Hanukkah at the Roots: Night 3 - Democracy - Heather Booth
Heather Booth is the President of Midwest Academy and an Advisory Council Member for The Shalom Center. She is one of the country’s leading strategists and organizers for progressive issue campaigns.
In the struggle between democracy and authoritarian rule—we are on a knife’s edge, in the United States and around the world. On the one hand we see more people in motion, organizing, taking action for greater democracy and participation on a wide range of issues—especially among young people. On the other hand, there are hate-filled and often violence prone threats to democracy that are gaining control of levers of power. These are limiting our freedoms to vote, have our votes counted and have our voices heard. The threats include:
Voter suppression (intimidation, throwing people off the voting rolls)
Undermining legal protections (legislative and court actions to prevent redress through the Voting Rights Act)
Gerrymandering (creating election districts that are biased so they do not allow for representation of the actual popular vote)
Money in politics (allowing enormous contributions—often without transparency—to sway opinion, giving power to dollars over people)
Disinformation (giving false and misleading information so that it is hard to tell the truth from fiction)
Threats to election officials (intimidating people who would manage a neutral/unbiased election apparatus)
Challenging legitimate election results (to undermine confidence in the elections and even attempt to overturn the popular will)
Insurrection (as we saw on Jan 6, where threats to democracy become violent)
In the face of all of these attacks on democracy, people lose confidence in elections and voting—and even more, lose confidence that a government can work for people. So the government decreases in effectiveness and we lose the ability to have a common good, share a common wealth for all of our people.
And democracy means that the people (the demos) can rule. We are the people.
As Rabbi Hillel said: This is the time. If not us, who? If not now, when?
But WE can make the difference. When WE organize—when we take action, do the work, connect with our communities, build democratic organizations, engage on the issues that people care about—WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. Especially when we do this with love at the center.
At Channukah we should especially remember that it is better to light a candle for democracy, for hope and for the future, than it is to curse the darkness of despair or turn to hate. We can turn our anger into action. Our pain into purpose.
As we learn in Pirkei Arvot, that Rabbi Tarfon said, It is not your duty to complete the work, but neither can you neglect it.
And so on Channukah, we can recommit to make this a brighter world, with a stronger democracy for all.
— by Heather Booth
Read/Watch/Listen:
This past Thursday night, our friends at the Workers Circle, in partnership with Center for Common Ground, co-hosted an online event titled, “How Voter Suppression Works Today and What We Can Do About It." With new approaches to voter suppression disenfranchising millions of voters of color, young people, and poor people, the expert panelists addressed two primary questions: How is it that in the 21st century America is still struggling to make good on its Constitutional promises? And what can we do about it before the 2024 election? To view a recording of the event, click here. For additional resources mentioned or shared during the event, click here.
Action Items:
Learn more about Democracy Circles and sign up here. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Noa Baron, Social Justice Organizer at the Workers Circle, at nbaron@circle.org.
Join the Workers Circle on Thursday, January 18, at 7:00 PM ET, for a discussion on how to start a Democracy Circle. This event will consist of a presentation on Democracy Circles followed by an open discussion to hear your ideas, thoughts, and questions. Join us!
Sign the Workers Circle petition to President Biden, calling on him to use his executive power to protect our democracy.
If you’re 30 or under, sign and share the Workers Circle Gen Z for Democracy petition, calling on Congress to pass comprehensive, federal voting rights legislation and end the racist filibuster rule, and Secure DC statehood. If you’re not under 30, share it with someone who is!
Volunteer with the Center for Common Ground. On their website, you will find opportunities to phone bank, text bank, and more!
Join the Workers Circle on Thursday, January 11, at 7:00 PM to learn more about being an effective citizen advocate.
Kavannah
by Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Hanukkah’s origins
Asserted the rights
Of a minority community
To govern itself.
Today many different minorities
Find the election process —
A crucial part of American democracy —
Distorted and endangered
By those who yearn for a
Male white Christian nation.
We look for a Hanukkah light to bless
And for protecting democracy.
We light the third candle
As a symbolic affirmation of
“A mighty woman with a torch,
Whose flame is the imprisoned lightning,
And her name, Mother of Exiles.”
She cries out,
‘Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses
Yearning to breathe free.’”
When Emma Lazarus wrote her meaning
She had in mind a flood of immigrants
But today many communities
Within our shores are exiles,
Are tired
Are poor,
Are yearning to breathe free.
We light this candle as a promise:
We will uphold their presence
Like our own:
We lift this lamp,
To shape a golden door.
Blessings
midrashic translations by Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Baruch atah / Brucha aht Yahhh, Blessed are You, Breath of life, Ruach HaOlam, Interbreathing of the world, asher kidshanu b’mitzvot, vitzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah, Who makes us holy by connecting with the Breath and with each other, at this moment to kindle the light of Hanukkah to see our cousins.
Baruch atah, <Brucha aht> YHWH {Yahh} Eloheinu, Ruach haolam, she-asah nisim — lo v’chayil v’lo v’choach ki im b’ruchech — l’horeinu bayamim hahaeim baz’man hazeh.
Blessed are You, YHWH [Yahhh] our God, Breath of all life, Who has brought about amazing deeds — not by might and not by power, but by Your Spirit — through our forebears in those days and in ourselves, this very season.
Light shamash / helper candle and Candle 1, 2, & 3 of Hanukkiah.