On Sunday, 44 young Jews from Moishe/Kavod House, Gesher City, and the Righteous Indignation Project caravanned from Boston to Manchester, N.H. to urge people to get out and vote.
They mobilized low-income voters, and sent a message to voters and candidates that social justice is a moral priority.
Young Jews from Boston joined Christians and Muslims from around the Manchester area in a non-partisan effort to get out the vote. The group engaged in non-partisan canvassing in Ward 7 to mobilize low-income voters, especially new citizens, and to send a message to all voters and candidates alike that social justice is a moral priority in this election.
“In 2004, one set of religious institutions monopolized the national morality debate and misled Americans to believe that abortion and gay marriage were the only issues of religious concern,” said Margie Klein, co-director of the Righteous Indignation Project and of Moishe/Kavod House. “Today, religious communities are coming together across class, race, and creed to urge that social justice return to the forefront of our nation’s moral agenda.”
“We can’t do this work alone,” Sarah Chaisson, Warner, N.H. Citizens Alliance Director of Outreach, told the group. “When faith communities join our non-partisan civic engagement effort, it not only helps us reach more people, but also sends a message that many communities care about fighting poverty and defending civil rights for women, people of color, immigrants, and others. Cooperation across lines of class and faith reminds us that that caring for everyone in our country is a collective moral responsibility.”
Shalom Steinberg, a member of Moishe/Kavod House, chimed in. “Every year at the Passover Seder, my family talked about how, because the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt, Jews in every age have to work for freedom in solidarity with other people that face hardship. Mobilizing voters is part of that solidarity work, because it helps ensure that every voice is heard, and that politicians address the needs of every community.”
Fatima Deek, a Muslim member of the interfaith group Mothers of Faith, added, “In my tradition, we are taught to work for a world that is more just, more caring, and more responsible. Civic engagement is an important part of that work. In joining this interfaith effort, we are moving beyond our differences to unite with Jews, Christians and others to build a country all of us would be proud to pass on to our children. Through Women of Faith, I am proud to mobilize women to vote, since women are often hit hardest by social problems, and have been central in every social movement working to create a compassionate and caring America in the past century.”
At the gathering, members of New Hampshire Citizens’ Alliance also stressed the importance of voting. “I came to this country because I hoped to give my kids a better life,” said Agi Vollkomer, a new citizen. “I am voting so I can make my voice heard about the importance of my children getting good healthcare if they are sick, and having an affordable college education. When these organizations come together to encourage people to vote, we are all helping our community make our voices heard.”
Sunday’s event was one of eight interfaith voter mobilization efforts around the country as part of the national Righteous Indignation Project, an effort to organize Jews and other people of faith community to bring these voice social justice issues to the forefront as moral priorities. Launched in December 2007 with a book of essays by rabbis and activist leaders, the Righteous Indignation Project led a training conference for 150 activists that kicked off a coordinated campaign with leading social justice groups in eight cities – Boston, New York, DC, Chicago, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Since the summer, Moishe/Kavod House and the other Righteous Indignation affiliates have partnered with other faith groups to register voters, held “Fighting Poverty with Faith” media events urging all candidates to focus on poverty, and organized debate watch parties. Additionally, the Righteous Indignation staff has produced a non-partisan voter guide designed to stimulate conversation on several core justice issues using various classical and contemporary Jewish teachings. The guide is available online at http://www.righteousindignation.info /resources/voter-guide.