Beloved DJJ Community,
I’m reaching out to you today in heartbreak. As I watch the devastating loss of life in Israel and Palestine playing out in real time on the news, I am consumed with grief, rage, fear for my own family and the families of so many Palestinians and Jews. The Torah says that destroying a single life is akin to destroying the entire world. Today I am feeling the loss of thousands of lives, and the entire worlds that those lives have left behind.
While our work centers racial and economic justice in Detroit, we know that many people in our community are devastated by the violence taking place in Israel and Palestine right now. As an organization, we grieve for those who have been killed or who have lost loved ones to this violence. We also extend gratitude to the folks in our community who have stepped into action in this crisis moment to prevent further unspeakable tragedy.
May we move through our grief from our most expansive selves. May we hold the humanity of all people in our hearts. May we remember that safety comes from solidarity. May we resist the forces that would divide us and hold each other closely.
Shabbat is coming, and I hope you embrace whatever rest is possible.
Allie Zeff, DJJ Executive Director
P.S. If you’re looking for resources as you process, here’s where I’m starting:
- From Let My People Sing: Mi'ma'amakim Keratikha / From the Depths We Call Out: A playlist for right now
- From Congregation T’Chiyah: Kabalat Shabbat- Singing for a Just Peace tonight at 7 PM in Ferndale
- From DJJ: We hope folks are finding spaces to have their spirits nourished and feel connected. Please reach out if you'd like DJJ to create that space. We’re always a phone call or an email away.
