(New York, N.Y.) – A coalition of Jewish organizations today launched a petition drive to combat escalating incidents of violence and hatred in the wake of the deadly Charlottesville clash this past weekend.

“We are confronted with increasing anti-Semitic, racist, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant, homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic attacks and more and more extreme versions of hate.  Today, we commit to stand together with people of all races and nationalities to resist and say ‘Never Again,’” the petition reads.

The petition was initiated by Bend the Arc, National Council of Jewish Women and The Workmen’s Circle. You can access the petition here or at https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/never-again-means-never-again.

Cosponsors include some of the most prominent Jewish organizations:

Ameinu

American Jewish World Service

Avodah

Bend the Arc

B’nai Jeshurun

Camp Kinderland

Carolina Jews for Justice

Central Conference of American Rabbis

Democratic Socialists of American Jewish Solidarity Caucus

Fair Trade Judaica

Habonim Dror North America

Hashomer Hatzair

HIAS

IfNotNow

J Street

Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action

Jewish Community Action

Jewish Currents

Jewish Labor Committee

Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

Jewish Women International

Jewish Youth for Community Action

Jews United for Justice

Jews for Racial and Economic Justice

Keshet

Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives

MAZON

Moishe House Boston: Kavod Jewish Social Justice House

National Council of Jewish Women

New Israel Fund

New Yiddish Rep

Partners for Progressive Israel

Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky/Jewish Theological Seminary

Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann

Rabbi Michael Feinberg/Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum/Congregation Beit Simchat Torah

Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub

Randi Weingarten/American Federation of Teachers

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

Ruth Messinger

Sholem Community

Stuart Appelbaum/Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union/UFCW

Union for Reform Judaism

Uri L’Tzedek

The Workmen’s Circle

Alison Hirsh, Kevin Brown, Manny Pastreich, Lenore Friedlaender of 32BJ/SEIU

Organizers hope to rally support from Jews and allies to strengthen the national movement against hate, bigotry and intolerance.

The petition drive was launched in the aftermath of clashes among White Supremacists and protestors at a White Supremacist rally in Charlottesville. During that afternoon, a man drove his car into a pool of protesters, killing one woman and injuring dozens of others.

The full text of the petition can be read below:

Never again means never again!

The events in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12^th did not occur in isolation.

What happened in Charlottesville directly connects to a growing national movement of White Supremacist organizations and individuals who have been emboldened by the atmosphere of intolerance, xenophobia and exclusion promulgated by elected leaders. These leaders promote these reprehensible words and actions and/or refuse to stand up and denounce them. In doing so, they are complicit with Saturday’s violent outcome.

We are confronted with increasing anti-Semitic, racist, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant, homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic attacks and more and more extreme versions of hate.  Today, we commit to stand together with people of all races and nationalities to resist and say “Never Again.”

As Jews, we have witnessed this before. We must strip away the terms “white nationalist” or “alt-right,” both designed to legitimize what we know is racism, Nazism and Fascism, pure and simple.

As Jews, we commit to following the traditions of resistance so exemplified by Jewish partisans, our courageous ancestors of the past century who, in the face of the Nazis unimaginable attacks, coined the rallying cry in Yiddish:  Mir zaynen do! We are here!

In their names, in our names, and in the names of all children who deserve to grow up in a country that lives up to the ideals of democracy, we pledge to fight at every turn these attacks on all of our rights and freedoms.

Sign our petition and send the message, “Never again”

To our elected leaders and to all who are promoting – and permitting — bigotry, hatred, and violence in our country:

As a Jew, I join this movement and pledge NEVER AGAIN! I join the many communities of people in the United States committed to a country that promises freedom from discrimination and welcoming policies for refugees; rights for immigrants, freedom from religious and racial persecution, and economic justice for each one of us.  I pledge to resist and fight back against the hatred and dangerous threats that this growing white supremacist movement represents.

I demand that the White House and Congress take immediate steps to stop the spread of fascism in this country.  And I commit to take whatever actions I can, including educating myself and others, speaking out on behalf of the oppressed, and working within my community and beyond to ensure that our elected officials act in support of this pledge.

Mir zaynen do!  We are here!

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Individual Signer

 

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