This weekend was a busy weekend for MCJC. On Saturday evening, we hosted a game night to build our community. Then on Sunday, we teamed up with the DMV Bund and JVP Metro DC to table at the Free DC activist street fest.
Joanna Silver
@joannasilver73.bsky.social
Part-time federal public defender, part-time organizer, advocate, agitator. Autism mom, pit-bull mom. Still vegan, still late to all new tech platforms.
This week, the Senate will vote on a Joint Resolution of Disapproval to block the sale of weapons to Israel. While @vanhollen.senate.gov is a lead sponsor of this resolution, @alsobrooks.senate.gov has not yet committed to voting for the resolution.
This was such a powerful hearing. Please read the full thread and if you live in Maryland, take action now!
Montgomery County Jewish Collective@mcjewishcollective.bsky.social · 5mo agoMCJC joined a powerful and diverse group of Maryland residents to testify in support of a bill that would force our State Retirement and Pension System to divest from its over $65 million in sovereign Israeli bonds. More than 41 people testified, with only two testifying in opposition to the bill.
Our Advocacy and Partnerships Co-Chair @joannasilver73.bsky.social spoke with @therealnews.com about Break the Bonds legislation in the Maryland General Assembly ⬇️
Jaisal Noor@jnoor.bsky.social · 5mo agoSinclair/Fox45 framed MD's pension divestment campaign as antisemitic. I spoke with the Jewish organizers leading the effort about why they say that framing is wrong — and why a growing number of Americans don’t want public funds financing Israel’s war machine. www.instagram.com/insights/med...
Last week, the Montgomery County Jewish Collective was invited to attend the ceremonial unveiling of a plaque honoring Delegate Thomas Kennedy and the 200th Anniversary of the passage of the “Jew Bill,” a constitutional amendment passed in 1826 that allowed Jews to hold public office in Maryland.
I often learn a lot when I listen to @peterbeinart.bsky.social, but this episode was particularly enlightening. open.substack.com/pub/peterbei...
When Your Country Attacks Your Homeland
Orly Noy on being Iranian and Israeli during this horrific war
open.substack.com
MCJC was honored to be a part of the Muslim Community Center's Interfaith Iftar this weekend. Thank you so much for the invitation and welcome!
An incredibly thoughtful and moving read. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
After my ICE arrest, I learned one crucial way to respond to trauma. We can all take part | Rümeysa Öztürk
I was detained for co-writing a op-ed about Gaza as a student at Tufts. My experience has only made me feel more connected to others facing oppression
theguardian.com
MCJC joined 100s of Jews at ICE headquarters to protest its inhumane practices. We weren't quiet about the connections between repression and occupation in the US and Palestine; a message (almost uniformly) warmly received by other attendees. Credit to @rabbis4ceasefire.bsky.social for the sign.
Happy New Year! We’ve had a busy end of the year and want to share all of our recent work. 1. Our letter of support for @vanhollen.senate.gov has reached over 600 signatures including former MD Attorney General Brian Frosh.
@thehill.com recently covered our Jewish community letter of support for Senator Van Hollen amid attacks from the JCRC for Sen. Van Hollen’s record of supporting Palestinian human rights. Our letter now has over 600 signatures from Jewish Marylanders. Read the article: thehill.com/opinion/whit...
thehill.com
This was such a meaningful celebration at the end of our first year as an organization. If you live in MoCo and are looking for a Jewish communal and/or activist space that centers collective liberation without Zionism, please check us out!
Montgomery County Jewish Collective@mcjewishcollective.bsky.social · 8mo agoYesterday, we held our first Hanukkah celebration, complete with a latke competition, Yiddish songs, learning about the history of Hanukkah with Rabbi Ariel Tovlev, menorah crafts and more! Happy Hanukkah and happy holidays to all! 🕎
So much good stuff in here. One of the most thoughtful and hopeful pieces I've read in awhile.
A Better Way to Approach Antisemitism on Campus (opinion)
Policing speech about Israel is counterproductive.
insidehighered.com
Powerful and hopeful piece in @jewishcurrents.bsky.social
Thanks to everyone who has signed so far. Please keep signing, it's not too late!
Montgomery County Jewish Collective@mcjewishcollective.bsky.social · 8mo agoOver‼️500‼️Jewish Marylanders have signed our letter of support for @vanhollen.senate.gov in just a few days. Join the letter: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Read the letter: drive.google.com/file/d/1TRuG...
Recommended Thanksgiving listening. www.democracynow.org/2025/11/27/i...
Leonard Peltier on Indigenous Rights, His Half-Century in Prison & More
In September, Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman sat down with longtime political prisoner and Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier for his first extended television and radio broadcast interview since hi...
democracynow.org
In case that ridiculous women-hating garbage they published this week wasn’t enough to get you off the times.
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
In a time of ever-present bad news, it is delightful to have a several day run of good news: www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Jury finds D.C. ‘sandwich guy’ not guilty of assaulting officer
Sean C. Dunn admitted he flung the hoagie at a federal agent. His attorneys called it a “harmless gesture” of protest as Trump commandeered D.C. police.
washingtonpost.com
I can't get enough of this local legend.
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action@bendthearc.bsky.social · 9mo ago“A lot of people are talking about how Jews in New York feel about @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social... Well, I’m a Jew in New York! And I’m out here canvassing with my community for Zohran!” Watch Madeline’s story about why she’s a New York Jew for Zohran:
"...in fact, despite their distinct views about Israel, the dynamics that made older Jewish Democrats initially skeptical of Obama are the same that make you and your congregants skeptical of Mamdani....
Jewish fears about Zohran Mamdani reveal more about us than about him — and it's a problem - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The co-creator of the Great Schlep says a prominent rabbi got things wrong with his sermon on the NYC mayor's race.
jta.org
MCJC Member Adina Cohen has filed a civil rights complaint after Club Pilates North Bethesda banned her for wearing shirts with messages like “Jews Say Ceasefire Now.” Read the press release from CAIR ⬇️ www.cair.com/press_releas...
CAIR Submits Civil Rights Complaint Against North Bethesda Pilates Studio for Discrimination Toward Md. Jewish Woman
cair.com
Please take a minute to check out what one of our state legislators is up to.....
Montgomery County Jewish Collective@mcjewishcollective.bsky.social · 10mo agoLast week, hours before the start of Yom Kippur, Montgomery County State Senator Ben Kramer sent us a belittling diatribe, insulting his Jewish constituents and repeating debunked talking points from the Israeli government. Read the letter and our response: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
What the F basically sums up the entire state of affairs at the moment, this being the latest bit of icing on the authoritarian cake.
‘What the F**k?’ CBS News Insiders Prepare for Takeover by Self-Described ‘Zionist Fanatic’
Bari Weiss is expected to be announced as editor-in-chief of CBS News, as employees worry her new role will bring a pro-Israel bias, more censorship, and lower editorial standards.
zeteo.com
Friends, as we approach Yom Kippur and you consider how you can make Teshuvah this year; in particular how you can take collective responsibility for our community's wrongdoings, I'd encourage you to consider this. givebutter.com/FoodAidTzeda...
High Holidays 5786 Tzedakah Campaign
Let’s keep Gaza Soup Kitchen running through the High Holidays
givebutter.com
Grateful, once again, to @vanhollen.senate.gov for doing the right thing, even when (and especially when) the powers that be refuse to.
Van Hollen Criticizes Democratic Leaders for Delay in Endorsing Mamdani
nytimes.com