[[link removed]]Dear John,



I hadn’t seen my mom and dad (who live in St. Louis) since the pandemic began. We were supposed to be there for Passover, as we always are, but of course we had to cancel that trip. So my daughter Rosa and I drove out there to spend Rosh Hashanah together. We got rapid COVID-19 tests at the NYC Health + Hospitals clinic on Flatbush Avenue (you can make an appointment [[link removed]] , or visit their wider network of walk-in clinics [[link removed]] ), and then headed out there on Thursday.

It was wonderful to see my parents. I’m happy to report that at age 77, they are doing well. They both teach mindfulness meditation, my mom to elementary school students (after a long career as a guidance counselor) and my dad to law students and social justice activists. They remain ridiculously doting and protective parents and grandparents. And of course the matzoh ball soup and gefilte fish -- and the challah that Rosa has become an expert baker of during the pandemic -- all taste better at their table. Even learning about the tragic and frightening loss of Ruth Bader Ginsberg just as we started Erev Rosh Hashanah Zoom services was a little easier with them around.

We drove to and from Missouri through Indiana and Kentucky -- states with higher COVID-19 rates -- so I’m in quarantine this week and next, following the New York State health guidance [[link removed]] . (I’m already missing my morning runs in Prospect Park, but it was worth it to see them). It wasn’t surprising to me to see those states on the list, since there was noticeably less mask-wearing and social distancing. It made me appreciate the work we’ve done together -- through immense suffering and lost lives -- to build a culture, not enough, but largely, of respect for each other’s lives.

So when President Trump had the outrageous, cynical gall to declare NYC an “anarchist jurisdiction,” my first thought was: if you had any concern whatsoever for the health and safety of your people during a pandemic, you’d be focused on jurisdictions’ COVID-19 rates, and building the systems of support and solidarity that save lives. That’s a different world than the one we’re living in -- but the moral and political requirements remain very clear.

On coming back, though, I was distressed to learn about COVID-19 upticks in six neighborhoods [[link removed]] across Brooklyn and Queens (Borough Park, Midwood, Flatbush, Williamsburg, Kew Gardens and Far Rockaway). We must not lose our vigilance, as fall arrives. We need to recommit to the practices we’ve adopted over the past few months, especially avoiding mask-less, indoor activities with groups of people, as much as we crave them.

On my way to get the rental car last Thursday, I took the subway into Manhattan -- and was pleased to encounter Jessie M [[link removed]] , a New York City Transit employee (she’s a videographer) who has volunteered to cheerfully distribute masks and hand sanitizer on the subways. The spirit she brought to this work is 100% what we need right now -- though it still makes me angry that we haven’t chosen to hire up a diverse public health corps of people to do this most important work ( as we called for back in the spring [[link removed]] ).

It’s still necessary: the policies of social support -- from a public health corps, to the expansion of child care, to rent-relief for businesses and tenants who are at risk of eviction, to support for excluded workers -- are the ones that would truly keep us all safe.

Our toxic politics, and the failures of leadership that we are seeing from the federal, state and city governments, make it oh-so-hard to get there. But it doesn’t take a drive halfway across the country to see. You can find it on a subway ride, or even just a walk down one of our forlorn commercial shopping strips, or in our extra-used parks. I’ll be missing those walks the next two weeks, but am really grateful for the visit with my folks, and for the clarity, as difficult as it is, about the way forward to keep each other safe.

Brad

In this email:
Updates and Resources
Upcoming Events

Updates and Resources

*
Latest
Virus
Data:
Nationwide,
this
week
we
surpassed
200,000
recorded
deaths
from
the
virus,
which
has
torn
apart
so
many
families.
In
NYC,
there
were
348
new
cases
identified
yesterday.
We
have
lost
23,780
people
in
NYC
from
the
virus,
and
245,495
total
cases
have
been
identified
in
the
city.
Currently,
the
7-day
rolling
average
percent
of
tests
that
came
back
positive
citywide
remains
low,
1%
as
of
yesterday,
although
there
were
upticks
in
6
Brooklyn
and
Queens
neighborhoods.


*
Get
Ready
to
Vote:
Yesterday
was
National
Voter
Registration
Day,
if
you
haven't
registered
yet,
you
have
until
October
9.
Visit
voting.nyc
[[link removed]]
for
guidance
on
how
to
register.
If
you
think
you
are
registered,
check
your
registration
[[link removed]]
to
make
sure
nothing
has
changed.
Absentee
ballots
are
starting
to
be
mailed,
you
can
request
yours
here
[[link removed]]
.


*
Sign
up
to
be
a
poll
worker:
The
New
York
City
Board
of
Elections
is
actively
seeking
poll
workers
for
the
upcoming
election.
You
can
earn
up
to
$2,800
by
working
up
to
ten
days
during
early
voting
and
on
Election
Day,
and
a
new
state
order
ensures
that
working
as
a
poll
worker
will
not
affect
your
unemployment
benefits.
To
apply
to
be
a
poll
worker,
visit
here.
[[link removed]]


*
Last
Push
for
the
Census:
We
have
just
8
days
left
to
make
sure
all
New
Yorkers
are
counted
in
the
Census.
If
you
have
not
yet,
please
complete
the
Census
at
my2020census.gov
[[link removed]]
and
tell
your
friends
and
family.
New
York
stands
to
lose
thousands
of
dollars
and
possibly
congressional
seats
from
a
severe
undercount.


*
Unemployment
Benefits:
The
$300
a
week
[[link removed]]
in
additional
federal
funding
is
supposed
to
start
going
to
people
receiving
unemployment
this
week.
Retroactive
payments
of
$300
for
the
weeks
ending
August
2,
August
9,
and
August
16
will
be
available
to
all
UI
recipients
and
Pandemic
Unemployment
Assistance
(PUA)
recipients.
The
Department
of
Labor
says
that
many
recipients
will
need
to
submit
additional
certification,
so
keep
an
eye
out
for
communications
and
follow
instructions
to
get
the
benefits.


*
Commercial
Evictions:
The
state
order
for
a
moratorium
on
commercial
evictions
was
set
to
expire
earlier
this
week
but
has
been
extending
until
October
20.


*
Get
a
Flu
Shot:
Getting
the
seasonal
flu
shot
this
year
is
more
important
than
ever
to
protect
each
other.
Flu
shots
are
available
at
most
drug
stores
or
Health
and
Hospitals
sites,
more
info
here
[[link removed]]
.



Upcoming Events

Thursday, September 24 at 2 PM: Justice in Action conversation series event on the impact of COVID-19 on homelessness in NYC. Register here [[link removed]] .

Join me and JCC Social Justice Activist in Residence Ruth Messinger for a conversation with Eric Rosenbaum, president and CEO of Project Renewal, an organization working to end the cycle of homelessness.

Thursday, September 24, from 6 to 8 PM: Phonebank for the Census with NYC Census . Register here [[link removed]] .

We have just 8 days left to complete the Census. NYC Census is calling neighborhoods in Brooklyn with low response rates on Thursday, sign up to join them to encourage fellow New Yorkers to fill out the Census.

Saturday & Sunday, September 26 & 27, from 10 to 4 PM: West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid Bake Sale Fundraiser at Books Are Magic (225 Smith Street).

All proceeds will go to the West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid’s work, straight back to the community in the form of grocery deliveries, produce deliveries and PPE/cleaning supplies.

456 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-499-1090
[email protected]

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