Although I often attribute my interest in social justice to my having attended a Quaker college, my first foray into activism was when I was a teenager and I attended a rally on behalf of Soviet Jews, known as refuseniks, who were being prevented from emigrating. I often feel called to take political action when the injustice feels personal.

In recent years, I've focused my activism on racial justice, environmental justice, and justice for migrants, serving as an advisory board member and volunteer with the Jewish Climate Action Network of Georgia (JCAN-GA), a project of Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL). For many years, I joined faith leaders in protesting the introduction of religious freedom bills in the state legislature, which would provide the state with a license to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ Georgians. Every year I march in the Atlanta Pride Parade and raise funds to support SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity.

Photo Gallery (2016-2023)

In December 2018, I took a trip with colleagues to Nogales, both to bear witness to the crisis at the border, as well as to offer humanitarian aid and support to families suffering separation and deportation. Summer 2019 through summer 2020, I volunteered with the New Sanctuary Movement of Atlanta, accompanying asylum seekers in immigration court, joined protests against the horrible conditions for immigrants and mourned the murder of so many Black Americans.

While we missed being able to celebrate and educate about justice in person during COVID, I was happy to be able to plant with Trees Atlanta in January 2020 and 2021, and delighted to be in Ottawa in August 2022 to celebrate Capital Pride Shabbat & Weekend with the Bayit Board and friends. It was a joy to celebrate Atlanta Pride in October 2022 and a privilege to stand together under the Gold Dome to oppose discriminatory laws during the 2023 legislative session.

Nogales (December 17-19, 2018)

Photographs:

View from Shell gas station parking lot in Nogales, AZ

Reciting travelers’ prayer before crossing border

Walking across the border from Nogales, AZ to Nogales, Sonora

The Comedor at KINO Border Initiative (5-15)

Boarding bus to downtown Nogales, Sonora

View from highway overpass of cars and trucks waiting to enter U.S.

DeConcini Crossing in Nogales, Sonora (18-20)

Walking along the border wall in Nogales, Sonora (20-25)

Mariposa Crossing (26-27)

Journey through the Desert, Arivaca, AZ (28-40)

Blog Posts and Media Coverage:

"An Assembly Line at U.S.-Mexico Border" (Washington Jewish Week 12/26/2018)

Mission at the Mexico-US Border (Rabbis Without Borders 12/27/2018)

"Hands on Fire" (1/3/2019)

"Praying at the Wall" (1/9/2019)

"Tuscon rabbi hosts dinner for Jewish educators visiting border" (Arizona Jewish Post 1/10/2019)

"My Day in Court" (1/17/2019)

"Wandering in the Desert" (Rabbis Without Borders 1/24/2019)

"At border, migrants' plight like being trapped in burning building" (NJ Jewish News 3/18/2019)