And if you want to pass the word along, feel free to copy and send the text below. Thanks!
This Passover, Stand for Freedom!
A message from Tony Kushner, Adrienne Rich, Ruth Messinger, Rabbi David Ellenson, Barbara Dobkin, Rabbi Rolando Matalon, Tekiah, JFREJ, and friends.
A powerful call for justice is on the rise all over the country. Millions are taking to the streets to defend immigrant rights. In the coming weeks, Jews across the country will be celebrating Passover by re-telling the story of the Exodus- a time when we broke through the borders of enslavement to find freedom in a new land. Today, in this season, our government is slamming the door in the face of immigrants in need.
The House of Representatives has already passed a bill that calls for immediately fining, detaining, and deporting any person with an undocumented immigrants. The Senate is currently debating how to move forward and is considering measures championed by politicians who are pandering to hatred and fear. As Jews, now is the time for us to stand up for human rights and be counted as a community who has not forgotten our own stories of Jewish immigration â both in the past and in the present day.
Please join us in signing the linked statement that will be placed as an ad in newspapers across the country. Visit this link to sign â and then urge ten friends to sign on too.
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/jfrej/
petition.jsp?petition_KEY=255&t=CharlesTemplate.dwt
To a liberating Passover,
Tony Kushner, Adrienne Rich, Ruth Messinger, Rabbi David Ellenson, Barbara Dobkin, Rabbi Rolando Matalon, Tekiah, JFREJ and friends
PS: For more information on the House Bill (HR 4437) that demonizes immigrant families and the move to curtail immigrant rights go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/washington/31immig.html
On the better, but still troubling alternative, the Kennedy-McCain Bill, go to: http://www.immigrationforum.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=732
Tekiah is a Boston-based alliance of progressive Jewish activists working for systemic change in US society. We seek to be a progressive voice in the Jewish community and a Jewish voice in the progressive community. For more info, visit http://www.tekiah.org.
The ad is pretty much ready to go in The Forward and The Jewish Week . The more people sign on, the stronger it will be, and the more people give, the more papers it can appear in! It’ll particularly be targeted toward key areas. Please sign!