Tuesday night I flew into Washington, DC. I got some rest, and the next morning met up with a large group of people in a hotel conference room. I didn’t know anyone but only knew one thing: we shared the same vision which focused on Jewish safety and support.
The Emergency Leadership Mission called for an urgent fly-in of Jewish Federations and other organizations such as the The Religious Zionists of America (RZA). I assumed it would be a normal meeting, one where coffee and snacks would be provided, and they’d go over agenda items. Silly me. Before I had a chance to finish my morning coffee, I needed a bathroom break to re-apply the mascara that had run from my tears. We heard from speakers such as Sarah Milgrim’s parents. These heartbroken parents who are mourning the loss of their daughter, a victim of a recent terrorist attack that occurred two blocks away from where we were sitting. We heard from Dr. Yechiel (Michael) Leiter, Sarah’s boss, the leader of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. We reflected and processed the recent terrorist attacks and then we were off.
We boarded a shuttle to the capitol and started off at Congressman John Rose’s office. We discussed safety in the Jewish community and solutions we wanted to see. I got a chance to tell my unique experience with neo-Nazi hate groups that have been visiting Nashville, and proposals we want to see to keep our families safe. From John Rose’s office, we met with U. S. Representatives Steve Cohen, Tim Burchett, David Kustoff, Ritchie Torres, Nancy Pelosi, Corey Booker, and Jasmine Crockett, and Senator Bill Haggerty. We hustled through the halls of congress and the senate buildings. The more remarkable part of it all was that every single person I met had a personal story to tell of how they too had been affected by the recent rise in antisemitism, many masked under “anti-Zionism.”
By the evening, the group went to dinner and had a chance decompress from a chaotic and emotional day. We worked hard on Wednesday engaging our lawmakers. The next morning, we met up at 8am bright eyed and bushy tailed. I picked up a pump coffee and met up with my group in the hotel conference room again. Before having the opportunity to finish my morning coffee, tears once again ruined my make-up from once again heart wrenching stories. We heard from Omri Miran’s brother-in-law who joined us to advocate for the release of Omri from Hamas captivity. He shared family photos with us and pictures of Omri’s two adorable little girls patiently waiting for his return, hopefully alive. He shared with us Omri’s love for animals, and healing as Omri is a Yoga expert. We heard from Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, a liaison to the current administration who instilled hope in us all and shared an important message he learned when speaking to Yarden Bibas. Yarden Bibas was told by his captors that he could be reunited with his wife and children if he converted to Islam. Unbeknownst to Bibas, his wife and children were already murdered, but he responded to his captors with a simple message, “I was born a Jew, and I will die a Jew.” Yarden’s mother asked the Rabbi, “Rabbi, what does G-d do with these words?” To which the Rabbi responded, “I think G-d wrote those words down and keeps them in his pocket, and when times get tough, He takes out that paper, reads it as a reminder, and says, ‘Wow. What a beautiful, strong people I have.’”
I want to share those words with you because in the middle of all our scrambling and the rush of it all, it’s worth remembering as some sort of genesis.
We heard from the administration’s official from the FBI who discussed how the government is taking our calls seriously. Finally, we heard from Congressman Max Miller from Ohio who told us about a physician who tried to run him off the road while calling him horrible racial slurs and threatened his life in the name of “Free Palestine.” Miller is Jewish and as the physician threatened his life, the physician would yell, “I know where you live!” At the time, the congressman’s daughter was home with a babysitter. Congressman Miller called 911 and after the incident went to work and finished his meetings. He explained that only after he finished his work, did he go to the police station because he refused to allow a racist, bigoted, hateful person to upheave his life.
Mostly, we were united as a group. Some of us shared the same political beliefs, some did not, but our differences did not matter. We were orthodox, conservative, reform, secular, Black, Brown and every color you can imagine. We were short (me), tall, gay, straight, non-binary, men, women, everything different. It didn’t matter. What mattered was the vision we shared for a safer future together. We all agreed we can’t get anything accomplished without each other and I can say with 100% certainty, we as a community are united more than ever. I believe this emergency fly-in, in response to rising antisemitic hate, bigotry, racism, and discrimination, gave us a chance to advocate for ourselves, and gave us control in what feels like an uncontrollable situation, and when we stand together and refuse to be quiet in the face of hate, we will make a difference.
I just want the same thing everyone else wants for their families, which is to drop my kids off at Sunday school and not worry about their safety. To attend Shabbat services and not look over my shoulder. I want safety for my family, and I believe the federal government has an obligation to keep all its citizens safe, including Jews.
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