The New Shul

We are a progressive synagogue in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan (downtown New York).

SERVICES & EVENTS
272 W 10th St
New York City
(unless otherwise noted)

OFFICE
111 8th Ave, 11th Fl
NY NY 10011
212-284-6773 (phone)
212-284-6806 (fax) info@newshul.org
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PHOTOS

Save Darfur Rally

Photos from the rally in Washington DC on April 30th to protest the genocide in Darfur. Click the thumbnails to see enlargements below. Read about the rally here.

 

About the Rally: In our continuing effort to demonstrate our community's support for the people of Darfur, a full busload of 55 New Shul members and guests joined thousands of others for a national unity rally in Washington, D.C. on April 30th. We came away with renewed energy and resolve to combat ineffective policies and to fight indifference and apathy in the face of genocide. Following are reflections from two members who attended.

I really wish to thank Niles and Amy for organizing our bus trip to the Rally for Darfur in Washington D.C., which Niles described as a "pilgrimage" and a "mitzvah." I was impressed by the religious and ethnic diversity of the speakers, which included rabbis, ministers and Muslim imams, all coming together for a common purpose. One of the speakers was a young student from New Jersey, who was the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. She asked how we could criticize the world for remaining silent during the Nazi holocaust without speaking out against the modern day genocide in the Sudan. Other speakers deplored the world's silence in the face of the genocide in Rwanda, and urged us to speak out to prevent yet another human slaughter. On the trip back Niles, in his usual unassuming way, said that he was proud of congregation for fielding a full busload of protesters to speak out against the genocide in Africa. I'm grateful for a spiritual leader who teaches our young people that religion is about love and solidarity for our fellow humans, and speaking out against hate. That's a lesson that was well worth the long bus ride, and one that I hope we have future opportunities to reinforce.

-- Barry Temkin

It was a wonderful day with a huge turnout, but I am disappointed by the lack of press coverage (like page 17 of the Times). I wish there was a good picture of the crowd. I think only the Washington Post really covered it. As we were lying, sitting, standing around having a good time in the warm sun, I was wondering if this could really help any of those people so far away just trying every day not to be murdered or dying of starvation and disease. Rev. Al Sharpton impressed me the most when he said (not exact words) that this was the place (the Wahington Mall) where people came to protest racial discrimination, gender discrimination, the Vietnam War, etc. and those protest rallies sowed the seeds of change, so simply being there for the people of Darfur was important. I'm glad I went.

-- --Diane Temkin