Thank you for visiting the DJJ Purim 2024 donation page! While there is no required fee to attend, your contribution helps us make this event a reality.

$0-36 sliding scale tickets! 

Thank you so much for your generous gift! Your support makes this work possible.

If you would like to become a monthly sustaining donor to DJJ, please click here. 

This could have been the headline for last week’s announcement from the City of Detroit that it was extending the moratorium on water shutoffs through 2022 AND getting serious about finding a permanent solution to the issue of water insecurity that has plagued too many Detroit residents for at least 20 years.

But, as we contemplate this victory just as Chanukah begins, we know that miracles don’t “just happen”.  The arc doesn’t just bend.  Whether it’s the Maccabees or Detroit’s water warriors, collective strength is required for the bending and collective action creates the miracle.

As COVID-19 infections and deaths soar, nearly 800,000 Michiganders are at risk of not having access to water for handwashing and other purposes during the pandemic.

DJJ leaders are developing a social media campaign that will tie the story of Hanukkah to our struggle for water justice.

Subscribe below to receive daily emails throughout Hanukkah, with educational content on local water issues and clear 

actions you can take to advocate for clean and affordable water. Or, keep checking this page and our Facebook page for daily updates!

Learn more about our work in partnership with People's Water Board Coalition at detroitjewsforjustice.org/water

Day #1: GET YOUR MACCABEES!

Click the picture above or this link to access Day #1's video, hosted on our Facebook page.

You can find a transcript of this video here.

ACTION ITEM: GET YOUR MACCABEES!

• Like and share this post on Facebook & Instagram -- tag your friends in it with you. (Make sure to “tag friends” instead of just @-ing them, so it appears on their timelines!)
• Not on social media? We’ve got you covered. Visit detroitjewsforjustice.org/water and click on the “8 Days of Water Justice” tab to subscribe and receive daily emails that you can easily forward to your network.
• CAN YOU RECRUIT 5 MACCABEES OF YOUR OWN, like the 5 sons of Mattathias to do this work with you? Share it with your folks, your family, your congregation, your bubbie… let’s get started!

Day #2: SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE SHUT-OFFS!

Click the picture above or follow this link to access today's video, hosted on our Facebook page.

You can find a transcript of this video here.

ACTION ITEM: CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES! STOP THE SHUT-OFFS!

• Implore your representatives to co-sponsor and push forward House Bills 4393 and 4389/4390!
• If your representatives are on the House Local Government Committee, you are in a position to make these bills go through! Demand that they recognize the sanctity of water as a human right, and push them support legislation to decriminalize shut-offs and implement a water affordability plan. 
  • Chair: State Rep. James Lower, 70^th District (R) - Montcalm County and Gratiot County
  • Julie Alexander, 64^th District (R) - Jackson County
  • Roger Hauck, 99^th District (R) - Isabella County and Midland County.
  • Ben Frederick, 85^th District (R) - Shiawassee County and Saginaw County.
  • Gary Howell, 82th District (R) - Lapeer County
  • Jim Runestad, 44^th District (R) - Highland, White Lake, Springfield, Milford, Waterford
  • Kathy Crawford, 38^th District (R) - Lyon, Northville, Novi, South Lyon, Walled Lake
  • Sara Cambensy, 109th District (D) - Alger, Luce, Schoolcraft, Marquette (Upper Peninsula)
  • Jim Ellison, 26^th District (D) - Royal Oak and Madison Heights
  • Patrick Green, 28^th District (D) - Center Line and city of Warren
  • Jeremy Moss, 35^th District (D) - Southfield, Lathrup Village, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Franklin
• Like and share this post on Facebook & Instagram -- tag your friends in it with you. (Make sure to “tag friends” instead of just @-ing them, so it appears on their timelines!)
• For more information, talking points and resources, visit https://www.detroitjewsforjustice.org/water

Day #3: OIL FOR LATKES, NOT THE STRAITS OF MACKINAC!

Click the picture above or follow this link to access today's video, hosted on our Facebook page.

You can find a transcript of this video here.

