Washington: Members of the Jewish community typically observe Tisha B’Av, the annual day of mourning, by fasting, reading from the Book of Lamentations, and going to temple. But on Sunday, more than 250 Jews spent the occasion under the searing afternoon sun across from the White House, protesting against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Some came in large groups from their synagogues, sporting matching T-shirts and signs that read “Never Again”. Others, like Ann Ingram, 87, and her Julie Ingram, 59, had never observed Tisha B’Av before, but felt compelled to mark the occasion for the first time this year. Tisha B’Av is a Jewish fast day marking the destruction of the first and second temples in Jerusalem.
They were joined by thousands more across the country who attended similar protests in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and 60 other locations – the latest manifestations of a growing wave of activism among Jews opposed to the Trump administration’s immigration policies, which some argue are reminiscent of the way Jewish people have been treated in the past.
Last month, 10 Jewish demonstrators were arrested during a sit-in at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Washington.
On Sunday, dozens of protesters in New York, including some rabbis, were arrested after conducting a prayer service outside the Amazon store in downtown Manhattan to protest against what they argue is the tech company’s collaboration with ICE, organisers said.
Read the article by Rebecca Tan in WAToday.