No $ for the wall!
On December 4, I had the privilege of participating in an interfaith vigil to urge Congress to reject unjust immigration funding. Organized by the Episcopal Church, faith leaders representing various traditions spoke out against funding for expanded border enforcement, detention, and deportation. Despite the cold and the road closures at the Capitol, I was so proud to be a part of an inspiring message of love and welcome.
My remarks:
“Hi. My name is Faith Williams and I’m the Senior Manager of Government Relations at the National Council of Jewish Women. Thank you to Lacy and the Episcopal Church for organizing this vigil.
“A nation’s budget is reflective of its values. In the next two weeks, Congress must decide how to fund the Department of Homeland Security for the rest of this fiscal year. That means deciding whether or how much to fund a border wall, increased detention beds, and enhanced immigration enforcement. At the National Council of Jewish Women, we believe that our taxpayer dollars are better spent on the vital needs of our communities, like health care, education, or basic human needs — not on border enforcement, detention, and deportation.
“Given the president’s focus on building a wall, I spent some time thinking and researching about different ways walls come into play in the Jewish tradition. One story I found particularly interesting. In Bamidbar, or the book of Numbers, spies sent by Moses to reconnoiter Canaan report back that the cities were fortified and the people mighty — it could not be conquered. Forty years later, when Joshua sent spies to Jericho, they found the opposite — the people were in fact afraid of the Israelites. The Midrash, ancient commentary on the Torah, provides an explanation. It says, “If they live in unwalled cities, they are strong and trust in their own strength. If, however, they live in fortified cities, they are weak and insecure.” Put simply, people who are strong do not have to live behind defensive walls.
“This power imbalance gets lost in the Trump administration’s twisted narrative about migrants at our southern border. They are individuals and families fleeing violence, the young and the elderly, LGBTQ folks and pregnant women. Instead of responding with troops authorized to use lethal force and miles of barbed wire, we should protect those seeking refuge, and provide services and assistance. As Jews we believe that we are all b’tzelem Elohim, made in the image of G-d. Every person and family deserves safety and dignity, regardless of their immigration status.
“Despite efforts to convince the American people of the contrary, what’s happening at the US-Mexico border is not an invasion. We’re not at risk. Our nation is strong. We do not have to spend billions to build a wall we do not need, prosecute people who have committed no crime, or jail children who pose no threat. Only weak people need strong walls.”
Source: Parshat Shelach: Without Walls, by Britain’s Former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (https://www.ou.org/torah/parsha/rabbi-sacks-on-parsha/covenant_and_conversation_withoutwalls/)
