<[link removed]>Friend,

When Yom Kippur begins tonight, many of us will read the prayer Al Chet — a confession of our sins.

One sin I’ve been reflecting on as a Jewish leader comes from “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder.1

The first rule is do not obey in advance. Next year, our Jewish communities must resist trading our freedom and the freedom of others for false promises of safety.

Antisemitism is real and must be dismantled, but some of the solutions our community has pursued have cost lives, limited freedoms, and hurt so many here and abroad. Here are some examples:

- Accepting security funding that comes with conditions like complying with ICE or turning our backs on DEI
- Advocating for policies that limit free speech and dissent under the guise of fighting antisemitism
- Allowing Trump to attack higher education, target and deport activists, and defund lifesaving research in our name
- Permitting others to divide our movements through fear and accusations

This coming year, Bend the Arc is taking responsibility for helping our Jewish communities learn these lessons, make teshuva (repair), and come together to resist fascism:

You’ll hear about opportunities to take nonviolent action in the streets as part of the 3.5% of people power needed to overturn authoritarianism.2

You’ll hear about phonebanks to change hearts and minds where we talk to other Jews about important issues, like protecting free speech <[link removed]>.

You’ll hear about organizing members of Congress so they champion real solutions that create Jewish safety in solidarity <[link removed]>.

You’ll hear about a new network of Jewish communal organizations standing up to authoritarianism and promoting democracy and freedom.

These High Holidays are an opportunity for atonement — and forgiveness. These two endeavors are connected. We must make a choice to reach for and see each other, then teshuvah becomes real. We require each other in this process, just as we require each other for a future with safety and freedom for all of us.

As a Jewish organization, we are asking ourselves, “Have we done all we can to protect each other, democracy, and future generations? How will we bring the holy practices of repair into our everyday work?"

We at Bend the Arc make this commitment to you: to continue to learn and stretch and grow alongside you, to practice teshuvah, and to lead with solidarity and love.

Thank you for allowing us to be one of your political homes and working together for a sweeter, brighter, more free 5786 for all of us.

G'mar chatima tovah, may you be sealed in the Book of Life.

Jamie Beran
CEO, Bend the Arc

PS: The next chance to gather and take action with us online is our Jewish phonebank for free speech this Monday, October 6 <[link removed]>. Come learn how to change hearts and minds while stopping the use of Jewish pain and fear to attack our freedoms.


Sources:
1. Twenty Lessons on Fighting Tyranny from the Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder <[link removed]>.
2. What is the 3.5% protest rule and what does it mean for the US?, The Guardian <[link removed]>

Power our movement's urgent work

The Jewish fight to resist Trump's cruel policies and keep our beloved communities safe will take all of us. Your gift today will power action alongside our partners, organizing in communities around the country, and fighting back in the streets and the halls of power.

<[link removed]>DONATE <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]>Thank you for supporting Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, we can’t do it without you. This email was sent to: [email protected] <>. Inbox getting a little full? Sign up to get less email here <[link removed]>. We'd hate to see you go, but if you want to stop receiving all email, unsubscribe here <[link removed]>. Need to update the information we have on file for you? Reply to this email <mailto:[email protected]>. Looking to make a gift? Donations <[link removed]> aren’t tax deductible but help make this work possible.