In 2024 the film No Other Land was awarded the Oscar for best documentary motion picture. Despite the award, it has not been widely seen in the United States because no distributor had the courage to pick it up. (It is now available for individuals to rent via streaming services). In November, the Palestine/Israel Social Justice Team, with the support of SJET, screened the film in the Common Room. 

It was painful to watch. The film shows the forced displacement of the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta, a group of hamlets with roots in the 19 th century. When Israel decided it would use the area for tank maneuver training, soldiers systematically demolished residents’ homes. They sealed off  Palestinians’ water wells by filling them with cement and bulldozed their children’s playgrounds. Meanwhile Israeli settlers attacked residents, unchecked by nearby Israeli soldiers. During the making of the film two unarmed Palestinians were shot by soldiers, one of whom, Haran, paralyzed from the neck down, dies for lack of medical care.

The suppression of No Other Land is replaying with regard to the new film, The Voice of Hind Rajab. The movie is based on the recordings of a terrified 5-year-old Gazan girl trapped in a car with the dead bodies of her family members speaking with rescue workers. Although an ambulance is eight minutes away two hours pass as rescue workers seek a greenlight for its safe passage, while trying to reassure and calm the
child. In the end the Israelis destroy the ambulance and kill its crew, as well as the girl. In the New York Times M. Gessen noted: “Everywhere in the world this film, shortlisted for the Oscar for best foreign movie, has major distributors – but not in the United States or Israel.”

This coming June, our congregation will gather for a significant congregational vote: deciding whether First UU will take the pledge to become an Apartheid-Free community.

This pledge is part of a growing interfaith movement—joined by over 500 congregations and organizations—to affirm a commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people. By signing, we declare our opposition to all forms of racism, bigotry, and oppression, and commit to ending support for systems of apartheid and military occupation.

Preparing for the Decision
To help our community navigate this important choice, the Palestine-Israel Justice Group has spent the past several months hosting educational events designed to deepen our understanding and foster thoughtful reflection.

• In August, the group hosted a powerful panel discussion focused on the denial of Palestinians’ human rights. The panel featured diverse voices, including UU ministers and activists, who spoke to the moral and spiritual imperative of standing in solidarity with those living under systemic inequality. Read more about this event.
• In November, the congregation gathered for a screening of the documentary "No Other Land." This Palestinian-Israeli collaboration offers a raw, firsthand look at the forced displacement of families in the West Bank. Despite winning the 2025 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature and receiving global acclaim, the film has faced significant hurdles finding a U.S. distributor—making our community screening a rare and vital opportunity to witness these stories. Read more about this event.

What is the Pledge?
The Apartheid-Free pledge is an invitation to join a network of "communities of conscience." It is built on the belief that our faith calls us to witness the "divine light" in every person and to take active steps toward dismantling systems that diminish human dignity.

As we move toward our vote in June, we encourage every member to continue engaging with these resources, asking questions, and reflecting on how we can best live into our Unitarian Universalist values of justice and compassion.

Learn More:
You can read the full text of the pledge and learn about the global movement at Apartheid-Free.org.

This month's burrito project will take place on Tuesday, December 23rd. We are gathering in the Common Room at First UU to assemble burritos starting at 4:00 pm. Next, we will clean up our working area, load Lara's van and drive downtown to distribute the burritos by 5:00 . We will return to the Hillcrest campus by 7:00 at the latest. ​
 
Assembling burritos involves scooping beans, rice, and corn into a warmed tortilla, wrapping the tortilla, placing two burritos into a bag with two cold waters, and then putting the bagged items into a wagon.
 
You are welcome to participate in either the preparation, distribution, or both. 

Children are welcome to support this project under the direct care of a guardian.
 
