Completely understandable. It's well past time for white folks (like me) to speak out in greater numbers. I'll be out there tomorrow on behalf of all people who are being harmed by this administration.
Thanks for helping me be better informed than I was -- appreciate it and I know that there's a long road ahead of many different kinds of action needed.
Thanks for sharing this perspective, Rabbi. I agree with you and Janice above, us white folk need to get out and get loud. I'll be at my local gathering.
Wholeheartedly agree. This asshat is our asshat and it's past time we take responsibility for removing him AND reeducating white folk (or at least blunting their negative impacts) who voted for him and his cadre of idjits.
This makes total sense to me and I appreciate your sharing. As an oldish white haired white Jew, lesbian but cisgender and I can “pass,” I feel I can go (especially in Boston) and feel safe enough to- I plan to keep doing this!
I agree that sitting out of protests for safety or because you are engaging in other forms of resistance is the best and maybe the only option for some, but I don’t think we can afford to just “sit this one out.” The stakes are too high for everyone.
As someone who has been out there marching, ‘all hands on deck’ means ‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’. This Nazi regime is going to hurt us all and we could sure use the help out there. Rest later - or do it in the concentration camp where they toss your ass. This is no joke, people!
I, a white Jewish woman, was out there on the 5th. I had wondered why there were so few darker faces. Now I understand and am totally fine with taking up this fight. It’s more than ok!
I encouraged some loved ones to stay home for that very reason. It was my turn, I felt. I am white and old, and I usually stay home now (and protest by writing). But now, it was my turn to show up.
And let's face it, what a telling story it would be, for someone like me to be arrested for peaceful protesting. White-haired little lady led away by masked men...
Thank you for sharing this perspective. It’s definitely our turn, as white people, to show our commitment to turning things around. I pray that our protests, in whatever form, brings about the change we all hope for. I hope we (white people) are able to prove ourselves steadfast, despite the consequences. This is our act of love.
I will not argue the validity of whether Black folks should or should not have been protesting this past weekend. That is a personal matter. What I will say is that we all need to be in the fight. If you don't think that DEI, or Public Education, or Medicaid or School lunches, or Medicare are important to the Black community and are not worth raising your voice or marching to show your support I would not try to convince you or your constituents otherwise.
What I can take exception to is your interpretation of pikuach nefesh docheh et haShabbat. As you well know the idea comes from Lev. 19:16 which makes reference to saving you "neighbor" and has nothing to do with saving yourself. Or as you put it "Sometimes, the most radical act is not showing up, but staying alive." I accept that you feel that way but do not justify it by using an important tenant to do so.
What you might rather do is spend time on how not being involved goes against the principle of תִּקּוּן עוֹלָם TINKUN OLAM. WE abscribe to this view of "Saving the World" because we know the consiquences of not doing so. Those that didn't show up need to understand the concept
Black people are saying that this isn’t their fight. What are they seeing and reading that gives them that impression? I just don’t understand the logic.
When you hear some Black folks saying, “this isn’t our fight,” it’s not coming from indifference or apathy. It’s coming from history, lived experience, and exhaustion.
Here’s what many are seeing and feeling:
A pattern of showing up without reciprocity. Black Americans have often marched, protested, and fought for others’ causes—even when those same communities didn’t stand with us. We’ve risked our bodies for justice, only to see our specific needs sidelined once the dust settles.
A protest not built for Black safety. Many Black folks saw that the April 5 protests didn’t center Black leadership or explicitly address Black issues—and didn’t fully account for the risks Black people face from police and state violence. When protests don’t prioritize our safety, it makes sense to question whether participation is worth the risk.
White outrage doesn’t always equal shared struggle.Some Black folks see white people protesting policies they were silent about—or complicit in—until it affected them directly. That sudden shift can feel like selective solidarity, not true partnership.
Fatigue and the need for self-preservation. It’s not apathy—it’s survival. Many Black folks are simply tired. Tired of fighting every battle. Tired of being expected to carry movements. Some are choosing to pour their energy into rest, healing, mutual aid, or local organizing instead.
In short: Black folks are reading the history, reading the room, and reading our bodies. We’re weighing the cost of showing up in spaces that haven’t always shown up for us.
It’s not a rejection of solidarity—it’s a choice to protect ourselves, to resist on our own terms, and to prioritize strategies that sustain us.
I hope this helps clarify the perspective—it’s not about abandoning justice, but about centering safety, strategy, and care.
Thank you for your response. I am hoping that eventually everyone helps us in the streets. We are fighting quite a battle against basically Nazis. This could really end badly according to anyone who has any knowledge of history…
Completely understandable. It's well past time for white folks (like me) to speak out in greater numbers. I'll be out there tomorrow on behalf of all people who are being harmed by this administration.
