We are gathered around this table with family and friends to recall and retell the story of our ancestor’s liberation from Egypt; Mitzrayim; the narrow place. Another name for Pesakh is Z’man Cheiruteinu, “Season of our Freedom.” At this moment in history, citizens of every age, race, gender, political identity, religious and humanist spiritual paths are collectively feeling the squeeze, the narrowing, the tzar of our freedoms. Let us protest with the mixed-multitude and get in some “good trouble”:
As the current iteration of Pharaoh, his Cabinet and gazillionaire adviser, assault our sense of safety with daily firings and furloughs of tens of thousands of federal employees and others working in adjacent non-profit agencies,
Dayenu!
As they cut funding for life-saving scientific research,
Dayenu!
As they attempt to limit resources and access to care for Veterans who laid their lives on the line to protect all of us,
Dayenu!
As this vicious band of miscreants tries to do the same with the basic social safety-nets we paid for with our taxes to prevent us from receiving crucial benefits like Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and Social Security for disabled folks and seniors,
Dayenu!
As they abolish the Department of Education,
Dayenu!
As they literally disappear immigrants over spurious accusations and with no due process,
Dayenu!
As they insist trans and non-binary members of our families and communities are non-existent,
Dayenu!
As they try to distort and in some cases erase history, removing all traces of diversity from federal documents, websites and more,
Dayenu!
As they malign and at times ignore our judiciary,
Dayenu!
As they threaten our allies,
Dayenu!
As they laud our authoritarian enemies,
Dayenu!
As day-by-day they destroy our economy,
Dayenu!
As they wreak havoc around the world,
Dayenu!
As they capriciously dismantle democracy and do their wicked best to scare us into stunned obedient silence; we must resist. We must NOT be silent. Let us restore dignity, compassion and justice to our nation.
Dayenu!
As they cut funding for life-saving scientific research,
Dayenu!
As they attempt to limit resources and access to care for Veterans who laid their lives on the line to protect all of us,
Dayenu!
As this vicious band of miscreants tries to do the same with the basic social safety-nets we paid for with our taxes to prevent us from receiving crucial benefits like Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and Social Security for disabled folks and seniors,
Dayenu!
As they abolish the Department of Education,
Dayenu!
As they literally disappear immigrants over spurious accusations and with no due process,
Dayenu!
As they insist trans and non-binary members of our families and communities are non-existent,
Dayenu!
As they try to distort and in some cases erase history, removing all traces of diversity from federal documents, websites and more,
Dayenu!
As they malign and at times ignore our judiciary,
Dayenu!
As they threaten our allies,
Dayenu!
As they laud our authoritarian enemies,
Dayenu!
As day-by-day they destroy our economy,
Dayenu!
As they wreak havoc around the world,
Dayenu!
As they capriciously dismantle democracy and do their wicked best to scare us into stunned obedient silence; we must resist. We must NOT be silent. Let us restore dignity, compassion and justice to our nation.
Dayenu! Dayenu! Dayenu! Enough!
