views essay Leading Michigan Poor People’s Campaign T his summer, interfaith clergy and lay leaders gathered to revitalize the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) through six acts Valeriya of nonviolent civil dis- Epshteyn obedience paired with songful, impassioned rallies. Each weekly action in May and June focused on one of the many intersecting issues of violence, racism, environmental devastation and poverty. Leveraging the age-old tactic of creative performative arrest, the mas- sive wave of PPC actions shed light on these injustices all over the country. Across the nation, Jewish institutions got on board with this historic move- ment: The Jewish Council of Public Affairs, Union of Reform Judaism, Bend the Arc, T’ruah and Reconstructing Judaism endorsed the PPC. Locally, Rabbi Alana Alpert, executive director of Detroit Jews for Justice (DJJ) and rabbi at Congregation T’chiyah, worked to cultivate a robust Metro Detroit Jewish voice within the PPC. Thanks to Alpert’s recruitment efforts, the Metro Detroit Jewish community participated in Michigan PPC actions in Detroit and Lansing in solidarity with those directly impacted. Metro Detroit Jewish clergy were trained by the PPC legal support team and spirit leaders of the PPC in order to safely risk arrest at the days of action. On Mondays in May and June in East Lansing, Alpert was arrested along with Rabbi Aura Ahuvia of Shir Tikvah and Rabbi Ariana Silverman of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. DJJ leaders Seth Archambault, Daniel Hurwitz-Goodman, Jake Ehrlich, Dr. Justin Sledge, Dan Klein, Hannah Lewis, Eleanor Gamalski and Valeriya Epshteyn were also arrested. Rabbis who risked arrest included Rabbi Brent Gutmann of Temple Kol Ami and Rabbi Becca Walker, rabbi at Michigan State Univiersity Hillel. Rabbi Jeff Falick and members of the Birmingham Temple were regular par- ticipants as well. “It is important for the Jewish com- munity to be a visible part of the Poor People’s Campaign because Jewish values are human values,” said Ahuvia. “And, to me, it feels important to pub- licly affirm that. I’m also proud to par- ticipate as a religious minority because it reminds the world that Jews are an important part of the conversation. We want to be allies in repairing the world. This proclaims that desire visibly.” Jews have a longstanding history of fighting for social justice since Abraham Joshua Heschel marched with Dr. King to Selma, Ala. Of course, the social justice veins of the Jewish people run deeper than the 20th century. Gutmann asserted that the impetus to take action is rooted in our holi- Contributing Writers: Ruthan Brodsky, Rochel Burstyn, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Don Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Adam Finkel, Stacy Gittleman, Stacy Goldberg, Judy Greenwald, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Allison Jacobs, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, David Sachs, Karen Schwartz, Robin Schwartz, Steve Stein, Joyce Wiswell Arthur M. Horwitz Publisher / Executive Editor ahorwitz@renmedia.us F. Kevin Browett Chief Operating Officer kbrowett@renmedia.us | Editorial Managing Editor: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@renmedia.us Story Development Editor: Keri Guten Cohen kcohen@renmedia.us Arts & Life Editor: Lynne Konstantin lkonstantin@renmedia.us Digital/Social Media Editor: Hannah Levine hlevine@renmedia.us Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@renmedia.us Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin2132@gmail.com Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar rsklar@renmedia.us | Advertising Sales Sales Director: Keith Farber kfarber@renmedia.us Account Executives : Martin Chumiecki, Wendy Flusty, Annette Kizy Sales Manager Assistant : Karen Marzolf | Business Offices Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner PHOTO BY NINA CHACKER Dozens of rabbis and lay leaders join together for social justice. Metro Detroit Jews at a Poor People’s Campaign event est text. “Torah is filled with mitzvot designed to create socioeconomic pro- tections — peah, shmitah, al titosh ger, yatom, v’almanah,” he said. “Moreover, the prophets’ overarching message is religious ritual without derekh eretz, common decency, is contemptible. With all these Jewish principles, is it possible not to feel a sense of religious obligation to help the poor of our country? What purpose does our faith serve if not in helping us become agents of change in demanding a more compassionate and more just world?” | Operations Manager Tara Lennon tlennon@renmedia.us | Production By FARAGO & ASSOCIATES Manager: Scott Drzewiecki Designers: Kelly Kosek, Amy Pollard, Michelle Sheridan, Susan Walker | Detroit Jewish News Chairman: Michael H. Steinhardt President/Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz ahorwitz@renmedia.us Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett kbrowett@renmedia.us Controller: Craig R. Phipps Added Silverman, “The work of the Poor People’s Campaign is deeply resonant with Jewish values and our obligations to care for the vulnerable in our com- munities. It is also vital that we work in partnership with other clergy and people of faith in Metro Detroit as we work together to improve the lives of all Detroiters. I admire and am grateful for Rabbi Alana Alpert’s leadership in the PPC. I am honored to do my part as we do this sacred work together.” • Valeriya Epshteyn is a program associate at Detroit Jews for Jstice. | Departments General Offi ces: 248-354-6060 Advertising: 248-351-5107 Advertising Fax: 248-304-0049 Circulation: 248-351-5120 Classifi ed Ads: 248-351-5116 Advertising Deadline: Monday, 2 p.m. Editorial Fax: 248-304-8885 Deadline: All public and social announcements must be typewritten and received by noon Tuesday, nine days prior to desired date of publication. 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