ACTION ITEM: HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE! #SHUTDOWNLINE5!

• Governor-Elect Whitmer and Attorney General Elect-Nessel campaigned on a promise to #shutdownline5. It's time to make some phone calls and emails to demand that they stick to their promises and do everything in their power to beat back the regressive actions of this lame duck legislature. It's never a bad time to voice your frustration to your elected reps, including the incumbent governor and attorney general.  
  • Gretchen Whitmer Campaign Office #: (517) 763-2955
  • Governor's Office #: (517) 373-3400
  • Attorney General's Office #: (517) 373-1110
• Like and share this post on Facebook & Instagram -- tag your friends in it with you. (Make sure to “tag friends” instead of just @-ing them, so it appears on their timelines!)
• For more information, talking points and resources, visit https://www.detroitjewsforjustice.org/water and https://www.oilandwaterdontmix.org/

Day #4: REDEDICATING OUR SANCTUARY!

Click the picture above or follow this link to access today's video, hosted on our Facebook page.

You can find a transcript of this video here.

ACTION ITEM: DONATE TO WE THE PEOPLE OF DETROIT'S YOUTH-LED WATER TESTING

• We The People of Detroit is stepping up to do the direct work of water testing in places that the government has overlooked. Click HERE to give directly to the We the People of Detroit!
• Like and share this post on Facebook & Instagram -- tag your friends in it with you. (Make sure to “tag friends” instead of just @-ing them, so it appears on their timelines!)
• For more information, talking points and resources, visit https://www.detroitjewsforjustice.org/water and https://wethepeopleofdetroit.com/

Day #5: SCARCITY, ABUNDANCE & WATER PRIVATIZATION!

Click the picture above or follow this link to access today's video, hosted on our Facebook page.

You can find a transcript of this video here.

ACTION ITEM: INTERROGATE YOUR OWN SENSE OF SCARCITY AND ABUNDANCE! 

• Instead of advocacy or donations, today's action item involves self-reflection - an essential part of engaging in activist work that is grounded in empathy and solidarity. 
• Take a look at your own water bill. Calculate how much of your monthly income goes to paying for water. Is it within the EPA-recommended 4.5% guideline? Is it upwards of 10%, the average water bill for low-income residents as reported by researchers at the University of Michigan?  What trade-offs would you make if you had to pay such high rates? What trade-offs do you make?
• Consider: Do you see scarcity where there is actually abundance, or vice versa? Why? How might corporate interests affect this perception?
• Like and share this post on Facebook & Instagram -- tag your friends in it with you. (Make sure to “tag friends” instead of just @-ing them, so it appears on their timelines!)
• For more information, talking points and resources, visit https://www.detroitjewsforjustice.org/water 

Day #6: PUBLICIZING THE MIRACLE!

Click the picture above or follow this link to access today's video, hosted on our Facebook page.

You can find a transcript of this video here.

ACTION ITEM: PUBLICIZE THE MIRACLES & THE INJUSTICES! CALL AND TAG @MAYORMIKEDUGGAN WITH YOUR MESSAGE! BUILD THE NARRATIVE THAT METRO DETROIT JEWS STAND FOR WATER JUSTICE!

• STUDY "America's Secret Water Crisis," the groundbreaking report from Food & Water Watch that shows the depth and breadth of the water crisis across the country. 
• PUBLICIZE the media from Sunday night's Illuminating Water Justice action, available on our Facebook page, the Detroit Jewish News, and more. We need to build the awareness that Metro Detroit Jews stand up for water justice!
• CALL & TAG  Mayor Duggan (@MayorMikeDuggan) with the following message, or a heartfelt message of your own:
  • "Mayor Duggan, 70 Metro Detroit Jews gathered on Hanukkah to voice our support for ending water shut-offs, implementing a water affordability plan, and restoring water to shut-off households. We know these solutions are critical to protect the health of our neighbors and the moral conscience of our region and we ask for your commitment to these policies in 2019.”
• Like and share this post on Facebook & Instagram -- tag your friends in it with you. (Make sure to “tag friends” instead of just @-ing them, so it appears on their timelines!)
• For more information, talking points and resources, visit https://www.detroitjewsforjustice.org/water 

Day #7: REBELLING AGAINST IDOLATRY

Click the picture above or follow this link to access today's video, hosted on our Facebook page.

