JUNE 30: Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Luncheon and Facilitated Discussion

The Word Spreads from MI to CA and back to MI!

Dear Deirdre,

I am the Social Justice Committee chair for the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (CHJ — formerly the Birmingham Temple). A friend, Cheryl Willette, forwarded your message about Sarah Towle's new book and upcoming tour. Cheryl knows this is something that would interest our congregation and the many others in the Detroit metro area that we would invite.

I was deeply moved by the information you sent and agree with the urgency of Sarah’s message.  We are strong supporters of immigrants, refugees, and asylum speakers. We have designated ourselves as a sanctuary congregation and, although without facilities to house people in our building, we have and continue to help in many ways. 

Our rabbi has been on the Freedom House Detroit board and we have undertaken numerous support projects in the past. Currently, we are planning to include Freedom House as a focus organization in an event on April 14 and as a recipient of our Concert for Charity on May 25. 

Please let me know if you would be interested in having us host Sarah Towle. If so, what further information do you need and what would our responsibilities be?

Thank you,

 Audrey Pleasant

~ ~ ~

Once again, I bear witness: from state to state and town to town, there is a hunger for truth about immigration and a desire not simply to raise walls to stop safety seekers, but to understand why they are coming and to offer them welcome. Our now new great friend, Audrey Pleasant, not only put Jim and me up in her home on our first night in the area, but she organized the final event of the greater Detroit leg of our launch tour at the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism.

An engaging discussion, co-facilitated by Freedom House Detroit board members over a delicious lunch followed by a presentation and reading by yours truly, stretched well into the afternoon. No one wanted to leave. Least of all, me.

Thus it was with great affection for my thrilling introduction to this part of the United States that Jim and I returned the borrowed Subaru to Marjorie and Chuck, rented a fresh set of wheels at the Detroit airport, and hit the road. We traveled east by land through Canada because, though a New Yorker born and bred, Jim had never laid eyes on Niagra Falls!

Besides, we were heading into the week of July 4th, so we didn’t expect that anyone would want to host a book event that week. It turns out, however, that we were mistaken!

More on that in the next post…