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36
March 22 • 2018
jn
he summer we moved to
Parshat Tzav: Leviticus
Detroit, Mike Brown was mur-
dered by police in Ferguson,
6:1-8:36; Malachi 3:
Mo. That fall, when the non-indict-
ment was announced, Justin and I
4-24. (Shabbat
joined with hundreds of Detroiters in
protest.
HaGadol)
Business, the protesters claimed,
must not go on as usual. Justin par-
ticipated in a march onto
I imagine Justin, and all
the freeway and spent
those putting their bodies
the night in jail. The next
on the line, at the altar of the
Shabbat, he was called up
Holy Temple. Offering their
for an aliyah to the Torah
privilege, their time, their fear,
and an opportunity to
their bodies in sacrifice: a guilt
bench gomel, the blessing
offering, a sin offering and a
of Thanksgiving following
well-being offering. Their brav-
a journey or dangerous
ery calls to mind the words of
Rabbi Alana
ordeal.
Psalm 107: “Those who sit in
Alpert
The gomel blessing is
darkness and the shadow of
linked to the thanksgiving
death … Let them give praise
offering we learn about in
to God for God’s kindness.”
this week’s portion. The
Choice or not, civil disobe-
Talmud turns to Psalm 107
dience is an act of faith, an act that
to understand who should recite the
says: I will use my God-given body to
gomel prayer, and Rashi, too, looks
fight for the freedom and dignity of
there for examples of who might be
God’s creatures, and I believe that it
called to offer a sacrifice of thanks-
will make a difference.
giving:
This spring, Detroit Jews for Justice
“One who goes down into the sea
will join activists around the coun-
or crosses the desert or who is bound try in the Poor People’s Campaign,
in a jail or one who is sick and recov-
a revival of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
ers they must give thanks, as it is
King’s movement to “challenge evils
written of them” (Psalms 107:21): “Let of systemic racism, poverty, the war
them praise Adonai for God’s stead-
economy, ecological devastation
fast love, God’s wondrous deeds for
and the nation’s distorted moral-
humanity. Let them offer thanksgiv-
ity.” We will march; we will sing; and
ing sacrifices and tell God’s deeds in
we will offer our bodies in sacrifice
joyful song.”
and thanksgiving because we know
Of course, Justin is well-aware that
another world is possible if we will
his intentional breaking of the law as
only build it.
a person with a whole host of privi-
In the words of Dr. King, “We are
leges, including skilled lawyers at the
coming to Washington [and Lansing]
ready, is worlds apart from the expe-
in a poor people’s campaign. [...] we
riences of most trapped in the vicious are coming to engage in dramatic
cycle of the prison-industrial com-
nonviolent action; to call attention to
plex. Yet, I can say from experience
the gulf between promise and fulfill-
that the relative safe passage ensured ment; to make the invisible visible.”
by race privilege only somewhat paci-
We hope you will join us. •
fies the fear that comes along with
such surrender and descent into
Alana Alpert is rabbi of Congregation T’chiyah
darkness.
and the director of Detroit Jews for Justice.