You can find a transcript of this video here.

ACTION ITEM: LINK UP WITH THE POOR PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN! SUPPORT THE #GILBERT7!

• STUDY the demands and principles of the Poor People's Campaign. What in your community demands a "moral revival"? What constitutes idolatry in your worldview?
• READ testimony from Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellermann and Tommy Tackett, who are currently serving a 12-day jail sentence for different Poor People's Campaign direct action!
• PLEDGE TO SUPPORT the #Gilbert7 and other Poor People's Campaign arrestees by attending press conferences and other actions, including this press conference Wednesday morning!
• SAVE THE DATE: the #Gilbert7 activists are going to trial on JANUARY 22nd. Be there to show your support, and help bring publicity to this action!
• Like and share this post on Facebook & Instagram -- tag your friends in it with you. (Make sure to “tag friends” instead of just @-ing them, so it appears on their timelines!)
• For more information, talking points and resources, visit https://www.detroitjewsforjustice.org/water and https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/

Day #8: INCREASING THE LIGHT!

Click the picture above or follow this link to access today's video, hosted on our Facebook page.

You can find a transcript of this video here.

ACTION ITEM: RSVP FOR DECEMBER'S DJJ ORIENTATION & GENERAL MEETING! GIVE A DONATION TO DJJ!

• Keep increasing the light by staying involved with DJJ: RSVP for the upcoming orientation or general meeting!
• Become a monthly sustaining donor to DJJ to sustain our efforts to mobilize the Metro Detroit Jewish community to work for racial and economic justice, or give a one-time donation before the end-of-the-year!
• Like and share this post on Facebook & Instagram -- tag your friends in it with you. (Make sure to “tag friends” instead of just @-ing them, so it appears on their timelines!)
• For more information, talking points and resources, visit https://www.detroitjewsforjustice.org/water 

In 2009, Rabbi Alana wrote an article for My Jewish Learning about this week's parashat, expanding on how the words of Deuteronomy provide a Biblical case study for holistic, non-hierarchical global justice work. Check it out here!  

Dear DJJ Community and Friends-

We are starting the process of collecting home goods for a Freedom House Resident that will be moving out in the next few months. We are very excited about this partnership between DJJ and Freedom House and we need your help to make it a success! Please take a look at this DJJ: Freedom House Apartment Registry to purchase or donate a gently used item. If the item is large we will arrange a pick-up plan with you. All other details are included in the document.

We estimate that we will need to raise $500 to cover moving supplies and unclaimed items. If you are able to donate monetarily to assist in covering these costs please do so below!

If you have any questions or trouble using the Registry please don't hesitate to email aj.aaron47@gmail or call 248-514-8453.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Warmly,

The Freedom House Registry Crew: Emma, Dana, Zak, Aj and Hayley

In addition/instead of an in-kind donation, you can make a donation online below. A donation from this page will be dedicated to the Freedom House registry specifically. Checks can be mailed to Detroit Jews for Justice at 15000 W 10 Mile Rd, Oak Park, MI 48237. Make sure to write "Freedom House Registry" in the memo line so your donation ends up in the right place.

Purchase your ticket below for "Practicing Resistance: Jewish Solidarity in Action and Community" with M. Dove Kent and Baruch Koach Frazier on September 10th. For more details on the event, click here.

Ticket rates:

$36 - Scholarship

$76 - Regular rate

$118 - Regular rate & sponsor a participant

In the "additional comments" field below, please indicate how many tickets you are buying and/or if you are donating a sponsorship.

DJJ leaders Jake Ehrlich and Zak Rosen developed a Passover Torah supplement inspired by the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Detroit Rebellion, with art by Julia Loman.

Sign up below to receive an email download of the supplement to use at your seder.

Click here to learn more about DJJ's event series exploring the legacy of '67.