After the revelations of the death of Daniel Prude in police custody, the protests for racial justice that swept the country have taken on a local meaning. How did you become involved?

I have been attending the weekly BLM protests and rallies here in Rochester since May 30, right after George Floyd’s death. I have been volunteering there almost every week. When I heard the organizers had been arrested just after the video was released to the public, I answered their call for help and went to the Public Safety Building. With everything that happened that first day and the way they blocked off the streets, I was unable to leave until around 10:00pm. After that, I felt compelled to be there fighting for the rights of every person in our community

What has it been like to go out night after night?
It is exhausting and invigorating at the same time. I needed a way to channel my anger and sadness. The group has done an incredible job of organizing the marchers, and teaching us how to protect each other and ourselves. I have experienced some brutal things over these last few weeks, and it has taken its toll on me, both physically and emotionally. I also feel more connected to our city and its people than ever before.

What surprised you most about yourself and/or the protests?
After Daniel Prude’s death, the work became more urgent. This was not just about making a statement. This is about protecting our very lives. The fear of injury has been very real. I have been shot at with pepper bullets and shot at with tear and mace. There were moments that I wanted to leave the group and run to the safety of home. But I didn’t. While that makes me proud of myself, that misses the point.   This group of thousands came out night after night. This group of strangers has become a family in this work. We support each other, both physically and emotionally. Multiple times each night we chant, “Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!”

We bring to justice work our multiple identities, citizenship, gender, religion, ethnicity, could you talk about those that matter to you most?
I am privileged to be white and to be born an American citizen. I am a Jew, a woman, and a mother to two autistic children. I ground myself each day by remembering what I am fighting for and using my privilege to work for equity and justice for every person, not just those like me.

Social justice has always been what connects me to my Judaism. Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof. Justice, Justice shall you pursue. This is a call to action. As Jews, we must actively participate in this work.

As a woman, the work has been more internal. I am learning to stop apologizing for being assertive, to call out double standards, and to push for equality for every woman, not just white women. And of course a few external things, too, including amplifying voices pushing for women’s rights issues.

As the mother of two autistic children, I have learned that disability rights are integral to this conversation and this work. Disabled people are women, and people of color, and intersect with every group that is fighting for equity and justice. My experience as a mother has led me to the realization that the fight for equity for my children is the fight for equity and justice for all people.

What would you say to the Jewish community on the matter of racial justice? How is the Jewish community reacting to the local protests?
Would I like to see more Jewish people in the streets every night? Of course I would. Do we need the Rochester Jewish community to step in with support the way churches have? Yes. But it’s bigger than that.

In the Jewish community, we discuss these issues on a regular basis. For example, we learn that our own experience as slaves should make us empathetic to Black people’s experiences as slaves. As Jews, we have our own immigrant stories, and we learn that we should join in supporting immigrants in our own backyard. But what are we actually doing to support and further this work in our own communities? Are we donating money to worthy local organizations? Are we helping to resettle refugees? Are we working on criminal justice reform? The list goes on, and it involves more than reading a synagogue newsletter and sharing articles on Facebook. Find one issue that resonates with you, and find ways to actively participate in the work being done in your own community.

How do you think White Rochester can/should/needs to support the protests?
 First and foremost, white folks need to listen and believe what our black leaders are telling us. They are sharing intimate details of their trauma, and we must hear what they are saying and accept it as truth. If you are skeptical about any part of what they are saying, or what you are reading, then you can’t be involved in this work.

You can be an ally, an accomplice, or both. Allies are supporters. You can donate to the organizers, the medics, and others who are on the ground supporting us. You can educate yourself about the relevant topics. You can call out your neighbors and your family members when they are sharing misinformation. Accomplices actively participate in actions. You follow the lead of the black organizers. You show up to the protests. You put your body in front of black people who are in harm’s way. Being an accomplice is not for everyone, and that’s okay. We need both allies and accomplices in this fight.

You told me about the defensive gear protesters had to wear to protect themselves and it is quite shocking to hear how protesting for justice is still dangerous in 2020. What would you like people to know about it?
On the day that the video of Daniel Prude’s death was released, organizers got arrested for trying to attend a press conference. We protested their arrests and the killing of Daniel Prude. We were shot at with pepper balls. On that first Wednesday they shot at our feet, as is their protocol. With an N95 mask and my glasses, it was tolerable, and we were able to retreat as they shot at us. On the second day, the RPD blocked off the street, making it impossible to retreat. I purchased goggles at a home improvement store, and that helped.

On Friday night, things went bad. We were marching to the Public Safety building and the RPD stopped us on the Court Street Bridge. I was at the barricade as an accomplice. They shot at our heads. I had a bike helmet, goggles, an N95 mask, and am umbrella. I got shot with mace on the side of my head as I tried to protect others with my umbrella. Others got shot with rubber bullets. I was unharmed, but I can’t say the same for the others who were not ‘geared up’ as I was. I ordered a respirator mask and better goggles online and it arrived Saturday morning. And thank goodness, because what happened Saturday night felt completely surreal. We were surrounded on all sides with nowhere to escape. They shot pepper balls and runner bullets at our heads. They threw mace cans in to the crowd and broke an elected official’s nose. They used an LRAD (long range acoustic device) to make us uncomfortable and disoriented. They used dogs, just like they did during the civil rights marches. I can honestly say that that Friday and Saturday nights were the scariest of my life.

People might think that ‘gearing up” with all this equipment is unnecessary and provocative. I can tell you firsthand that they are wrong. The police have one goal—to assert their power over the protesters and make us obey their orders, whether they are lawful or not. I was witness to the fact that protesters did not make the first ‘move.’ The police advanced on us, and created the violent situation they claim to want to avoid. They do not hesitate to harass and injure us for exercising our rights. The protective gear allows us to continue to peacefully protest while taking every precaution. It may look scary, but we do it to protect ourselves.

More specifically about the killing of Daniel Prude, what would you like to see in terms of racial justice? Are Prude family members involved? What would be most helpful to the family that we can do?</strong
The Prude family has been at the center of this movement since September 2. The organizers work with them on a daily basis. Joe and Valerie Prude have been out with us many nights, including September 12, as we marched to the police substation that dispatched Daniel Prude’s killers. Joe Prude stood between the protesters and the police. He spoke directly to them, asking them to stand down and stand up for what is right. As soon as he went back in to the crowd, the police started advancing. The night ended with more pepper bullets, the LRAD, billy clubs, and unlawful arrests. Free The People Roc is in constant contact with the family, and they support everything we do.

To help in these efforts, there is much you can do. But the most important thing to remember is to always center oppressed and marginalized voices in this work. We should not and do not speak on their behalf. We use our privilege to amplify their voices and to further the cause.

What Jewish values do you see as most important for us to bring to the protests and beyond?
As Jews, know the consequences of silence and inaction. We are obligated to stand with others to make sure it never happens again. And we read Martin Niemoller’s poem:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

To see how Jews draw on our ethical values I suggest two important readings:
URG statement affirm Black Lives Matter affirm that Black Lives Matter
10 Rules for Engagement for White Jews Joining the #BlackLivesMatter Movement

And this is my own daily mantra:
Lo alecha ham’lacha Llgmor, v’lo ata ben chorin l’hibatel mimena.
It is not your duty to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.
Tikkun Olam: Repair the World
We are ALL created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God
Love your neighbor as yourself.
The list goes on…

Rachel Rosner grew up working for social justice in the Reform movement. Her personal passion and professional experience both aid her in the fight towards equity for every person.