Back in January, Jeff Basch posted on Reconchat about an interfaith coalition on immigration coming together in Ann Arbor. When he asked if any of us were interested, it called out to me.
I had worked for eight years as a Spanish interpreter in courts, hospitals, schools and community mental health. I was often there in people’s most difficult, intimate moments—during jail visits, medical procedures, school meetings with parents, and in the privacy of therapists’ offices.
In those years, I got to know the Latino community. What I saw were people working multiple jobs to feed and clothe their kids, paying social security taxes they’d never collect on, and trying their best to live under the radar. They took jobs no one else wanted. They prioritized family and friends. They went to church. They are not so different from any of us. And they are here for the same reasons most of our ancestors came: To escape danger and/or seek a better life for themselves and their kids.
They do not merit the harsh, dehumanizing treatment they are receiving. The Torah calls on us 36 times to care for the stranger in our midst, often cited as the most frequently mentioned commandment. If there ever were a time to heed the call to defend our immigrant neighbors, it is now.
In what became the Interfaith Funds for Immigrant Justice coalition, 23 congregations committed to raising $100,000 so that the Michigan Immigration Rights Center (MIRC) could hire more legal staff. At the AARC, David Speyer quickly organized an immigration-themed Purim party to raise money. In mid-March, Kira Berman put on a benefit cocktail party. You can read about our next fundraiser below.
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The Latin Music & Dance CELEBRATION! on Saturday, June 13, 6:00-9:00 pm, is our next benefit for MIRC. Paul Vornhagen’s Afro-Cuban jazz band Tumbao Bravo will headline an evening of music for listening and dancing. We’ll be at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Abor, which is co-sponsoring the event with us and providing the venue.
The doors for the event will open at 6:00 with dinner from Pilar’s Tamales and a cash bar. A salsa lesson with Mambo Marci from YA Salsa will start at 6:30. The band will take the stage at 7:15.
During the intermission, we’ll hear from Molli, a member of the UU congregation who answers the MIRC hotline. She’ll share some of the stories she hears from callers and help put a face on the people we are supporting.
It should be a fun, high-energy evening. And a chance to take a break from the depressing daily news cycle, find a little joy, and show support for our neighbors. Please plan to attend!
Tickets are $50 per person. The deadline for registering is June 6. Those who cannot attend are encouraged to donate. Buy your tickets or donate here!