RSVP to Lara Anderson ([email protected])

Prep Location and Caravan Meetup:
First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego
298 W Arbor Dr
San Diego, CA 92103
 
Funded through the Young Adult Ministry program

Once or twice a year, the board calls congregational meetings to conduct important business, like voting on budgets, constitutional amendments, or calling new ministers. Best practice requires a clearly-defined quorum—the percentage of eligible voting members needed to conduct official business and take binding votes.

Our constitution previously defined quorum as a percentage of attendees rather than eligible members. This meant that theoretically, a very small number of people could make consequential decisions for the entire congregation. Last June, we approved this change to the constitution:

Section 3. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of 20% of Voting Members present at a duly called Annual or Special Congregational Meeting. A quorum of 35% of Voting Members is required for decisions outlined in Article IV, Section 1. Voting Members attending virtually count toward establishing a quorum.

Technology now enables both in-person and online attendance, and both count toward the quorum. Our meetings feature two-way communication and real-time voting via paper or digital ballot. This reduces the need for absentee ballots, though exceptions may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the lead minister or board president.

We hope absentee ballots become mostly a thing of the past because there is value in coming together and considering issues and questions as a community. How often have you entered a meeting with your mind made up, only to hear a new perspective or information you didn't have before, and then made a different decision? That is how it should be—a process of discernment, whether the topic is approving an annual budget, a policy change, or calling a new minister. The time spent together in conversation, whether in person or online, is an essential part of the process. That's why we tightened up our constitution's language to better define quorum, and why we want to encourage full participation by every member of our faith community.

Friday, January 9th
6:30-8:30 pm
Bard Hall at First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego

Mark your calendars! The Racialized Identities Awareness Book Group is excited to announce a special evening event featuring author Laila Ibrahim to discuss her powerful novel, Yellow Crocus.

Laila Ibrahim, a Unitarian Universalist (UU) from the Bay Area and a good friend of Kristen Keller (a friend of First UU), will be joining us for what promises to be a deeply moving and insightful discussion.

Yellow Crocus tells the story of an intense and complicated relationship that begins the moment the infant Lisbeth is born and immediately handed over to her enslaved wet nurse, Mattie. Mattie is a young mother who has been separated from her own infant son to care for her tiny charge.

Though Lisbeth is born into a life of privilege, she experiences deep loneliness in the company of her own distant parents. As she grows, Mattie becomes more like family to Lisbeth than her own kin. Lisbeth's visits to the slaves’ quarters and their lively, loving community bring the two women closer together than ever.

The novel explores a central, profound question: Can two women in such disparate circumstances form a bond like theirs without consequence?

This deeply moving tale of unlikely love traces the journey of these very different women as each searches for freedom and dignity in a society designed to keep them apart.

Join us for this special event to hear Laila Ibrahim share the inspiration behind her work and discuss the complex themes of race, family, and the search for humanity in the face of profound adversity.

Free Event.
Read more about the book.

When: December 13th from 2-4pm
Where: Whiskey 8, Monument Road & Dairy Mart Rd. (32°32'27.5"N 117°04'04.3"W)*

*Please note that this is an off-road location. For easiest navigation, copy and paste the above coordinates into your preferred maps app.

This season, First UU is helping lead La Posada Sin Fronteras—a powerful bi-national gathering that honors the journeys of migrants across the world. Held at the border, this event lifts up the deep connection between our two nations and the shared humanity that unites border communities.

La Posada Sin Fronteras is rooted in a Christmas tradition celebrated throughout the Americas. It reenacts the story of Mary and Joseph, who were turned away as they sought shelter on the night of Jesus’ birth. For centuries, this story has served as a reminder of hospitality, compassion, and the sacred duty to welcome the stranger.

Today, as migrants face increasing hardship, hostility, and danger, this tradition carries renewed meaning. Our bi-national Posada becomes not only a cultural celebration but a public act of solidarity—affirming the dignity and resilience of all who are forced to leave home in search of safety.
​
The event will include food, singing, ritual, and the shared hope that our border can be a place of connection rather than division. All are welcome to participate in this moving reminder that no one is ever truly a stranger, and that the spirit of refuge crosses all borders. Dress warm and wear comfortable shoes. You are encouraged to bring a box of granola bars to leave for migrants.

