Dear Friends,
Not all of us could be there in 1974 for Bet Tzedek’s founding, but we’re thrilled that so many of you could be with us earlier this month on May 2nd for our 50th Anniversary Dinner Gala!
We thank the 800 guests who joined us as we celebrated our fifty-year journey from a modest, volunteer-run nonprofit to a nationally recognized force for economic and social justice. 
While there is no doubt Bet Tzedek has grown, it was clear that we have retained a very special sense of purpose and community. In the room at the gala earlier this month were longtime community partners, as well as new allies, each reflecting Los Angeles’ beautiful diversity. We also saw supporters who brought their partners, children, and grandchildren, the future bearers of Bet Tzedek’s torch.
We all came together and were uplifted by the sense of community and unity to which Stan, Luis, and the founders were committed when they built Bet Tzedek and that we all now carry forth.
We are SO close to hitting our goal of $2.5M — which will allow Bet Tzedek to continue our various programs, from protecting clients facing eviction to assisting vulnerable seniors and supporting our conservatorship clinics.
As Board chair Samantha Millman and Board member Darrell Brown said at the event, the first 50 years were just the beginning. We look forward to seeing you next year at the 2025 Dinner Gala! 
Donate and See Our Sponsors
View Photo Set I
View Photo Set II
View a Recording of the Gala
Watch a Moving Short Film By WorkingNation About Bet Tzedek’s Founding
Our founders, some of whom have reunited for the first time in 30 years, came together for a powerful short documentary about our inception, mission, and milestones, titled “The Journey of Bet Tzedek.” Thank you to WorkingNation, a nonprofit documentary production company founded by Art Bilger, for telling our story with beauty and grace. We’d love for you to watch and share the video this Jewish American Heritage Month!
BT in the 1990s & AANHPI Heritage, Jewish American Heritage, and Older Americans Month
Bet Tzedek’s front page story in the L.A. Times in 1999.
This month, we are covering Bet Tzedek’s milestones and the sociopolitical climate of Los Angeles in the 1990s, along with Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Older Americans Month. Follow along on our social media accounts, found at the bottom of this news digest, to learn more and join the conversation. You can see previous posts that document our history and milestones since our founding in 1974!
Also, check out our BT Now from last May that thoroughly captures our decades-long service for older Americans, our roots in the Jewish American community, and our celebration of the AANHPI community.
BT in the Media: Spectrum News 1, L.A. Stories In-Depth Feature
Spectrum News 1's "L.A. Stories with Giselle Fernandez" aired an in-depth feature on Bet Tzedek and our 50th anniversary, the incredible work we do every day, CEO Diego Cartagena’s story, and three clients whose lives we've changed for the better.
Watch the Full Episode
More Action Needed to Protect Garment Workers in the State and Beyond
Our partner Garment Worker Center was featured in this Marketplace by APM segment, which exposes the exploitation of garment workers in California even after the Garment Worker Protection Act (SB 62) passed — and addresses the need for national legislation to protect these essential workers.
"For 20 years, 'Lorena' (not her real name) was a garment worker at a small factory in Los Angeles’ Fashion District. Every day, she went to work and sewed something like 30 t-shirt collars or 50 backpack zippers, depending on that day’s assignment, and she was paid a few cents per item. That kind of pay is actually illegal now under California’s 2022 Garment Workers Protection Act, which banned the piece rate and required that workers be paid by the hour.
But at Lorena’s factory, nothing changed. Until she decided to take a stand against low wages and tough working conditions: 'Tú crees que está bien, lo que no está pagando el patrón, verdad no?'* she asked her coworkers. *Do you think it’s fair what the owner pays us? 
In the second installment of our two-part series on fast fashion, producer Alice Wilder brings us the story of Lorena’s fight for fair pay, and the impact this had on her personal and professional lives."
Listen Here
Pro Bono Call: Help a Widowed Mother and Her Disabled Son Preserve Their Home
Case Description: A mother and young adult living with an intellectual disability need your help to secure their home. Mom and Dad were unmarried and shared three kids. In 2012, they lost one of their sons who had become severely disabled due to medical malpractice. At the time of their son’s death, the family was living in the home purchased by the special needs trust of the deceased son. After the son’s death, the trustee of SNT signed a quitclaim deed giving the house 50% to Mom and 50% to Dad as tenants in common. Mom and Dad continued to live in the home with their two remaining children: a young developmentally disabled son who is conservated and daughter. Dad recently passed away without doing any estate planning.
Mom called Bet Tzedek about estate planning to protect herself and her disabled son. Our attorneys explained that Dad’s share of the house needs to be probated. His heirs are son and daughter. Mom doesn’t have the money for probate since the only asset is the family home that they will continue to live in. Mom’s goal is for her and son to be able to live in and benefit from the home.
Special Notes: Pro bono attorney should explore if conservatorship over the estate of son is necessary to represent his interest in the probate. The mother only speaks Spanish.
Staffing: This case is best suited for a probate attorney who speaks Spanish or is able to secure a translator.
If interested, contact Director of Pro Bono Programs, Sara Levine, at slevine@bettzedek.org.
Join the Bet Tzedek Team!
Have a passion for helping underserved residents in the community? Want to work alongside dedicated staff and volunteers who help up to 100,000 people per year?
Here are some critical positions we need to fill, plus more (see button below):
DIRECTING ATTORNEY: GENERALIST SERVICES FOR SPECIALTY POPULATIONS
VICE PRESIDENT: LEGAL PROGRAMS
Apply to Work with Us Here
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