On March 23rd, 2024 DJJ leaders performed an original Purim Spiel, re-interpreting the Book of Esther in the context of housing crises in Detroit and Israel/Palestine. The spiel imagines how Mordechai and Esther's lives would have unfolded had they been forced to leave Shushan, and fled to the lands that hold the greatest number of Jews today: Israel and the United States. You can watch the spiel, and some of our local housing partners talk about their work here. Here are some of the character's reflections: 

This Passover, topple the Pharaohs of our time: DTE and Consumers Energy. The next day, let’s take steps to liberate ourselves, and pass affirmative gender ID laws.

Join DJJ in Lansing for a Capitol Day Double Header!

On Wednesday, April 24th we will join with our partners Michigan United and our neighbors from across the state to lobby our lawmakers to Take Back Our Power and get corporate utility money out of our elections and fight for reproductive and health justice too! Buses are leaving from Detroit, Flint, Saginaw and Grand Rapids at 7am. RSVP here (make sure you fill in Detroit Jews for Justice as your organization and Laura Mason as the person who referred you to register) - then let Laura know you're coming!

On Thursday, April 25th Equality Michigan takes over the Capitol for #HateWontWin lobby day - the primary focus will be on House Bills 5300-5303 that remove unjust barriers to legal name changes and codify access to accurate gender markers for trans and non-binary Michiganders. RSVP here and reach out to Solomon for carpool details!

New to our work or need a re-grounding? Come to our Post-Passover  Re/Orientation! Pesach/Passover is one of the times when Jewish tradition supports us to grapple with what liberation means for each generation. Join us to think about what liberation means for you, and how together we can achieve it for all of us. 

At DJJ, we support Jewish activists, advocates, and organizers to make meaningful contributions to social justice movements. Join us!

On Thursday, February 8th, the Detroit Planning and Economic Development Committee held hearings on the Future of Health proposal. Some of our members attended the hearing, but did not get a chance to make public comment due to the hearings' length and other obligations. As such, we are posting their testimonies here. 

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2023 was an incredible year for DJJ. We organized, celebrated, mourned, strategized….and many more cool verbs. But the question that has been flooding my inbox over the last week: what was best? Just kidding, literally no one has asked me this, but rankings are fun, so here are the five best things DJJ did in 2023.

To the Michigan Legislature:

Undocumented Michiganders deserve dignity and security—one critical step to making that a reality is to restore driver’s licenses for all. Over the last seven years, undocumented Michiganders and their allies have gotten the Drive SAFE bills introduced five times, but the bills have never passed. That wait cannot continue. We, the undersigned Michigan Rabbis, call on the Michigan Legislature to pass the Drive SAFE bills in this legislative session. 

Ro'eh - Visionary

Patti Aaron

Harriet and Alvin Saperstein

Macher - Mover and Shaker

Lori Lutz and Greg Gamalski

Roslyn Schindler

Susannah Goodman and Aaron Mondry

Tzadik - Righteous One

Adina Lopatin

Mary Freeman and Andy Levin

Ozer - Helper

 Beth and Barry Goldstein

Justin Sledge, Alana, Gregg, Merrill, Sarra, Aaren, Adina Alpert, and Micah Shapiro 

Janet McAuliffe

Linda and Jim Kohlenberg

Amud - Pillar

 Rabbi Ariana Silverman

Wendy & Elliot Wagenheim

Steve and Miriam Wolock

Andy Nickelhoff and Jo Rosen

Dan Korobkin

Erica Peresman and David Jaffe

Reverend Edwin Roe

Caryn Noveck

Daniel Perlmutter

Victoria Kohl

Andrea and Rob Teitel

Audrey Sasson, Executive Director of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice 

Hayley Sakwa, DJJ Board Chair

Daryl Toby

Alice Audie-Figueroa and David Hecker

Stuart Batterman and Gloria Mason

Marcia and Martin Baum

Michigan Welfare Rights Organization

Thanks to our generous sponsors!

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With gratitude,
Detroit Jews for Justice Staff: Allie Zeff, Eleanor Gamalski, and Solomon Medintz

2023 Myra Wolfgang Awards Planning Committee: Ammara Ansari, Hannah Berger, Jocelyn Cohen, Levi Teitel, Lisa Tencer, and Ronit Wagman 

We are delighted to invite you to join them and become a member of our Host Committee to make it a success. Host Committee members also have the opportunity to join our speakers and honorees for an intimate reception at 6:30pm ahead of our scheduled programming. Here’s how Host Committee members will be able to support our exciting event and ongoing work:

1. Purchase a ticket at one of the host levels on behalf of yourself, or an organization;
2. Invite your colleagues, friends, and neighbors to purchase tickets at a guest or host level. (See next page for more information.)

We hope that your generous investment sparks or maintains a long and satisfying journey of annual support of our work.

Our staff is ready to answer your questions at (847) 990-0207.

Join our Host Committee! (All host committee members will receive an invitation to a private reception with the honorees before the start of the event.)

You all demonstrate what it means to invest in a Jewish left capable of fighting for collective liberation. Thank you for believing and investing in our work here in metro Detroit!

If you have any questions, please contact Allie Zeff at [email protected] or (847) 990-0207.

Last Saturday, the People's Water Board Coalition hosted the premiere of Kate Levy's recent film, 'Whose Water', at the Wayne County Community College NW Campus.

Jews For Racial & Economic Justice, Jewish Community Action, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Detroit Jews for Justice, and Carolina Jews for Justice released the following statement in response to the Biden Administration's historic announcement of a national strategy to combat antisemitism:

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! 

This shabbos, I have a lot to celebrate!

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. 

Here is a copy of the joint fundraising email we sent out yesterday, in partnership with Michigan Voices:

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO DJJ AND MI VOICES

Here is the mass email we sent out the day after Election day: 

Public Transportation: A Jewish Value

Source Sheet by Rabbi David Polsky and Detroit Jews for Justice; Translations adapted from Sefaria

To access a printable version, click here

We are so thrilled to announce the formation of DJJ's first Board of Trustees! 

Shalom chaverim! My time as a DJJ staff member has come to a close. It was just one chapter in a long-term story of commitment to the cause of pulling the Jewish community to the left while building Jewish community within the justice movements of our time.

Hiya DJJ Fam! My name is Solomon (he/him), and I am straight up elated to be DJJ’s new Organizer for Fundraising and Communications.