Days After the Election, These 6 Jews Have Found Creative Ways to Resist the Result
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American Jews voted against Donald Trump by more than a two-to-one margin. Now, less than a week after the election, some who opposed him are already figuring out clever ways to resist that go beyond street protests.
1. Amy Schumer: Donate to Planned Parenthood
Trump has said that he will appoint justices to the Supreme Court that will overturn Roe v. Wade, the decision that allows a national right to abortion. Amy Schumer and other celebrities have responded by donating money to Planned Parenthood, a women’s health group and abortion provider. The kicker? They’re doing it in Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s name, dedicating their contributions to the extremley anti-choice politician.
2. Ayelet Waldman: Boycott PayPal
The Israeli author Ayelet Waldman is boycotting Paypal, the online funds transfer service, whose founder Peter Thiel and main investor Carl Icahn were big Trump supporters. She and others are doing so at the behest of Shaun King, a writer at the New York Daily News.
3. Fiona Maazel: Bring the Kids to Protest
Fiona Maazel, a Brooklyn author, organized an anti-Trump protest with a softer tone, according to the news site DNAInfo. Leading a group of children and their parents, she and the group demonstrated on Sunday afternoon in front of Grand Army Plaza in the Park Slope neighborhood for love and understanding.
Protesters hoisted signs with slogans that included “Love Trumps Hate,” “Take Care of Each Other” and “I Support Love.” Writing on Facebook, Mazel said that it was about sending the right message to kids.
“I want my daughter to know what positive resistance looks like,” she wrote on the site. “And that we are going to be here for each other.”
4. Stosh Cotler: Solidarity with the Other
Stosh Cotler and her organization, Bend the Arc, a Jewish social justice group, drafted a petition in solidarity with Muslims, undocumented immigrants and various peoples who Trump’s presidency threatens to harm. Called an “An Open Letter from American Jews,” it was signed initially by Cotler, activist Alex Soros, and Rabbi Sharon Brous. It has since attracted more than 45,000 signatures.
“To the millions of immigrants, Muslims, people of color, LGBT people, women, people with disabilities, and everyone who is threatened by the President-Elect and his administration, we want you to know: we are with you,” it read.
5. Send Hannukah Books to Steve Bannon
According to Steve Bannon’s ex-wife, the former head of Breitbart News and future chief White House strategist once remarked that schools had too many Hannukah books when the couple was looking at places for their children. So, Noah Bickart at T’Ruah, the rabbinical organization for human rights, has an idea — mail Bannon some Hannukah books this holiday season.
He recommended sending them to Trump Tower, care of the president-elect. T’ruah wants those who follow their lead to upload photos to Twitter with the hashtag #festivaloffreedom.
6. The Resistance Will Be Livestreamed
New York City Councilman Brad Lander plans to livestream on Facebook his action plan for constituents and the wider public to resist Trump’s policies, according to DNAInfo. The event will be hosted in the flesh at a synagogue in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. Lander is the co-chair of the City Council’s Progressive Caucus.
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon
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