We know what it means for a government to curtail the rights of some citizens based on prejudice. In the words of Rabbi Joachim Prinz at the March on Washington in 1963, in the face of injustice “bigotry and hatred are not the most urgent problem — the most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.”
It’s what motivated the Jewish allies of the mid-century Civil Rights Movement, and it’s what continues to motivate us today to join with allies new and old in the modern-day fight for civil rights and inclusion.
We believe fiercely in the voting rights of all citizens. We believe fiercely in protecting marriage equality and expanding workplace protections. And we believe fiercely that civil rights are not contingent on race, faith, gender, sexual orientation, or class — that until all of us can be free, none of us can be free.
As a people who have faced persecution for our religious beliefs before, and still face hatred today, we ally ourselves with all religious minorities in this country who are working to secure lives free from fear, government persecution, or infringement on their right to worship as they choose.