On Saturday December 16th, an auspicious 180 celebrated DJJ’s 3rd Annual Festival of Rights. Co-Chair Emma Share opened the event by sharing some of our accomplishments...
We couldn't have accomplished these wins without your financial support. Here's what Emma had to say,
“We strengthened our partnership with the People’s Water Board Coalition, being trusted with a critical role in the efforts to move state legislation forward. We continued growing our base of core leaders, now over 100 strong. We hosted a powerful training about resistance and Jewish solidarity. We trained leaders to advocate for water justice, facilitated educational forums in the suburbs, and cemented DJJ’s name in the national field."
I also offered a few thoughts on the holiday -- here is a snippet:
“Hanukkah is about struggle against empire, about resistance, about hope, and about winning. Hanukkah asks us to imagine winning. Aurora Levins Morales says that to imagine winning is our sacred task.
Imagine a public school system where students learn and teachers teach in dignity.
Imagine a city where sparkling clean water flows for all.
Imagine a Detroit where change does not require displacement.
Imagine a country in which Nazi-ism is unimaginable.”
The night was a blur of klezmer, fried nosh, new connections, and ritual. As we lifted our hands towards the havdallah candle, we meditated on our individual and collective power to create change. Beloved community partners honored us by lighting the Hanukkiah. They shared how hope, faith, and connection to ancestors keeps their fire going in such dark times.
There is so much more we need to do and there is still time to make an end-of-year tax deductible donation to help us do it. Can you help us increase our impact in 2018? To those of you who have already given, thank you!!
Thank you to the amazing team that created such a magical evening. And thanks to all of you for imagining winning -- and for building the #Jewishresistance with us!
Happy Hanukkah/Chag Urim Sameach,
Rabbi Alana Alpert 
PS The 1st and 3rd photos here are by David Share, Emma's Father! The 2nd photo is by Harriet Saperstein (print in it by the ineffable Hannah Lewis). To see more of David and Harriet's photos, check out the Facebook photo album here. We're so grateful for our volunteer photographers for capturing the magic of our events.
