Never Again Means Never Again!

Our elected leaders

The events in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12th did not occur in isolation.

What happened in Charlottesville directly connects to a growing national movement of White Supremacist organizations and individuals who have been emboldened by the atmosphere of intolerance, xenophobia and exclusion promulgated by elected leaders. These leaders promote these reprehensible words and actions and/or refuse to stand up and denounce them. In doing so, they are complicit with Saturday’s violent outcome.

We are confronted with increasing anti-Semitic, racist, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant, homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic attacks and more and more extreme versions of hate. Today, we commit to stand together with people of all races and nationalities to resist and say “Never Again.”

As Jews, we have witnessed this before. We must strip away the terms “white nationalist” or “alt-right,” both designed to legitimize what we know is racism, Nazism and Fascism, pure and simple.

As Jews, we commit to following the traditions of resistance so exemplified by Jewish partisans, our courageous ancestors of the past century who, in the face of the Nazis unimaginable attacks, coined the rallying cry in Yiddish: Mir zaynen do! We are here!

In their names, in our names, and in the names of all children who deserve to grow up in a country that lives up to the ideals of democracy, we pledge to fight at every turn these attacks on all of our rights and freedoms.

Sign our petition and send the message, “Never again.”

Co-sponsored by: Ameinu | American Jewish World Service | Avodah| Bend the Arc | B’nai Jeshurun | Camp Kinderland | Carolina Jews for Justice | Central Conference of American Rabbis | Democratic Socialists of America Jewish Solidarity Caucus | Detroit Jews for Justice | Fair Trade Judaica | Habonim Dror North America | Hashomer Hatzair | HIAS | IfNotNow | J Street | Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action | Jewish Community Action | Jewish Currents | Jewish Labor Committee | Jewish Reconstructionist Communities | Jewish Women International | Jewish Youth for Community Action | Jews United for Justice | Jews for Racial and Economic Justice | Keshet | Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives | MAZON | Moishe House Boston: Kavod Jewish Social Justice House | National Council of Jewish Women | New Israel Fund | New Yiddish Rep | Partners for Progressive Israel | Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky | Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann | Rabbi Michael Feinberg/Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition | Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum/Congregation Beit Simchat Torah | Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub | Randi Weingarten/American Federation of Teachers | Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association | Reconstructionist Rabbinical College | Ruth Messinger | Sholem Community | Stuart Appelbaum/Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union/UFCW | T'ruah | Union for Reform Judaism | Uri L'Tzedek | The Workmen’s Circle | Alison Hirsh, Kevin Brown, Manny Pastreich, Lenore Friedlaender of 32BJ/SEIU.

Sign the petition!

Petition by
The Workers Circle
New York, New York

To: Our elected leaders
From: [Your Name]

As a Jew, I join this movement and pledge NEVER AGAIN! I join the many communities of people in the United States committed to a country that promises freedom from discrimination and welcoming policies for refugees; rights for immigrants; freedom from persecution based on religion, race, and LGBTQ identity; and economic justice for each one of us. I pledge to resist and fight back against the hatred and dangerous threats that this growing white supremacist movement represents.

I demand that the White House and Congress take immediate steps to stop the spread of fascism in this country. And I commit to take whatever actions I can, including educating myself and others, speaking out on behalf of the oppressed, and working within my community and beyond to ensure that our elected officials act in support of this pledge.

Mir zaynen do! We are here!