DJJ's 2024 Accomplishments. Ranked.

Chag urim sameach! / Happy Festival of Lights! This Chanukah, my eight nights will represent eight of Detroit Jews for Justice’s greatest 2024 accomplishments; this year has seen us grow so much, and I could not be prouder to work for/represent/be a part of this organization.

1. Purim 2024

DJJ leaders wrote an original Purim spiel, drawing connections between the housing crisis here in Detroit and in Israel/Palestine. It was a brave Spiel, was funny and heartfelt, and our actors nailed the delivery. Yasher Koach to our Purim stars — next stop Planet Ant?

Photo Credit: Anthony Lanzilote

2. Property Tax Justice Advocacy

Property Tax justice is one of the most salient issues facing Detroit residents. The short of it? Homeowners are illegally overassessed ($600 million between 2010 and 2016), while City Council waives property taxes for corporate developers. In 2024, we fought this profound injustice, attended multiple city council meetings to voice to $190 million in tax captures and made hundreds of phone calls to help Detroiters get off the foreclosure list. In 2024, we fought to make billionaires pay their fair share!

3. Hiring two new organizers and a Co-Director!

With so much excitement, this year we welcomed three incredible new staff members – Laura Mason, Stevie Kolin, and Lisa Tencer! Our staff’s time is the most valuable resource we have, and we are thrilled that these three will carry the fight for racial and economic justice alongside our community into 2025.

4. Water Affordability Organizing

The State of Michigan is surrounded by 22% of the world’s fresh water, and yet people around the State struggle to afford their water bills. That’s why we held monthly phone banks for water affordability where our leaders called their representatives, urging them to pass the Statewide Water Affordability Bill Package. We attended meetings, rallies, lobby days, and built deeper, more accountable relationships with our partners at People's Water Board Coalition.

5. Israel/Palestine Policy and Theory of Change

Our board approved two critical documents to help us ground our work: our Theory of Change and our Israel/Palestine Policy. Our Theory of Change helps us get collectively clear on how our mission connects to our vision, and how our activities serve that mission. And our Israel/Palestine policy gives us an organizational framework for engaging with Israel/Palestine, anti-semitism, and making DJJ a space welcoming to folks on a continuum of political ideologies. We’re so grateful to our amazing board members for steering us through these critical processes and making DJJ a stronger, more focused organization.

6. Community building

From storytelling events to orientations to demonstrations in the streets, community and relationships are the core of what we do. We had so many events this year that fostered connection grounded in Jewish social justice.

7. Election Efforts Post-Election Panel

The election….definitely happened! One of the ways I know it did is due to all the great work DJJ did around the election. We secured hundreds of people to pledge to vote, mobilized 10 people to be poll watchers, and held a song circle to process people’s feelings after the election. Then, we hosted an incredible panel featuring social movement leaders from We the People Michigan, Detroit Action, and Progress Michigan, discussing the election, and paths forward for our movements. Onwards!

8. Lame Duck Organizing

After the election, many of our partners turned up the pressure to pass their legislation before the end of session. We were right there with them. We sent people to Lansing to call for the Rent is Too Damn High Coalition’s Renter’s Rights Bill Package, Equality Michigan’s bills removing barriers to name changes on state IDs, a Statewide Water Affordability plan, and Drivers Licenses for undocumented Michiganders. While the results of our advocacy are mixed in the short term, we feel grounded in the work we've done to plant seeds for future growth and progressive power building.