(415) 776-4580
HUMAN RIGHTS WORKING GROUP
Co-chairs: Jeff Pekrul, Dolores Perez Heilbron, Bruce Neuburger,
and Melvin Starks
THE UUSF HRWG COMMITTEE
Purpose statement
“To identify and address current human rights violations locally, nationally and internationally, in accordance with our Unitarian Universalist Principles and Values;
To provide opportunities for discussion to develop practical strategies to ameliorate unjust abuses]s and policies through education, advocacy and actions to protect the rights of all peoples; and To unite and collaborate with other organizations in support of these goals.”
Focus 2026-2027
(4 major parts:
Justice in Palestine / U.S. Immigrant Rights / Educational Actions / Wednesday Morning Vigils & Demonstrations.)
Justice in Palestine
We remain committed to supporting a just resolution to the Israel/Palestine conflict, which has resulted in catastrophic civilian casualties and an escalating humanitarian crisis for the Palestinians over the past three years. This crisis has been enabled by the diplomatic support and military aid of the United States for the Israeli government, following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Since that time, according to the Brown University Costs of War Project, the U.S. has spent between $31.35 billion and $33.77 billion on military aid and related regional operations for this conflict. The United Nations, international human rights organizations, and numerous countries have condemned the ongoing violence—including the targeted killing of children and reporters, and the destruction of 90% of Gaza's essential infrastructure—as war crimes and genocide. Over 75,000 Palestinian civilians were killed, with many still facing starvation, a lack of water and medical care due to restrictions on humanitarian aid by Israel. Peace negotiations, and a real ceasefire, with humanitarian support for the Palestinian population are needed. This genocide will long be remembered for the role the U.S. has played in the military attacks on Gaza and the West Bank. We continue to protest this violence, collaborating closely with the UUA national organization, UUs for Justice in Palestine, and many local groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now.
U.S. Immigrant Rights
Bruce Neuburger and Tom McAninley are the leaders of this new effort since February 2025, when a special congregational meeting was called to encourage active, organized resistance to the Trump/MAGA efforts to expel immigrants from this country. The group grew to about 40 people with an active core of about 10-12 members. With President Trump sending ICE to the Bay Area (followed by word that it wasn’t going to happen), large numbers mobilized in preparation for ICE activities. With the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and new assaults on immigrants, the group began attending meetings with other activists from the Latino Task Force, Nuevo Sol day labor and domestic workers programs, Bay Resistance, Indivisible, forming an alliance to work together. Using a variety of tactics to protect immigrants from ICE raids and to demonstrate against detention camps, this group aims to assist immigrants at their jobs and in their homes. Clothing and food collections have been organized, as well as informational services for immigrants according to their needs. Developing ties with many other religious activist groups has been an important factor, as well as with secular organizations and legal assistance.
This banner shows pictures of individuals killed by ICE (along with each person’s history) and is a reminder of the fate of many innocent people who will be remembered in this struggle. Resistance is necessary and must become more effective to meet the challenge of an ever more desperate and brutal authoritarian regime. This is the challenge to the whole UUSF community, and not just the HRWG and Immigrant Rights group.
Educational Actions
The HRWG and Sunday FORUM committees work together, to educate the public on the Israel/Palestine conflict, Immigrant Rights, and other issues, with Forum presentations featuring historians on these subjects, academic speakers, documentaries, and first-hand witnesses, explaining the causes and possible resolution of current human rights issues. The Forum presented a program explaining the vote by the national 2024 UUA General Assembly, that overwhelmingly supported the Action of Immediate Witness called Solidarity with Palestinians. Presentations have exposed the historical apartheid system enforced on Palestinians in their own land. Our own congregation voted to join the Apartheid-Free Communities organization in February 2025. Programs explaining the new problems facing our immigrant workers have been held, and for example, activists are often in the streets weekly to notify potential victims when ICE agents appear. A presentation called Resisting Authoritarianism: A Workshop About Project Esther, explained the plan the current administration uses to attack immigrant rights, free speech, and climate justice, which plan the administration says, “protects Jews.”
Weekly Wednesday Morning Vigils & Special Demonstrations
For 7 years, the HRWG has held Wednesday Morning Vigils in front of our church from 8 to 9 AM, proclaiming the values of this community! Vigilers hold signs condemning ICE and local police brutality, genocide and apartheid, and supporting the rights of all oppressed people—lately on behalf of the Palestinians, and immigrants residing in the U.S. Signs have proclaimed support for women's reproductive rights, rights of the LGBTQI community, the constitutional right to vote, and love and peace—not wars! The signs change depending upon the current human rights issues of the day. This is also a great way to start each Wednesday, and let our sympathies be shown to the passing parade of cars at the juncture of Franklin and Geary Blvd. There is camaraderie among the Vigilers and interesting interactions, including from passing motorists who often honk in support of our issues.
Special demonstrations on church steps like We Will Not Look Away—We Will Not Be Silent! (CLICK HERE)
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We Will Not Look Away—We Will Not Be Silent!
On Sunday morning, August 17, 2025, members and friends of UUSF met on the steps of the church for a vigil to condemn the genocide in Gaza, to name those responsible, and to call for an immediate end to the policy of forced starvation of the Palestinian people! Many communities have joined a call by Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Ashira Darwish, Rae Abileah, Shahd Abusalama, Omid Safi, and Reverend Michael Yoshi named WE WILL NOT LOOK AWAY. The event was held simultaneously with vigils at 11 am in Washington, DC, and New York.
https://scienceandnonduality.com/event/we-will-not-look-away/
Despite the early Sunday hour, around 30 people gathered and listened to speakers report from international humanitarian agencies, academic researchers, and media sources in the region, providing evidence of war crimes committed by Israel and the United States reaching epic proportions. Despite the effort to quell the truth about this historical reality, there is a rising tide of resistance to the war, especially, and importantly, inside Israel itself. In fact, as the vigils were going on, hundreds of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and other cities were marching in the largest outpouring of anti-war action since October 7, 2023. (click here)
Andrea Chan of Standing Together spoke passionately to this opposition in Israel/Palestine. Speakers provided irrefutable statistical evidence and stories as to the towering crimes being committed in Gaza: Dolores Perez Heilbron described the systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces); Robin Larsen spoke to the unbelievably high death rates of women and children; Jeff Pekrul explained the unprecedented use of powerful bombs supplied by the United States against the Gazan people in an enclave smaller than San Jose. Bruce Neuburger spoke to the mounting opposition to the war and genocide from Jewish groups here and around the world. Meg Whitaker-Greene and Jackie Barshak also spoke about efforts to end this historical shame. Kathryn Anderson from St. Mark’s gave very moving closing comments on why the world needs to persist in protest and resistance and what is at stake for humanity.
Sunday’s moral and ethical message was to continue our demand that our elected leaders stop supporting this genocide. In addition, it is now urgent that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHS), established and run by Israel and the United States, be shut down. The purpose of GHS is to demoralize, weaken, and destroy the population of Gaza under the guise of relief. UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) must be returned to its rightful position of operating the hundreds of distribution points in Gaza. The GHF operates just four—four distribution centers for more than 2 million people! Often only two of these centers are open on any given day and for as little as 15 minutes a day! The centers are "protected" by U.S. mercenaries and IDF soldiers who have been documented frequently shooting Palestinians, even children, who approach to try to obtain food or water. The aid is distributed in such a way as to purposely cause fear and chaos and to promote fighting among the desperate seeking food. Like the Nazis in the German and Polish concentration camps, starvation is a conscious policy meant to demean and demoralize the imprisoned and captive population. It is cynical, criminal, and just plainly a detestable policy.
Please contact the UUSF Human Rights Working Group if you would like more information about this story. humanrights@uusf.org
Love Demands Permanent Ceasefire now!
