Dear Friends,
As the festival of Passover begins tomorrow evening, I wanted to share with you all that Temple Micah has signed on to an amicus brief on behalf of Tufts University graduate student, Rümeysa Öztürk, a citizen of Turkey who was arrested by immigration officials two weeks ago. As you have all undoubtedly read in the news, Ms. Öztürk is in this country with a valid F-1 student visa. She is currently being held in an immigration detention facility in Louisiana.
Late last week, Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, whose board I proudly co-chair, was asked to sign on to the brief. After consulting with our attorney, T’ruah agreed to sign on. I was then asked if Temple Micah would also sign on. Beth Werlin, our executive director and an attorney with expertise in immigration law, read the brief and agreed it was appropriate for Micah to sign.
As we gather at our Passover tables tomorrow evening we will read the words “in every generation they rise against us to destroy us.” We also know that in every generation we have been a people who have stood up to oppressors and resisted.
As unbelievable as it is, this is such a moment in our own country. As Jews, we are obligated to resist the actions of our own government. As the senior rabbi of Temple Micah, I am proud that Micah is a place where we both pray and live our values.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel