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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.
You’ll hear about organizing members of Congress
so they champion real solutions that create Jewish
safety in solidarity.
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.
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