During our meeting on 11/30/25, we added new names to our planning email list! Welcome to everyone who has joined the team as we move forward with organizing our Women+ Together retreat. If you want to help us plan the retreat, please email Adrienne Kaplan ([email protected]).


​Location Decided: Camp Stevens
The group is planning to hold the retreat at Camp Stevens, near Julian.

• Distance: The camp is approximately 60 miles from the church.
• Transportation: Since Camp Stevens is 60 miles away, folks with electric vehicles (EVs) should plan their charging accordingly. We plan to carpool.

Dates Finalized
Camp Stevens has told us that the weekend of November 20-22 is free, so we have requested those dates. We will sign the contract for that weekend in early January. 

Cabin Details & Capacity
We estimate that no more than 50 women will want to attend, so we plan to book two cabins: Lax-Sadler and Woltersdorf.

Lax-Sadler requires a minimum booking of 14 people and has a maximum capacity of 28 people. It has one 3-person room with wheelchair-accessible space and shower.

Woltersdorf has requires a minimum booking of 12 people and has a maximum capacity of 24 people. It has a shared, handicap-accessible restrooms in the hallway.

• Total Capacity: This plan requires us to recruit at least 26 women (14 + 12 minimum) and can accommodate up to 52 women (28 + 24 maximum).
• Note: If more than 52 women want to attend, we will try to book different or additional cabins.
• What to Bring: Please note that bed linens and towels are NOT provided in Woltersdorf or Lax-Sadler.

Cost & Financial Planning

• Approximate Cost: The estimated cost is $220 per woman.
• Retreat Duration: The retreat will run from Friday evening till Sunday morning and includes five meals.

Financial Plan: Camp Stevens requires a 30% deposit within 30 days of signing the contract. The final payment is due upon arrival.

• We will ask women who want to attend for a non-refundable deposit to secure their spot (this will be applied to their final bill).
• We have not finalized the amount for the non-refundable deposit.
• We will ask the church to loan us the difference between the retreat deposit and the sum of the individual deposits. We anticipate repaying this loan at the start of the retreat.
• We will also ask the church if they can subsidize part of the overall retreat cost.

Next Meetings & Publicity
The group has decided to name itself “Women+ Together.” We hope to combine efforts with the other "Women Together" group at the church and will invite them to help us plan the retreat.

• Starting January 2026: We will meet at 11:30 AM on the fourth Sunday of each month.
• December Meeting: If a meeting is needed in December, we will schedule a Zoom meeting hosted by Marla (Date TBD).

Once we secure a date, we will publicize the retreat:

• Marla volunteered to write an article for First Words.
• We will place announcements in the Window.

We will ask the ministers to announce the retreat from the pulpit.
​

Sunday, December 14, Hillcrest campus after Sunday service, 11:30 am - 1 pm

Please Participate!

Our church community is taking time to think deeply about who we are, who we want to be, and how our campus can best serve our mission and values. Your experience and ideas are needed.

Everyone’s input at our visioning workshop is essential to planning for Our Sustainable Future (OSF). At the workshop, you will be invited to visit up to seven stations/locations throughout the campus.

At each station, you will learn about how the space is currently used, deferred maintenance issues, and the potential to upgrade or redevelop that space. You will be invited to ask and suggest how each space could best serve our current and future needs. And Snacks will be provided!

Your participation will aid the OSF team in its work to find the best option for our Hillcrest area campus and home.

A few OSF Team and Board members participated in a trial run of this workshop last month. We wrote questions and ideas for improvements. We are excited about what concerns, questions and ideas will be contributed by you and other members of this congregation.

Please bring your love for the church, an open mind, your hopes and dreams for our future.
​
On behalf of OSF Team,
Dave Hunt