Dear friend,

I went off script when I represented DJJ at the Women’s March in Detroit. I looked out at the beautiful, diverse, passionate and hopeful mass, and I felt a clear need for us to connect with each other. I called on the crowd to say to their neighbors:

I’m gonna keep building beloved community with you.

I’m gonna keep building messy movements with you.

I’m gonna keep showing up for you.

I’m gonna keep holding you accountable -- with love.

When our movements splinter, white supremacy and patriarchy benefit. We are deeply grateful for the visionary Jewish Women of Color who called our community in and pointed us forward. Watch their brilliant leadership shine in this video.

Detroit Jews for Justice is here to make sure that, in our small corner of the world, Jews remain an essential partner in coalitions that strive for our shared thriving. Thank you for making it possible.

Onward!

r.a.a.

Rabbi Alana was one of the many powerful leaders to speak at the Women's March Michigan last month. 

Last Friday, during the Auto Show’s annual ‘Prom’, DJJ leaders gathered with labor, environmental, and community activists as they shared their questions and demands with GM executives.

Here at DJJ we do Justice Jewishly--and every year, we do Purim amazingly. That's right, we're fast approaching our 4th Annual Purim Extravaganza on MARCH 31! Last year we had our best Purim yet, but we plan to top ourselves once again. This year, leading the charge on our Shpiel will be new DJJ-nik Lindsay McCaw, who will serve as our Shpiel producer. You can get to know a little bit about Lindsay below!

Three years ago, I joined Detroit Jews for Justice, first as an intern and eventually as Director of Organizing.

Tonight I will be leaving that role and joining the team of Congressman Andy Levin's office in Oakland/Macomb, where I'll get to continue to work for social justice from another arena!

A big and intense decision for sure, but one made so much easier by the fact that I leave behind so many incredible leaders who will grow this community's work for racial and economic justice far beyond my contributions. 

I'm also doing my best to give to DJJ in this transition and am aiming to fundraise $3600! You can help by donating or by sharing my FB post here.

30 new and returning leaders gathered together last night for orientation, an opportunity hear about DJJ's work, learn our core principles, get plugged into water and housing justice campaigns, and get to know each other. 

Dear DJJ-niks,

I moved to Detroit in 2014 to plug into social justice work. I had no relationship to Jewish community until I showed up to a #BlackLivesMatter Hanukkah action. That night I joined dozens of Metro Detroit Jews -- many who I now call friends and comrades -- in harnessing our spiritual tradition to protest racist violence.

This year, we again gathered in Campus Martius, declaring our opposition to mass water shut-offs on the first night of Hanukkah. We kicked off our “8 Days of Water Justice” video series, tying the struggle of the Maccabees to Detroit’s struggle for water justice.

Hanukkah gives us a chance to explore the question of visibility. We are called to display the miracle, as Jews all over the world place chanukiot in our windows for eight nights. In these times of elevated vulnerability, with increased attention given to white supremacist ideas, and in the aftermath of the deep loss in Pittsburgh, we may feel an instinct to shrink ourselves and hide.

DJJ leader/water team member Rabbi Moshe Givental wrote a beautiful op-ed for Detroit Jewish News about our "Illuminating Water Justice" Hanukkah gathering on Sunday. In an excerpt, Moshe writes: