Climate March Grows! --
JCPA Signs On;
March Plans & Schedule Explained Below
Dear friends --
The People’s Climate March in NYC on Sunday, September 21, may well be at the level of 250,000. Many many groups and contingents have formed – Faith Communities (within which there will be a Jewish grouping), Businesses, Students, Labor Unions, Environmentalists, and many many more.
I am especially happy to report that four important Jewish organizations – the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL); the broadest Jewish umbrella organization, the Jewish Council on Public Affairs; the Union for RTeform Jdaism (the American Jewish organization with the largest number of individual members); and the Central Conference of American Rabbis -- have just now joined as endorsers. Bruchim haba'im, Blessed are those who Arrive!
The fullest list we have of Jewish endorsers is on our Home Page, at
https://theshalomcenter.org/content/what-jewish-organizations-are-sponsoring-peoples-climate-march
To take your own sacred place as an endorser, please sign up in two places:
For the March as a whole, please click to:
<http://peoplesclimate.org/participating-organizations/#survey>
To take part in the Jewish contingent on the March, please sign on at
<https://theshalomcenter.org/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=12&reset=>1>
This March will be a turning point in our movement to heal Mother Earth and protect the human race, as well as other life-forms, from the ravages of global scorching. Come be a part of history, and -- even more important – help make the history that will move all our children and grandchildren, as the Great March for Jobs & Freedom in 1963 still moves and inspires us today.
The March in general will assemble beginning at 11:00 on the streets in an area north of Columbus Circle (59th Street & 8th Ave). We will march east on 59th Street, south on 6th Avenue, west on 42nd Street, and end at a closing activity on 11th Avenue between 34th and 39th Streets. This route keeps our march in the heart of Manhattan, and we’ll pass along the southern end of Times Square, making our massive numbers visible to the whole world.
There are separate but linked arrangements for the Faith Contingent. As I write, we do not yet have an agreement with the police on the place for the Faith Contingent to gather. We hope it will be a 4-block area of Central Park West, which flows into the Columbus Circle where the March begins.
The Jewish contingent will be part of the Faith Contingent. It looks as if the Faith Contingent may be between 7,000 and 10,000 people. The multireligious Faith Contingent will be gathering as shown below, and will join the broader March between 1 and 1:30 pm.
SPECIAL ITEMS OF CONCERN:
1. SHOFAR
We are organizing a band of shofar-(Ram’s Horn) blowers to lead the Jewish contingent. PLEASE BRING A SHOFAR AND LEARN TO SIMPLY SOUND FORTH A SINGLE LONG NOTE – WE WILL NOT NEED THE MULTI-NOTE SOUNDING THAT WE DO ON ROSH HASHANAH.
2. HOUSING/ HOSPITALITY
ABRAHAM’S TENT OPEN TO TRAVELERS
On September 21, thousands and thousands of people will be in New York for the People’s Climate March. Many of them will need a place to stay overnight on Saturday and Sunday nights.
Consistent with faith communities’ traditions of hospitality, we’re inviting faith communities to offer these out of town visitors a place to sleep. Please – if you are within 90 minutes of NYC, will you help?
If your faith community wants to offer housing, please click here: <http://peoplesclimate.org/faith/housing-for-the-peoples-climate-march/>
3. PLANS FOR Multi-Faith Prayers, Meditations, and Devotions for FAITH contingent Before it Joins the People’s Climate March
This plan assumes the following:
The faith contingent will gather on the looooong block of 58th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues..
There will be a stage and a large-scale sound system available for a multi-faith service.
There will be an interest and desire for a coordinated level of faith activity across the entire faith contingent, along with the possible and theology
Materials to support these activities will be available on-line and will also be available on a single, double-sided sheet of paper.
The faith contingent will be towards the end of the March, and will not actually start marching till 1-1:30 pm.
There will be 8-10 multi-faith teams of leaders who will volunteer to lead prayers and facilitate activities in their ¼ to ½ block area of assembly. For each of these teams, we will find Indigenous, Catholic, Protestant/Evangelical, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, UU, and Humanist leaders, diverse in gender and ethnicity. Leaders from other traditions will be integrated as they are available.
There will be 2 planning/training sessions for these leaders.
Draft Schedule of Activities -- the basic idea is to both have some religious leaders/ symbols/ practices scattered in multifaith teams thru the Faith contingent at the start of the Faith gathering, AND then the varied faith communities will gather in their own body of people.
For the first part, we will need religious leaders who will be willing to work as part of a multifaith team in the earlier part of the event. In the Jewish case, if you are willing to do this please email BOTH me at <Awaskow@theshalomcenter.org> and Mirele Goldsmith of Hazon at <mirele.goldsmith@hazon.org>
Items in BOLD are to be carried out simultaneously by all groups.
11:00 am – Faith Communities Gather in the Faith Assembly Area
11:15 am – Entire faith group in silent observance for 5 minutes.
11:20 am - Indigenous Prayers offered.
11:35 am - Shofarot sound in each group to mark start of march. Jewish prayers offered.
11:50 am – Hindu mantras chanted – Hindu leaders teach a mantra to their groups. Those who wish join together in chanting. At 11:45 – all join together in chanting a mantra.
12:10 pm – UU leaders light their chalices in each group, and offer their presentations.
12:25 pm – Humanist leaders make their presentation.
12:45 pm – Islamic Dhuhr prayers offered. Entire faith group in prayers in solidarity. Possible to have recitation of Qur’an from multiple bullhorns.
1:00 pm – Entire group signs a song as part of Global Climate Chorus
1:10 pm – Christian leaders offer their prayers – maybe ring hand bells, sprinkle people with holy water, share bread with their group?
Once the Faith contingent steps off – probably 1:15 , specific sub-contingents of Faith – Jews, Muslims, Methodists, etc – will gather in their separate communities to take part in the Faith section of the broad March.
At conclusion of March
Team of volunteers with smart phones – invite people to sign the on-line petition for ourvoices.net – the multi-faith, international campaign for a strong climate treaty – and to offer a prayer for the climate.
Keep in touch with March plans by clicking to -- http://peoplesclimate.org/logistics/
Bring things that help communicate the message:
- Make your own signs and banners and t-shirts and flags – be creative
- Carry signs or banners that let people know where you are from – what organization, what city or state, what country
- Remember: only cardboard tubing or string can be used to carry signs, banners, flags, etc.
- Music that does not need amplification is encouraged
Items to bring that will make your day more comfortable:
- Bring some light food and drinks…it will be a long day
- Wear comfortable shoes
- Check the weather predictions a day or two before you come and dress appropriately
- If it’s going to be a sunny day, bring sun-screen
What NOT to Bring to the March
- Do not bring any amplified sound systems.
- Do not bring signs, banners or flags that are carried on wooden sticks or metal rods, only cardboard tubing or string is allowed.
- Do not weigh yourself down with unnecessary clothing or other items that you will have to carry all day long…travel lightly.
Are you Coming By Bus or Other Group Transportation?
Make sure your bus is plugged into our Bus/Train Operation. That way we’ll be able to make the best plans for bus drop-offs, parking and pick-ups at the end of the day. And by connecting with our Bus/Train Operation you will get the most up-to-date information!
Together with Hazon, The Shalom Center has taken responsibility to reach out to possible Jewish participants in the March. The number of Jewish endorsers has continued to grow. We are also helping to shape a multireligious service as the Faith Contingent gathers.
If you have questions, please Email BOTH me and Mirele Goldsmith of Hazon:
<Awaskow@theshalomcenter.org> and <mirele.goldsmith@hazon.org>
As you can imagine, undertaking this effort has brought on expenses beyond our usual budget. Please help us do this work by making a (tax-deductible) gift to The Shalom Center: Click on the purple Donate button on the left-hand column, and we will in turn thank you with a gift you'll treasure!
Blessings of creativity and healing!
