Creating a Virtual Sukkah of Peace by Engaging in Social Action

October 23, 2024Eve Panush

We have just finished celebrating the joyous holiday of Sukkot, in which we create an actual temporary shelter where we come together to eat, pray, and share our lives with friends and family. Although this happens once each year, on Shabbat during the Hashkiveinu, we chant “ufros aleinu sukat sh’lomecha,” which means to "spread over us Your shelter of peace.” This is a virtual Sukkah, which can be both a personal shelter from the storms of life, but also a shelter in the larger sense - protecting those we love, our friends, and our community. I have always felt a sense of tranquility when I join with my congregation or my Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) sisters when singing those words.

These are difficult times—Americans are concerned about our country, especially regarding restrictions on reproductive rights. We feel a need to connect with those who share our values and our hopes. By engaging with our sisterhoods, women’s groups, and individual members through participating in the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism’s (RAC) Every Voice, Every Vote Campaign, we can create a virtual Sukkah where we can shelter together.  

As an example, my sisterhood, the Women of B’nai Israel (WBI), partnered with the Committee on Racial Justice of our congregation to participate in this RAC campaign, setting a goal of 1,800 postcards sent from our congregation. Helen Nusbaum and Suzy Underwood, who are WBI members, began a weekly post-carding project, during which we met in the synagogue’s conference room to fill out postcards to reach underrepresented voters, help people register, and guide them in creating a voting plan. We also filled out postcards to support the "YES on 4, Floridians Protecting Freedom" campaign to protect reproductive freedom through a November ballot amendment.

On September 30, a group of the participants met at the post office to mail our postcards. Helen Nusbaum reflected on our success of the project on that day, stating, “We started with just a few folks, but soon were able to fill the room. Over the weeks, we made new friends and built a nice community of like-minded patriots. Today the sisterhood sent off 1600 postcards, and through the combined efforts of the whole congregation, we doubled our goal, sending a total of over 3600 postcards!”

The weekly post-carding sessions were more than just a place to sit and write. We shared our fears and hopes for our nation and community, and the event became a weekly therapy session for our souls. Helen often baked a yummy homemade treat, and we bonded over food and friendship. It was truly a weekly shelter of peace!  

At the WBI membership appreciation event, all attendees filled out postcards in support of the Floridians Protecting Freedom campaign, so they could also contribute to this effort. At that event, we recognized the project organizers with the Betty Reuben Social Action Award, which is named after a most beloved sisterhood member who established one of our sisterhood’s most ground-breaking social action programs in the 1990’s to provide folks with HIV/AIDS with a Shabbat Dinner of chicken soup and challah.  

Although the deadline for submitting postcards has passed, there are still opportunities that all can participate in such as phone banks and text banks to reach voters before the November 5 election date. You too can create a “shelter of peace” by joining in these efforts, either individually or with a group.  

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