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Dear Friend,
Tonight is the start of Hanukkah, a celebration of hope and
persistence in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Jewish holidays,
even Hanukkah with its complex historical roots, offer us an
opportunity to find our individual and collective
resilience.
So here’s Bend
the Arc's Hanukkah Gift Guide with eight (free!) gifts
for our multiracial movement. It’s perfect to read as you light
candles. Or take a moment now to invite in the warmth of
Hanukkah. Chag sameach (happy holiday)!
1. Our bodies: Our bodies carry the memories and
weight of the past, and they are stronger for it. We physically
remember our communities and families overcoming struggle — it’s in
our bones and our hearts. When we harness our memories of strength, we
make room in our bodies for moving into new futures and new liberated
possibilities.
2. Our resilience: The arc of the moral universe
is long, but it bends toward justice. In every generation, our safety
and freedom has expanded because of love, commitment, and
perseverance. We remind ourselves of our history of resilience to
affirm that we are prepared to face today’s challenges and those to
come.
3. Our partners: Through our relationships, we
find light in the darkest of times. Our partners, neighbors, and
allies are the erev rav (mixed multitude) of our dreams — a
multiracial, multigenerational, democratic community. Our futures are
shared and enriched by mutual care and responsibility. When we act
together, we can defeat those who would try to divide us.
4. Our ancestors: We are here today because our
ancestors found a roadmap for their future, our present. We are shaped
by their struggles and their decisions. We carry and build on their
traditions, songs, stories, and more to forge new paths towards joy
and liberation — knowing that we are the ancestors for generations to
come.
5. Our teachers: Like candles, our teachers light
the way forward. The pursuit of knowledge and wisdom gives us the
tools to understand the past and to create our collective liberated
future. We each have knowledge to share, and what we do not yet know,
we can learn.
6. Our Jewish practices: When we stay curious and
in conversation with each other, we can find new meaning in even the
oldest practices. Just as our sages pored over texts and traditions,
we continue to be inspired by what Judaism teaches us — how it grounds
and commits us in the pursuit of justice.
7. Our vision: We share a vision, a North Star, of
a country free from white supremacy, where Black liberation is
realized, and all people are thriving. Holding this vision, and
knowing that we share it with our friends and neighbors, brings us
closer every day to the world we want to see. The vision belongs to
all of us, and Jewish communities have a role to play in moving toward
our vision in solidarity.
8. Our organizing: We have a path to create the
future we want and deserve. We are powerful as a multiracial Jewish
community, and together we can influence the communities and country
around us. We can invest in new systems, structures, and governance
that support each of us to thrive. The possibilities of what we will
build are endless, and they will continue to grow with our power.
These are only a handful of the gifts we are grateful for within
our communities and in our movement work. What gifts are you thinking
about this Hanukkah, and what gifts will you be sharing with your
loved ones? Write back to let us know.
In solidarity,
The Bend the Arc Team
Read
and share these gifts on our website here.
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