Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good Launches, Pledging Community Solidarity Beyond Election Outcomes

On the eve of a pivotal national election, nearly 600 leaders and community members from 17 founding organizations, including Congregation Beth Am from Los Altos Hills, and several guests gathered to launch Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good (SVACG). It is the first broad-based community organization in the region affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation. The event marked a new era of multi-faith collective commitment to building power and fighting for concrete change in one of America’s most influential—and most unequal—regions. Congregation Beth Am was one of the original institutions involved in this effort. So far, Beth Am is the only Jewish institution involved, but several other synagogues have expressed interest.

The convention centered on a shared vision of "common good" in a region known for extreme wealth disparities. According to a recent report by the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies, eight households in Silicon Valley control six times the wealth of the bottom 50%, or 500,000 households. In response to this stark reality, SVACG members made public financial commitments to a non-partisan agenda dedicated to creating a more equitable future.

Throughout the convention, speakers emphasized a vision of unity, resilience, and faith-led action. 

Rabbi Heath Watenmaker, Senior Associate Rabbi of Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, delivered the opening blessing. “As the prophet Jeremiah taught, we are called to ‘work for the well-being of the city in which we live.’ Together, as we launch this new, broad-based organization – 17 institutions strong, representing more than 30,000 people across Silicon Valley – may our voices be the voice of justice, may our hands be hands of action and real change, and may our hearts and minds be open to hearing the stories of struggle and challenge that unite us all, as members of the broader Santa Clara County community. May this founding be just the beginning of bringing more justice and compassion into the community and into our world. May this be your blessing. Amen.”

Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, in Washington, D.C., spoke of his visit to Congregation Beth Am, 13 years ago, to meet with leaders of the synagogue and with organizers for the Industrial Areas Foundation. He spoke about his deeply held belief that when we in the Jewish community reach deeply into our congregations and communities hear the stories of our people, organize around our shared struggles and concerns, and reach across lines of difference into many neighborhoods and faith communities to bring people together with a common story, “we can, in fact, organize the power to transform the world as it is, parched with injustice, to the world as it should be, overflowing with righteousness.”

Throughout the convention, speakers emphasized a vision of unity, resilience, and faith-led action. Bishop Oscar Cantu of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose, invoked Pope Francis’ teachings. Quoting the Pope’s encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, Bishop Cantù stressed the importance of solidarity: “We have to learn again how to be brothers and sisters to one another,” he remarked, “to build the sinews of relationships where we care for one another.”

Speakers also shared stories of resilience and hope for change. A member of St. Lucy Parish in Campbell described the challenges facing immigrant communities, and how her work with local officials through SVACG to improve neighborhood safety taught her that “we are not alone. Now more than ever we are united. 

Other local faith leaders reinforced the coalition’s expansive vision for unity and collaboration. Rev. Kris Rhude, pastor of Christ, the Good Shepherd, celebrated the coalition’s success in bridging diverse communities. “This broad-based organizing has us working across the religious, racial, economic, and geographic lines that divide our region.”

Bishop Jeff Johnson of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America also highlighted the power of collective action, saying “God‘s love is not just a good idea. It’s something we make real through our engagement in our neighborhoods and on the streets.” 

Reverend Aaron Klinefelter, Rector of Saint Jude’s Episcopal Church in Cupertino, likewise underscored the importance of solidarity beyond Election Day. “We need each other if we are to create the common good and respect the dignity of every person. We commit to stay at the table together, regardless of what happens in Tuesday’s election.” 

In the face of a contentious election season, SVACG members affirmed their commitment to embodying their values through concrete actions. The organization announced plans to begin a conversation campaign in the new year, the first step in determining the specific direction their work will take. 

Reacting to the institutions’ sharing their commitments of financial support and engagement, Rev. Neal Presa, Presbyterian Church (USA) Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of San Jose, shared a poignant proverb that resonated with the group’s mission. “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. This, Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good, offers both: vision and action.”