Thank you for putting things into perspective.
Thank you. Black Lives Matter. Shabbat Shalom.
Thanks for helping me be better informed than I was -- appreciate it and I know that there's a long road ahead of many different kinds of action needed.
Thanks for sharing this perspective, Rabbi. I agree with you and Janice above, us white folk need to get out and get loud. I'll be at my local gathering.
Thank you, sis. Well said.
Wholeheartedly agree. This asshat is our asshat and it's past time we take responsibility for removing him AND reeducating white folk (or at least blunting their negative impacts) who voted for him and his cadre of idjits.
This makes total sense to me and I appreciate your sharing. As an oldish white haired white Jew, lesbian but cisgender and I can “pass,” I feel I can go (especially in Boston) and feel safe enough to- I plan to keep doing this!
I agree that sitting out of protests for safety or because you are engaging in other forms of resistance is the best and maybe the only option for some, but I don’t think we can afford to just “sit this one out.” The stakes are too high for everyone.
As someone who has been out there marching, ‘all hands on deck’ means ‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’. This Nazi regime is going to hurt us all and we could sure use the help out there. Rest later - or do it in the concentration camp where they toss your ass. This is no joke, people!
I, a white Jewish woman, was out there on the 5th. I had wondered why there were so few darker faces. Now I understand and am totally fine with taking up this fight. It’s more than ok!
You articulate this beautifully.
I encouraged some loved ones to stay home for that very reason. It was my turn, I felt. I am white and old, and I usually stay home now (and protest by writing). But now, it was my turn to show up.
And let's face it, what a telling story it would be, for someone like me to be arrested for peaceful protesting. White-haired little lady led away by masked men...
Thank you for sharing this perspective. It’s definitely our turn, as white people, to show our commitment to turning things around. I pray that our protests, in whatever form, brings about the change we all hope for. I hope we (white people) are able to prove ourselves steadfast, despite the consequences. This is our act of love.
I will not argue the validity of whether Black folks should or should not have been protesting this past weekend. That is a personal matter. What I will say is that we all need to be in the fight. If you don't think that DEI, or Public Education, or Medicaid or School lunches, or Medicare are important to the Black community and are not worth raising your voice or marching to show your support I would not try to convince you or your constituents otherwise.
What I can take exception to is your interpretation of pikuach nefesh docheh et haShabbat. As you well know the idea comes from Lev. 19:16 which makes reference to saving you "neighbor" and has nothing to do with saving yourself. Or as you put it "Sometimes, the most radical act is not showing up, but staying alive." I accept that you feel that way but do not justify it by using an important tenant to do so.
What you might rather do is spend time on how not being involved goes against the principle of תִּקּוּן עוֹלָם TINKUN OLAM. WE abscribe to this view of "Saving the World" because we know the consiquences of not doing so. Those that didn't show up need to understand the concept
Thank you for your comment and have a wonderful day
Black people are saying that this isn’t their fight. What are they seeing and reading that gives them that impression? I just don’t understand the logic.
Thanks for the question.
When you hear some Black folks saying, “this isn’t our fight,” it’s not coming from indifference or apathy. It’s coming from history, lived experience, and exhaustion.
Here’s what many are seeing and feeling:
A pattern of showing up without reciprocity. Black Americans have often marched, protested, and fought for others’ causes—even when those same communities didn’t stand with us. We’ve risked our bodies for justice, only to see our specific needs sidelined once the dust settles.
A protest not built for Black safety. Many Black folks saw that the April 5 protests didn’t center Black leadership or explicitly address Black issues—and didn’t fully account for the risks Black people face from police and state violence. When protests don’t prioritize our safety, it makes sense to question whether participation is worth the risk.
White outrage doesn’t always equal shared struggle.Some Black folks see white people protesting policies they were silent about—or complicit in—until it affected them directly. That sudden shift can feel like selective solidarity, not true partnership.
Fatigue and the need for self-preservation. It’s not apathy—it’s survival. Many Black folks are simply tired. Tired of fighting every battle. Tired of being expected to carry movements. Some are choosing to pour their energy into rest, healing, mutual aid, or local organizing instead.
In short: Black folks are reading the history, reading the room, and reading our bodies. We’re weighing the cost of showing up in spaces that haven’t always shown up for us.
It’s not a rejection of solidarity—it’s a choice to protect ourselves, to resist on our own terms, and to prioritize strategies that sustain us.
I hope this helps clarify the perspective—it’s not about abandoning justice, but about centering safety, strategy, and care.
Thank you for your response. I am hoping that eventually everyone helps us in the streets. We are fighting quite a battle against basically Nazis. This could really end badly according to anyone who has any knowledge of history…
Thank you for sharing!
It is ok. They have done enough. Our turn to help bring everyone up.
Totally fine