“Going to Charlottesville I honestly believed my kippah and tallit would protect me.”
How a radical Jewish calendar helps us live out the Judaism we want to see: one of resistance, justice, celebration, and healing.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe says that eikev is a reminder to sanctify our everyday activities: This “lowly” part of our life is the foundation of our relationship with God, in the same way that the heel is the base upon which the entire body stands and moves. So, too, with the people among us upon whom society has trampled, the people we see every day: a moral accounting of our society is one that acknowledges that our relative privilege is built on the suffering of others.
Alas! Alone she sits, vacant lots, empty streets
Abandoned by companions, absent lovers to greet.
Bustling communities pushed out, in retreat
Bereft remnants blamed for their woes.
Jews are suffering. Jews have suffered. Jews will suffer. This is not the full story. Nor is it the only story. But on Tisha b’Av, this is our primary story.
This Executive Order—this Muslim Ban—is an egregious manifestation of Mitzrayim … and even if it is stayed or amended, it is clear we are going to need to remain awake and resilient…. Egypt is upon us, friends, and we’re going to need to be BRAVE, to LOVE bravely – across lines and despite fears.
As we fight for justice, how do we cultivate Caleb and Yehoshua’s willingness to fight for the unknown in a hostile climate?
Rabbi Shahar Colt investigates each of the 10 Commandments, wondering “What is each commandment asking me to confront and explore?”
Rabbinical student Laura Bellows on why sometimes Resistance *is* revelation — and how we can turn to our ancestors for wisdom and guidance for both.
As part of our #TorahForTheResistance series by young scholars and students of Judaism and rabbinics, we offer this Counting the Omer for activists.