Local Students Take a Stand: Advocating for Pro-Palestinian Causes
Our Human Rights Working Group members include students from encampments at the University of San Francisco—Ivan Villegas, UC Berkeley—Larissa Cursaro, and one of the attorneys working on their behalf, Jeff Wozniak. This event was a fundraiser on behalf of the students and included the film Where Olive Trees Weep. They articulately and knowledgeably explained their reasons for standing for Palestinian justice, and the audience embraced them. Watch the Video.
GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS AT UUSF
UUSF Human Rights Working Group announces a new interactive discussion series!
The purpose of this new program series is to discuss cultural, economic, political, historical, and scientific issues that affect the whole international community. Attendees will participate with questions and their own ideas. UUSF members and the general public are encouraged to participate and a facilitator will guide the process.
The programs beginning this September will take place after the UUSF Sunday Worship Service, and will offer a light lunch. A brief background statement on each topic will be circulated in advance of the topics to be discussed. Each session will begin with a speaker explaining and enlarging on the topic, followed by a general discussion and possible follow-up actions.
We are pleased to announce that long-time UUSF member Horst Bansner will chair this new series, and HRWG members will assist in this endeavor. We expect that topics will dwell on humanity’s continuing quest for greater knowledge and insights that would benefit our increasingly complex and fragile global existence.
Collaborative & Innovative
At First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco, our top priority is to achieve results, and we know that our success depends on the quality of our campaigns and partnerships. Our approach is to build strategic networks and promote programs that will help advance our work. Learn more about the causes we’re passionate about and get in touch with us to see how you can get involved.
HRWG Statement to the Board and Congregation – Nov 5,2023
We, the members of the UUSF Human Rights Working Group, in accordance with our committee’s Purpose, wish to verify to the UUSF Board of Trustees, and to our entire Congregation, that we, along with the world at large, grieve in sorrow and anguish as we witness the catastrophic ongoing war in Israel and Palestine, which cannot be ignored.
We believe it is urgent now to call upon our Society’s congregational members, to act in accordance with what we as UUs have proclaimed as our values for many years in our Principles especially the 1st and 6th: The inherent worth and dignity of every person; and The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.
Our UUSF HRWG Committee Purpose statement is:
“To identify and address current human rights violations locally, nationally and internationally in accordance with our Unitarian Universalist Principles and Values; To provide opportunities to engage in discussion to develop practical strategies to ameliorate unjust abuses and policies through education, advocacy and actions to protect the rights of all peoples; and To unite and collaborate with other organizations in support of these aims.”
UUSF HRWG agrees with and adopts the UU Justice in the Middle East statement of 10/19/2023 (attached). We also agree with its outline of actions to stop the escalation of further violence in this region. We will present educational events on the history of this region with perspectives to better understand the roots of this conflict. And, as is stated in the UUJME statement, we “believe it is not antisemitic to criticize the oppressive acts of the Israeli government, military, and settlers. We oppose definitions of antisemitism used to stifle activism for Palestinian rights. We amplify calls to oppose antisemitism and Islamophobia.”
Thus, as time is of the essence, we hope that you will join us to truly live our values with a commitment to work for justice for all inhabitants of the Israeli and Palestinian lands. We endorse the following requests to our government representatives and parties in conflict to:
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Demand an immediate ceasefire!
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Ensure humanitarian aid and assistance be made available immediately to Gaza.
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Abide by the United Nations Geneva Conventions.
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Stop the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank.
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Respectfully yours,
Signed: HRWG co-chairs and UU members
s/ Jeff Pekrul s/ Robin Larsen
s/ Rev. Millie Phillips s/ John Meliska
s/ Dolores Perez Heilbron s/ Veronica Masterson
s/ Melvin Starks s/ Larry Danos
s/ Bruce Neuburger s/ Rev. Meg Whitaker-Greene
s/ David Heilbron s/ Dennis Adams
BELOVED STORIES (2019)
The video produced in 2019 features members of our HRWG. Special thanks to Shulee Ong and Lori Lai for their contributions in the production of this special project.
Watch Beloved Stories (click here)
Mary Jane Mikuriya - interviewed by Anna Mikuriya Jungherr (click here)
Dolores Perez Heilbron - interviewed by David Heilbron (click here)
HRWG IN ACTION!
