Dear Community,
Yesterday I had the privilege of joining 40 Jewish clergy from across the DMV and around the country in crying out for an end to Israel’s starvation of people in Gaza. Representing the Jews for Food Aid campaign, we entered the office of Senate Majority leader John Thune to call those in power to take action to protect life. We chanted from Eicha (the book of Lamentations), banged on pots and pans (responding to the call from Gaza to do so), and poured our hearts out in mournful prayer and song. Twenty seven of us were arrested and spent the rest of the day in jail.
You can watch videos from the action here. It received good traction on social media and in Jewish press. With Hashem’s help may this action do some small part to keep pressure on to stop the horrifying starvation in Gaza and inspire others in the Jewish community to take action.
Today I found myself feeling a renewed sadness for the unimaginable suffering and unconscionable injustice, as well as a deep gratitude for our community. Alongside many activists and organizers, our community played a central role in holding down the action and making it possible. When the call for volunteers went out last week to help make this happen, NSP members immediately said YES and jumped in to volunteer time, resources, and money to make the action possible. NSP members turned out rabbis, orchestrated the action on site, ran security and jail support, recruited for additional needed roles, made posters, picked up coffee, shopped for snacks and breakfast at Costco, hosted rabbis in spare bedrooms, provided essential funds for last minute needs and many other things I can’t remember or don’t know about. After being held for over 6 hours some of the rabbis started to worry about whether anyone would be there to greet them after getting out. “Don’t worry,” I told them, “they will be there.” You were. I am so grateful.
If you want to support this campaign to help cover the costs of the action (they didn’t fundraise in advance as it was secret), you can make a donation here. I also encourage you to consider making a donation to the Gaza Soup Kitchen here. And if you haven’t already done so, you can sign on to the Food Aid for Gaza campaign here.
With love and gratitude,
Rabbi Yosef