 at First Church in Jamaica Plain Unitarian Universalist.

Dramatic moments included a convicted felon tearfully describing the impacts of a throw-away-the-key approach to sentencing, and local state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz defending her vote in favor of the Senate’s version of the controversial proposal.

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JP Forum, “Criminal Injustice: The High Cost of 3-Strikes Laws in Massachusetts” – Friday, January 27, at 7 p.m.

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In November, despite protests from community activists and legal experts, both the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts State Senate passed “3-Strikes” bills that could have disastrous consequences for our communities. As this legislation speeds toward a final vote, opponents of that legislation urge that we educate ourselves about the rampant injustice of our criminal justice system and how 3-Strikes provisions perpetuate and magnify that injustice.

Join us in a panel discussion at First Church on the potential repercussions of the 3-Strike law for MA featuring key players in the debate:

Ben Thompson, Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition, will moderate.

Come to listen, ask questions, and learn how you can take action!  This event is co-sponsored by the Jamaica Plain Forum and The Union of Minority Neighborhoods.

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JP Forum, “The History of Jamaica Plain and its First Church” – Sunday, January 29, at 5 p.m.

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First Church historian George Wardle will discuss the connections between Jamaica Plain history and its First Church at a JP Forum talk this Sunday, January 29, at at 5:00 p.m.

Jamaica and West Roxbury were synonymous until the creation of a new parish church on the “Pond Plain in Jamaica” within the colonial town of Roxbury.  Jamaica Plain was the Third Parish of Roxbury, it was the downtown of the Town of West Roxbury , and is now a neighborhood of the City of Boston and a postal district.  For seventy years, First Church was the only church in Jamaica Plain.

A simple bread and soup potluck will be shared.  Please bring two cans of vegetables or non-dairy vegetable soup to be mixed in the soup pot or bring breads, crackers, cheese, or fruits to accompany the soup. Coffee and water will be provided.  (Any extra cans of vegetables will go to the First Church Food Pantry which provides for those in need.)
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JP Forum, Thursday, December 1, 2011, 7:30-9:30 p.m. – Screening and Talk with Renowned Filmmaker Saul Landau: “Will the Real Terrorist Please Stand Up?”

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Internationally renowned filmmaker Saul Landau will present his latest film, “Will the Real Terrorist Please Stand Up,” which chronicles half a century of hostile US-Cuba relations. Landau will kick of the First Thursday Film series, in conjunction with First Thursdays in Jamaica Plain, which will happen every month of the year.

Saul Landau is an internationally known scholar, author, commentator, and filmmaker on foreign and domestic policy issues. His films include  FIDEL, the first documentary chronicling Fidel Castro after the Cuban Revolution. Other films include “Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang.” He has been a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies since 1972 and at the Transnational Institute since 1974. He has written 13 books, thousands of newspaper and magazine articles and reviews, and made more than 40 films and TV programs on social, political, economic and historical issues.

Saul’s new film tells the story of the case of the Cuban Five, intelligence agents sent to penetrate Cuban exile terrorist groups in Miami and now serving long prison sentences. The film highlights decades of assassinations and sabotage at first backed by Washington and then ignored by the very government that launched a “war against terrorism.” This documentary reveals a story of violence that also echoed on the streets of Washington DC, New York and especially Miami where Cuban American critics of the bombers and shooters wound up dead.

Special Thanks to our Co-Sponsors: Mass Peace Action, Newton Cuba Solidarity, July 26 Coalition

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JP Forum, May 26th: Rising Cost Of Food and Fuel 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. at First Church

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$6.50 a gallon for gas? How will that impact you? How will it impact our community? What can we do about it? Globally analysts are concerned that food prices will continue to rise for years to come. What can we do to prepare? Come join the conversation with your neighbors. Let’s get to know each other and how these deepening challenges impact all of us, and let’s brainstorm actions we can take today to be more resilient tomorrow. A community conversation hosted by JP New Economy Transition

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JP Forum presents: The Pigment of Your Imagination: Life Between Black and White

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Sunday April 10, 3 pm

Joy Zarembka is executive director of the Institute for Policy Studies and author of, A Pigment of Your Imagination: Mixed Race in a Global Society (Madera Press). Joy Zarembka will talk about the meaning of race across borders and boundaries. Born to a Black mother and a white father in the U.S, she reflects on crossing borders of race and nationality. In different countries — through England, Kenya and Zimbabwe, Jamaica how it was to be treated as white, brown, colored and different castes.

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