| | Dear Friend, At the Workers Circle, we teach that our activist campaigns are a marathon, not a sprint. I was reminded of this last month, on the day after the Senate Republicans and two Senate Democrats voted to protect the filibuster and suspend debate on the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, dealing a serious blow in our efforts for federal legislation to ensure equal access to the ballot for every American. Workers Circle activists of all ages returned to the Capitol entrance to continue the fight to protect our democracy. Every important campaign faces significant challenges along its route. To get to our finish line, we must have stamina, strategy, resources, and short and long-term goals. Our voting rights campaign has all of these, and despite the Senate setback, our community remains committed to the hard work to achieve our goal: federal legislation that protects every person’s right to vote and have their vote counted. Since January, over 250 new bills have begun moving through state legislatures that will restrict the right of people to vote — many of them drafted to target voters of color and the poor — and are designed to compromise independent election oversight. Our voting rights activism must continue apace. In the first two months of 2022, hundreds in our community have joined us for protests, for phone-banking events and informative programs including First Fridays and Live from the Frontlines: Protecting American Democracy with Journalist Ari Berman. Next week, the Workers Circle is joining Black Voters Matter in Alabama for the 57th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march. In Alabama, we will advocate for everyone’s right to vote while we trace the steps of John Lewis, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the thousands of freedom fighters whose courage and sacrifice resulted in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. When we look back at the 1960s civil rights actions, we see an example of a long-term campaign that resulted in critical change in our world. In 2022, we must follow this example. The pursuit of social justice is one way that we honor our Yiddishkayt heritage. We also honor it with energizing programs and classes that celebrate the Yiddish language and Jewish traditions. Less than a week after our most recent trip to DC, I participated in Winter in Yiddishland on Zoom and joined in a celebratory and energizing full-day program with more than 1,000 members of our community. In this edition of The Call, you will learn more about our online events, our spring semester of Yiddish classes, the Selma to Montgomery March, our local school communities and more. While many things in our country and our world continue to challenge us all, there is strength to be found in our Workers Circle community, a welcoming community where we share challenges, victories, and celebrate our Yiddishkayt traditions every day. | | | | | | | | | | Voting Rights Phone Banks Did you know that Workers Circle hosts weekly phone-banking events via Zoom? Working with the Center for Common Ground, a people of color led organization, we place calls to voters of color in states where voter suppression laws target them, to equip them to navigate this difficult terrain to register and cast their ballot. No experience is necessary; we’ll teach you! We’ve just finished supporting mail-in voters in the Texas primary and our next wave of phone banks will start mid-March. We also make calls at the end of informational social justice programs and have special programs with celebrities. Mark Hamill joined us in the fall of 2020, and just last month, award-winning actress Edie Falco joined us to call on the Senate to urge passage of voting rights legislation. You don’t have to leave your home to make your voice heard. We’ll keep you posted on upcoming opportunities to make calls in the weekly events email. | | | | Live from the Frontlines with Ari Berman In February, the Workers Circle welcomed back award-winning Journalist Ari Berman for a conversation with Workers Circle Social Justice Director Noelle Damico on protecting our democracy. Over 700 people registered and the event was co-sponsored by 34 civil rights, voting rights, and Jewish organizations. The program is a wonderful primer on where things stand right now with voting rights and election integrity and includes an evergreen call-in script to the Senate. Watch and share a recording of this program on YouTube. | | | | | | YIDDISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE | | | | | | | You can still register for one or more of our online Yiddish classes which start this week. Our classes are designed for every age and skill level, from absolute beginner to total maven. Join us on Zoom for sessions focusing on conversation, literacy, nonfiction, literature, music, translation, poetry, theater, and more! Find out for yourself why more than a thousand people take our classes each year. More information can be found at www.circle.org/2022yiddish. | | | | A Tour of Jewish Kazimierz We were thrilled to partner with Jewish Life Television (JTV) on Saturday, January 29, during which our Virtual Tour of Kazimierz, the historic Jewish quarter in Krakow, Poland, was shared with their wide audience. This program was produced for us by Tomasz Cebulski, Ph.D., at Sky Heritage Pictures (also our Scholar-in-Residence on Jewish Journeys to Eastern Europe). If you missed the initial broadcast or our program featuring this video, you can view it on Facebook and YouTube. | | | | KinderKlub Yiddish is Back! Families with children ages 6-12 will once again explore Yiddish culture and language with master klezmer fiddler and award-winning children’s educator Deborah Strauss. Our beloved KinderKlub class will run for 5 sessions starting on Sunday, March 20. Learn how your kinder can attend the first class for free at www.circle.org/kinderklubyiddish. | | | | Winter in Yiddishland For the first time ever, our Trip to Yiddishland traveled to a new season—Winter. Last month our international mishpokhe came together on Zoom for a day of Yiddish classes for all levels and ages, lectures by Yiddish scholars, klezmer, and Yiddish song and Yidishe nigunim workshops. One of the day’s highlights was the inaugural Workers Circle Annual Lorraine Buch Yiddish Concert during which 25 international performers honored the memory of a longtime member, generous legacy donor, and Yiddish music lover with an exciting blend of Yiddish song, poetry, wit, and klezmer music. You can watch a recording of this program on YouTube. | | | | | | | | | | Young Workers Circle Members Serve their Westchester Community In preparation for their B’nei mitsve, Workers Circle Westchester School students are developing social action projects, all driven by their own unique interests. They are currently collecting shoes to send to the Dominican Republic, getting supplies for Ronald McDonald House, making dog toys for a shelter, and raising money for a hospital-based clown care organization. | | | | | | | | A Groysn Dank! Thanks to our members, allies, and supporters.
Thanks to our Featured 2021 Virtual Benefit sponsor: Anonymous And thanks to the following Foundations for your contributions to the Workers Circle: Atran Foundation, Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation, Inc., The Michael and Alice Kuhn Foundation, The Slomo & Cindy Silvian Foundation, Chaim Schwartz Foundation, Merle S. Cahn Foundation, Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher Foundation, The Jewish Education Project/UJA Federation of New York, Jewish Social Justice Roundtable/UJA Federation of New York, Sidney S. Stern Memorial Trust, R&S Strauss Family Foundation, and Sonya Staff Foundation. Questions? Email us at info@circle.org or call 212.889.6800. 247 West 37th Street, 5th floor | NY, New York 10018 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
