Washington, DC – In a new op-ed in The Forward, National Council on Jewish Women’s CEO, Sheila Katz, writes that “Yom Kippur is a time for the accounting of the soul—to own how we have been complacent, complicit, taken the easy way out.” On immigration, she argues, we have a lot to atone for. Katz writes:
[A]s our country’s focus turns to impeachment, we cannot neglect the fact that the current administration is moving to collect DNA samples from detained immigrants or forget the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent decision that the Trump administration can deny asylum requests to migrants who traveled through Mexico or another country without seeking protection there. For people are still there being detained at this very moment, and they’re still suffering, even while political drama unfolds in Washington D.C.
Based on her experience visiting Juarez, Mexico as part of a delegation lead by HIAS, she reviews how our collective response to Trump’s immigration policies has stacked up against the traditional Yom Kippur liturgical teachings:
Ashamnu, as the traditional Yom Kippur liturgy demands we say: We are guilty. When Americans learned about family separation last summer, we took to the streets, but we have not done enough since.
Bagadnu, we have betrayed. When we learned how devastating the conditions are in detention camps, our social media was abuzz for a few days, but then it returned to normal.
Gazalnu, we have taken. When President Trump forced people fleeing violence to wait in Mexico while their claims were heard, there was almost nary a peep from those of us with privilege and access.
Dibarnu dofi. We misused our speech, by not using it enough. When President Trump effectively cancelled asylum for nearly everyone passing through Mexico we, once again, said nothing. Did nothing.
Katz concludes: “Yom Kippur is a time for the accounting of the soul—to own how we have been complacent, complicit, taken the easy way out. The Trump administration has been perpetrating harm against immigrants yearning to breathe free for years, and many of us have, maybe, donated a little money here or there, maybe updated our Facebook status there. It’s not enough. The hour demands more from us.”
Read Katz’s full op-ed at The Forward.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of 53 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants.
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