Passover and Easter blessings / How to take action on housing justice!
To the Christians in the ECCO community, I hope you experienced a blessed Easter. To our Jewish community members, chag Pesach sameach, may you continue to have a joyful Passover.
Both Passover and Easter tell stories of dramatic reversals. One moment we face death and despair, and then next miraculous return to life, whether by resurrection or redemption from enslavement. Though it is easy to think of our holiday stories as ancient history, I see them as an invitation toward imagining that a new world is possible. In the Passover Seder, we say aloud, “In every generation, everyone must feel as if s/he were going forth from Egypt.” In other words, we must see ourselves in the story and work toward liberation wherever we find ourselves.
Rev. Channing E. Phillips (Left), Rabbi Arthur Waskow, and Topper Carew on April 4, 1969, the night of the first Freedom Seder. At Freedom Seders, Jews of many racial backgrounds come together with Black Christians and Muslims to celebrate Passover as a call to liberation in modern times. Courtesy of Rabbi Waskow
At the ECCO Community Meeting last week, it was a blessing to hear the success stories that members of our ECCO housing research teams shared that remind us that ORGANIZING WORKS in addressing housing injustice. Together, we identified common struggles and common potential solutions across Essex county and made plans to continue educating ourselves and our communities on these issues. We also received several important calls to action for the upcoming weeks.
Whatever festivals you celebrate, I hope they - and the rebirth that is Springtime - can strengthen you with a sense of hope and possibility, and inspire you to take action to manifest the world as it should be. See below to join us as we take action together!
ACTION: Lynn Unarmed Crisis Response Briefing - Let's Pack the Room!
When: Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 6:00-8:00PM
What: A briefing on the vision, the need and the benefits of independent unarmed crisis response. Join us to hear Mariela Ruiz-Angel, Director of the Community Safety Department of Albuquerque, New Mexico share her experience of building a separate city department of unarmed crisis responders that works. Hear also from members of the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition, leaders from Lynn community outreach and mental health organizations, and Lynn residents share their perspectives on why Lynn needs an independent unarmed crisis response team. Also, bring your questions for the Q&A period. Ultimately, join us to pack the room to show that we care about this issue and want to see an independent unarmed response team in Lynn now!
Where:
If you are a Lynn resident, to pack the Sanctuary room, join us in person at Bethel AME Church located at 72 Silsbee Street in Lynn. Masks are required.
If you are not a Lynn resident or prefer to join virtually, to pack the Zoom room, join using this Zoom Link (meeting ID: 881 1795 5020; Passcode: 238435).
The meeting will also be live streamed to the Bethel AME Church Facebook Page
Continue our housing campaign work with your local team!
Below is a list of the upcoming local team meetings for housing. To be connected to your local team leaders contact Rabbi Margie: mklein@eccoaction.org. If you are already connected to a local team and waiting for zoom information, it will be provided a few days before the meeting.
Salem: Monday 5/2, 7:30-9:00 PM
Beverly: Tuesday 5/3, 6:00-7:30 PM
Swampscott: Monday 5/9, 5:30-7:00 PM
Cape Ann: Monday 5/9, 6:30-8:00 PM
Marblehead: Tuesday 5/10, 5:30-7:00 PM
Hamilton and Wenham: Wednesday 5/11, 6:00-7:30 PM
Lynn: Date being determined. Contact Isabel Lopez (ilopez@eccoaction.org) or Marven Hyppolite (marven@eccoaction.org) to get looped in.
Peabody: Date being determined. Contact Isabel Lopez (ilopez@eccoaction.org) to get looped in.
Join Our Cross-ECCO Housing Education Team!
Interested in working together to engage our communities in action toward just housing through education and storytelling? Join our new education team that will work together to form a plan that can be adapted across ECCO for each of our communities. Click here if you wish to join. ( If you volunteered for the team at the community meeting, you should have already received an email from us!)
Keep an Eye Out for the ECCO Clergy Sermon Swap
Throughout the month of May, ECCO clergy will be visiting each others’ congregations to share the moral imperative for affordable housing in the language of our many faith traditions. We will publish a full list of dates and locations ahead of time so that you can follow, but for now take a look at this list of participating congregations and clergy. If you have questions or want to get your congregation involved, contact Rev. Bernadette at revbernadette@eccoaction.org.
Blessings,
Rabbi Margie Klein Ronkin
ECCO Executive Director