Detroit Jews For Justice

On Saturday May 11th, Rabbi Alana Alpert spoke on behalf of Detroit Jews for Justice at the Metro Detroit Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild's 82nd Anniversary Dinner upon receiving the "Unsung Hero" award. View and/or read her remarks here.

On May Day DJJ stood in solidarity with Good Jobs Now, a member of the Coalition to End Unconstitutional Tax Foreclosures, to protest the needless displacement caused by tax foreclosure.

DJJ has been a force to reckon with since it was initiated in late 2014, with Rabbi Alana Alpert as its amazing Executive Director.  Created under the auspices of Reconstructionist Congregation T'chiyah of Oak Park, DJJ has been involved in numerous social justice projects, collaborating with and creating an ever larger network of individuals and organizations that share its values and mission.  Water justice, the $15/hour minimum wage, opposition to housing evictions, and more--DJJ and its growing team of leaders and participants have been hard at work every week of every year, with huge accomplishments to show for it.  Grant acquisitions, numerous large gifts by individuals, a totality of grass roots contributions, and some fundraising events along the way have provided DJJ with the funds to continue its awesome work benefiting the people of Detroit and the metro area.  It was an honor to become involved with DJJ from the outset, and I am now more excited than ever to be part of the team planning the first-ever Myra Wolfgang Awards Gala Event, planned for September 19, 6-9 pm, at NextEnergy, in Detroit.

On April 11^th, Lori and I had the opportunity to meet with Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner as the result of an encounter I had with Stephanie Bulick at World Water Day. 

Dear DJJ Leaders and friends,

As I enter my final week as an intern at DJJ, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on my time here, to illuminate what I think makes DJJ special, and share what I’ve learned from these two semesters of fieldwork.

On March 31st, hundreds of Metro Detroiters gathered for a Jewish day of learning featuring sessions led by educators from all over Michigan, including DJJ staff and leaders. 

On February 21st, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib visited the Ruth Ellis Center to hear from LGBTQ youth and local faith leaders. 

Last month, our intern, Lauren Fine, a graduate student in the Jewish Communal Leadership Program at the UofM School of Social Work, was invited to speak at the Ann Arbor Women's March. 

Relive the Purim magic by watching a collage of great video clips from our 4th Annual Extravaganza. 

On March 22nd, Rabbi Alana spoke at World Water Day alongside other great water justice leaders to speak out against water shutoffs and demand clean, affordable water for all.