*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
5 Day Fast and Chain Vigil for Peace and Education

Monday-Friday, February 20-24, 2006
3200 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610
Right near The Grand Lake Theater

In response to the effect the depletion of economic and social resources the Iraq war is having on our domestic programs and services (especially education and children?s health), teacher, musician/recording artist, and Oakland resident Hyim Jacob Ross has chained himself up, fasting, and not spending any money for 5 days, February 20-24.

As a music teacher in the Richmond Public Schools, Hyim Jacob Ross is well aware that the current cuts in food and education programs will seriously impact his students. He is alarmed as a tax-paying citizen that his tax money is going more to military spending than to feeding and educating our own children here in the United States. Hyim also teaches teenagers in a synagogue in Lafayette.

In California, 2 in 10 households with children are in extreme poverty and consistently experience risk of hunger (Center for Hunger and Poverty). The war in Iraq is costing over $241,100,600,000.00 (NPR Project). The entire budget that funds the after-school performing arts, academic and sports program where Hyim Ross works is about $100,000. It also feeds the children a snack (a piece of fruit and some crackers). To further illustrate the cost of the war: the cost of the war in Iraq could fund at least one million (1,000,000) after-school programs such as his across the country.

Hyim has many social issues to cite as evidence for recalling the war: one is the fact that Hurricane Katrina victims are still without enough support and assistance, and another is the rate of incarceration of youth in the United States.

Hyim is inviting all people who support this idea to come and join him as positive, peaceful, non-violent people who feel an ethical and moral contradiction regarding the state of our current social climate. Students will be joining Hyim as well, not chained up or fasting, simply sitting with him in solidarity. This is a first amendment action and is intended to bring awareness to the issues above and inspire other members of our democracy to action, organization, and social monetary consciousness. He will be out there for 24 hrs a day for those 5 days.

Media and general contact:
Linda Yelnick
Phone/Fax 650.692.1763
Cell 650.346.0436
leahhaifa@usa.net
www.hyimvibe.com

Dave from KFOG —
“You are a hero. The world needs many MANY more like you.
Let's hope we get our way.”

— Dave Morey – Mornings 6 - 10 am

Written immediately following the 5 days:


An American, A Chain, And A Bench
By Hyim


Why would an American chain himself to a bench? Didn?t want to give Uncle Sam his two cents.



Why did I chain myself to a bench for 5 days and juice fast? Some people are kind to ask me. That was a non-violent vigil for peace and economic democracy. Spend money on kids here at home, not on war in another place — last week my student?s 16 year old cousin was shot dead in the face. Use our resources to help take care of the needs of our own children here on US soil, our own place.

Imagine this: a window is broken in your house and say your neighbor?s window is also broken. You fix your own house before you fix your neighbor?s house, right? A nation?s government?s job is to first and foremost serve its citizens needs. I have students who come to school hungry. It?s hard to learn or be nice on an empty stomach. That is a hard reality for some of us to stomach.

Why would I chain myself up to a bench? Because it gets people?s attention. It goes against our basic intuition. Because I call ?em as I see ?em. A bit of urgency. A bit of life, and a bit of death. Last Tuesday a 10 year old Richmond girl was shot by a stray bullet in the chest. And this is the democracy we want other countries to think is the best?

Our government parlaying our tax dollars into arsenals and 19 year olds not trained for teaching our children firm tenderness but for killing in battle abroad. If you believe in G*d, why are children in Golden California hungry for food — every day over 2 million children go hungry in California.
Over 2 mill.
Over 2 mill. The fact that my time at work and my dollars spent are taxed to fund a government that makes this kind of error it?s hard to swallow that truth pill. Over 2 mill.
242 billion dollars spent on this war in Iraq. Violence it seems is as addictive as crack.

I refuse to be the war?s henchman.
It?s the chained-to-the-bench-man.


So why would an American chain himself to a bench?

Didn?t want to give Uncle Sam his 2 cents.


I didn?t spend a dime all week, my hands were clean. Now I know at least for that time I didn?t contribute anything to our war-killing machine.

And the people who gathered out there. Many hundred. School children took field trips to come see and talk to me. High school students doing video interviews and directors of documentaries. Channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 14, KFOG and hella newspaper and internet media folks. My friends and family, the late night crew crackin? jokes. Music and candles and reunited friends. A lot of old folks on down to babies and children.

I do it for our children and our children?s children yet to come.

We are all living here on this earth under the same sun.

Peace to all my peoples out there in the world!!!
Take good care of yourselves...

Selah, selah.
Paz, shalom, namaste, asalaam.

HYIM

© 2006 Hyim. All rights reserved. Site Maintenance by WebMagickian.com