It was Shabbat. Not just any Shabbat and not a Jewish holiday. But it became a Jewish holiday when at least most of one whole congregation showed up at the neighborhood public library.
It was “No Kings” shabbat. When Rabbi Phyllis Berman and I showed up at the official starting time, this past Saturday, there were about 25 people. When we left at 1:30 p.m., there were more than 200.
I brought a sign with a quote from Deuteronomy 23. It said, “If someone fled a brutal boss or government official, fleeing to your own land, do not send them back into serfdom …
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It was Shabbat. Not just any Shabbat and not a Jewish holiday. But it became a Jewish holiday when at least most of one whole congregation showed up at the neighborhood public library.
It was “No Kings” shabbat. When Rabbi Phyllis Berman and I showed up at the official starting time, this past Saturday, there were about 25 people. When we left at 1:30 p.m., there were more than 200.
I brought a sign with a quote from Deuteronomy 23. It said, “If someone fled a brutal boss or government official, fleeing to your own land, do not send them back into serfdom or worse. Instead, let them choose where in your own territory they most want to live. Do not maltreat them!”
I asked to use the bullhorn for a couple of minutes. Then, I led a chant that had just come into my head. (You need to know that I love playing with words.) The chant said, “Love is warm; melt ICE now!” ICE is the acronym for “Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “the official name of a brutal police force that is deporting immigrants, refugees, and occasionally legitimate, documented U.S. citizens.
All 200 people laughed and made the chant their own.
Why did my beloved life partner Phyllis and I choose to join about 200 people at the Lovett Library to say “No Kings!” instead of joining the 80,000 demonstrators downtown where they swallowed up and liberated whole neighborhoods? Because I am 91 years old and my life partner is 82.
We were sure that the massive downtown crowd, impressive as it was for demanding change, would make it impossible for the two of us to navigate. The library was one of countless small gatherings across the country, and in big and even middle-sized cities the turnout was enormous.
As the demonstrators overflowed to both sides of Germantown Avenue, cars passing us honked and honked their approval and support. All over the country, ditto. I am pretty sure that this “No Kings” day was the largest demonstration in American history. The people gathered in astounding numbers, singing, chanting, talking with each other, and making new connections.
“We the People” made it clear: no king, no dictator, no oligarchy tearing apart cancer research or Medicaid. No splitting immigrant families with little children, no deporting people illegally, no ignoring judges and their decisions.
Love is warm; melt ICE now!
Rabbi Arthur Waskow
West Mt. Airy
