Image by Getty Images

By Ann Toback November 14, 2016

Last Tuesday’s election result was a historic setback for all those who envision the United States as a welcoming and nurturing home to everyone. This unprecedented outcome flies in the face of the rights and privileges which are the foundation of our democracy and the progressive Jewish values which have served as a lodestar to the Workmen’s Circle community.

I grew up with the famous Joe Hill quote: “Don’t mourn, organize!” But it wasn’t until now that I truly understand and feel the depth of his words. No matter how discouraged we may feel, we must use this moment to organize a new progressive movement to carry us forward. We must take on the mantle of our Workmen’s Circle founders, who over a century ago came here to the United States looking for a better world. Founders who fought against prejudice much like we are seeing around us today. We are now charged to rebuild that world, and we can and must empower a movement to do it.

So what’s next? What do we tell our children? What do we say to our community?

We tell them that there is hope for the future. We teach them the path to shaping a better tomorrow. And we all set the example of acting on our progressive values. We certainly can’t downplay how bad these election results are for us all, but we must be careful not to give in to defeatism. Because, as of this moment, the new status quo is unthinkable.

In this state of uncertainty, the Workmen’s Circle has over a hundred-year history of fighting for workers’ rights, for standing together against oppression, and embodied our progressive values. We have fought long battles for the right to organize, for education for all, and for access to affordable healthcare. We have stood as a united community against racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-LBGTQ and anti-immigrant ideologues. And, we have built our work on the Jewish tradition of pursuing social and economic justice.

Today our progressive activist traditions couldn’t be more critical to building a future we can all proudly support. So our message to our children and to each other must be multi-pronged:

First: They are going to be safe. America is still a democracy, and our community will stand strong to make sure our democracy continues to function.

Second: We have the unique opportunity to shape a better future. In our community, no one is alone, we will collectively act to change the world.

Third: We will strategically work to forward and share our progressive values with each other and those outside of our activist community.

Today, we must recommit to the hard work of building a progressive movement that will be the architect of a better world for us all.

This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.

We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.

This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.

With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.

The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.

Don't just read the Forward - invest in it. Make a matched gift today.

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$120 $180 $360 OTHER AMOUNT