Let us cast away indifference to injustice; Let us cast away the times we did not reach out to help others; Let us cast away not being better allies because of our own privileges; Let us cast away the times we did not have the courage to speak up about injustice; Let us cast away that we did not help others because we were happy with our own lives; Let us cast away that we witnessed prejudice or discrimination but did nothing; Let us cast away ignoring those in need; Let us cast away not having time to be part of activism in our communities; Let us cast away not giving tzedakah to causes; Let us cast away the complacency in oppression; Let us cast away………..
Written by Elliott batTzedek:
We have abandoned, we have appropriated, we have analyzed, we have arbitrated
We’ve belittled, we have broken faith, we have turned our backs, we have believed the unbelievable
We have grown numb, we’ve given too little, we’ve given too late, we have given up
We have denied, we have distorted, we have hesitated, we have held our tongues
We have victim-blamed, we have zoned out, we have chided, we have chastised
We have taken, we have turned away, we have yielded, we have yet to act
We have kept to ourselves, we’ve been complicit, we have laughed off, we have relied on the law,
We’ve made excuses, we have minimized, we’ve made light of, we have mocked
We have not noticed, we have neglected, we have negated, we have sent our regrets
We’ve averted our eyes, we have forsaken, we have pitied, we’ve failed to imagine new possibilities
We have explained, we’ve criticized, we have rationalized, we’ve refused responsibility
We’ve shamed the innocent, we have silenced, we have suppressed, we have failed to support
We have talked, we have talked, we have talked, but we have not listened
We have not sought the truth, we’ve theorized, we have told ourselves lies, and we have believed them.
BubbeWisdom 