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.

