14 | JANUARY 16 • 2020

Jews in the D

continued from page 12

building better bridges between
all denominations of Jews, and
between Jews and non-Jews,
”
said Eric S. Goldstein, CEO of
UJA-Federation of New York.
“Building bridges means
putting aside our differences,
religious and political, and call-
ing out anti-Semitism and all
forms of hate wherever we see
it. The purpose of today’
s march
is to loudly and publicly pro-
claim that an attack on a visibly
Orthodox Jew is an attack on
every Jew, an attack on every
New Yorker and an attack on
every person of good will.
”
Young and old, families with
children in strollers, groups
in brightly colored hats and
individuals waving Israeli flags
came in a steady stream across
the bridge for hours, emerg-
ing into Cadman Plaza for a
program featuring speeches
by community leaders as well
as music by singer Matisyahu
and Jewish a cappella group the
Maccabeats.
Sternberg, who moved to
New Jersey six months ago,
said she feels the march’
s mes-
sage, which brought together
Jews and allies, is universal.
“While this was an event
that happened in New York, it
was really for everybody,” she
said. “Though it rallied around
recent events in the New
York tri-state area, the same
things that we were out there
marching for, raising our voic-
es, rallying for in New York
are things that are relevant in

Detroit, in Cleveland, that are
relevant all over the world.”
Ann Arbor native Ari
Axelrod, an actor and director
who moved to New York in
2016 and lives in Manhattan,
said though he is active and out-
spoken on social media about
the steep rise in anti-Semitism
and how to fight it, he ulti-
mately decided not to attend
Sunday’
s rally. He’
d heard about
it well in advance and even
made plans to meet people
there, but Friday morning’
s
news of a strike that killed
Iranian commander Qassem
Soleimani convinced him to
stay home.
“I think that stirred the pot
a little too much,
” he said. “I
wasn’
t confident that I would
be safe or that the community
would be safe. I’
m thrilled that I
was proven wrong, but I wasn’
t
in a place to take that chance.
”
While the march provided a
space for solidarity and visibil-
ity, he said, it has to be part of
something bigger, and lead to
action. “I think it’
s great, but I
think it has to be paired with
something ‘
stickier’
that can
actually hold more potential
for change. It can’
t be an iso-
lated event.”
Rokeya Akhter, who marched
with the Sisterhood of Salaam
Shalom and co-leads its Queens
chapter, said she saw the march
as a chance to “pray with
our feet” and support unity.
“Whenever one of us is hurt, we
are all hurt,
” she said.

“I think that was the biggest part

about it for me, the ability for an

incredibly divided Jewish community

to rally together in that way.”

— RABBI LEAH STERNBERG

JAN 2
5

734.764.2538
—
—
—UMS.ORG

“Only Vänskä could deliver

a Sibelius Symphony that

promises to be as exciting

as this.” (The Times, London)

MINNES
OT
A
ORCHES
T
RA

Saturday

8 pm

Hill Auditorium

Osmo Vänskä, conductor

Elina Vähälä, violin

UMS Choral Union





Presenting Sponsors: Frances Mauney Lohr Choral Union Endowment Fund





Supporting Sponsors: James and Nancy Stanley, Gerald (Jay) and
Christine Zelenock, and the UMS Medical Community Endowment Fund

ALL-SIBELIUS PROGRAM

Snöfrid (Snowy Peace), Op. 29

Violin Concerto in d minor, Op. 47

JAN 21 - FEB 2 • FISHER THEATRE

ON SALE NOW

BroadwayInDetroit.com, ticketmaster.com, 800-982-2787 & box office 313-872-1000;

Groups (12+) Groups@BroadwayInDetroit.com (subject: A Bronx Tale) or 313-871-1132; and oc Jan 26.