Detroit Jews For Justice

I still remember the twinkle in Andy’s eye. It was early 2013 - I was working at the DIA and taking a coffee break with my old family friend. I’d recently moved home to Detroit after graduation from my tiny Quaker college, followed by several years making, learning, and teaching pottery. Conspiring over coffee, Andy Levin shared with me his vision for a robust social justice movement growing from the fertile earth of Congregation T’Chiyah, embodying our shared Reconstructionist values.

This beautiful piece of art was created by DJJ Leader Hannah Lewis for the Wolfgang Awards Honorees. We want to share its powerful message with all of you as a new year’s offering.

The incredible Tony Eggert from Three Lyons Creative photographed the inaugural Wolfgang Awards. Click here to see the photos!

I want to begin by sharing with you a question that has been keeping me up at night for weeks:  how is it possible that the 1st ever Wolfgang Awards was scheduled one week before the High Holidays?!

Missed the gala? Want to relive the magic? Check out the program book, beautifully designed by Shira Kresch!

My name is Kendra (they/them) and I am so excited to be working with DJJ as part of my fellowship with Repair the World Detroit! I’m originally from Pontiac, MI and have spent the last four years living across North Carolina. I recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Jewish Studies and Sociology. While at UNC, I focused my research on the racialization of Jews and the experiences of Jews of color in Jewish institutions. In North Carolina, I was an active member of Carolina Jews for Justice (CJJ), and it seems fitting that in returning to Michigan, I can build on that experience and expand my community through DJJ. 

Hello DJJ!

My name is Becca (she/her) and I am very excited to be joining this community as the DJJ intern for the next eight months.

Last week, I spent 5 days in the Chicago Teacher’s Union building learning about direct action organizing from true veterans in this work.  The experience was packed with new information, relationship building, and detailed reflection on best practices in organizing.  

"When we do the hard work of community organizing, we build the world we need. That’s Trump’s worst nightmare. That's why he's tweeting so hard to divide us from our neighbors. But we’re not falling for it. We have each other’s backs, and together we will create a just world."

Photo by Asha Noor

Rally to End Dearborn Police Cooperation with ICE 8 13 19

Last night I attended the rally to end Dearborn police cooperation with ICE.  It was diverse racially, ethnically, religiously. Muslim leaders spoke prayers in Arabic, Rabbis spoke some in Hebrew.  Some women wore hijabs, some men and women wore tallit and kepas. But the vast majority wore some black garment, responded to speakers’ invitations to chant or shout in response, and shouted “Shame” when the speaker explained inhumane practices. 

The program featured about a dozen speakers who explained, exhorted, chanted, lamented and called for responses from the crowd of about 200.   Among them were about 15 DJJniks. The assembled opposed deportations, lock-ups, cages, arrests, and incarceration of immigrants. Some told heart-wrenching stories about those they knew who were so unjustly treated by our government’s agents, usually ending in deportation.  One African-American daughter told of her father who immigrated from Africa only to be deported. Congressman Levin bemoaned the story of a constituent who was sent to Iraq, where he’d never lived, only to die.