I want to give a shout out to all the people who, this week, are doing the oft-invisible work that makes Passover possible: ordering, shopping, cooking, baking, schlepping, cleaning, arranging, calling, and organizing seders across the country. Thank you for being the foundation of our Jewish community.
Elections are really similar. There’s the excitement of election night, but the groundwork is laid months in advance by thousands of hours of unglamorous work — canvassing, door knocking, phone banking, texting, pledge card collecting, house party hosting, and more. To all of you already doing that work: I see you. Thank you for being the foundation of our democracy.
At Bend the Arc, we’ve started this work because on November 6, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate will be contested. Our plan: To build the largest Jewish grassroots election effort we’ve ever seen in this country to educate, register, and mobilize voters in response to this historically dangerous time in our country. And right now, we need to gather the resources to make that possible. Can you invest in our work to fight for the future of our democracy?
As we gather at seders this week we have a chance to inspire our friends and family to respond to the historical moment we’re in and build the Jewish resistance — especially if they want to make a difference but don't know what to do. Here is the wisdom Rabbi Dorothy Richman offered on our national resistance call earlier this week:
One of the ancient technologies the seder uses is the question, “How do you see the world right now? How do you see justice and injustice? What do you think is your response and responsibility?”
These are real questions. People around the table may or may not agree with you on the correct issues or actions, but opening up those true questions as true questions (and not just as ways to get people to where you want to get them) may lead to some hopefully interesting conversations, and perhaps allow for an intention for action.
And as you set that intention for action, know that we at Bend the Arc — as the only domestic-focused, progressive, Jewish advocacy organization in the country — are here to support you, your family, your friends, and Jewish communities across the country. Today, can you invest in our ability to do that on a scale bigger than we’ve ever seen before?
Chag sameach and with gratitude,
Stosh Cotler
Chief Executive Officer
