Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block: We Were Made for This Moment
Since the 2016 election, people of faith have recommitted themselves to the principle of justice, even as our nation contends with notions of welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, and building bridges not walls.
Faith leaders like Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block, director of Bend the Arc Jewish Action, have faced some of the biggest fights of 2017 with courage and conviction.
Kimelman-Block is no stranger to political activism. In 2013, he spent a night in jail after protesting for humane immigration reform. Since President Trump’s inauguration, Kimelman-Block has spoken at rallies throughout Washington, urging U.S. senators to oppose the nomination of Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, to repeal the travel ban facing immigrants and refugees from Muslim-majority countries, and to preserve the Affordable Care Act.
“We don’t get to choose the historical moment we live in, but we do get to choose how we respond,” Kimelman-Block said. “We were made for this moment. We must resist.”
Kimelman-Block’s fervor for justice is rooted in his faith. “I am a part of a tradition that has revolutionized the world through its teaching of universal human dignity and value, while enduring ongoing oppression in many different societies,” he said. “Knowing that I have a brief period to make my contribution motivates me every day.”