Rabbi Jennie Rosenn joined actions on the streets of Houston during CERAWeek (March 10-13) — the most important gathering of energy executives in the U.S.
Activists chanted, prayed, marched, and traveled to frontline communities to see the damage from fossil fuel operations in their backyards.
To underscore the way the industry has taken over federal policymaking, both Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Doug Burgum had speaking roles. Wright — a fracking industry CEO — said climate change is a ‘side effect of building the modern world.’ Burgum suggested reopening shuttered coal-fired power plants.
Rabbi Rosenn delivered the prayer below the gallery.
MARCH FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS at CERA
HOUSTON MARCH 10, 2025
Invocation
וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם־לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ
לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃
Who knows if you were put in this position for just such a time as this.
These are words from the Book of Esther,
the book that the Jewish community will gather to read on Wednesday night
as we celebrate the holiday of Purim.
These words are spoken to Queen Esther
By her uncle who is offering her fortitude
to rise up and fight against the threat of annihilation
and save her people.
Friends, perhaps, we were put in this position for just such a time as this.
To come together and stand up
against harm and destruction
and the threat of annihilation. And we gather here today knowing
that We Get There Together.
We come together from communities across the land,
people of different generations – and races and faiths.
From bayous and big cities.
People who have lived here for tens of thousands of years,
and people who journeyed to this country only weeks ago.
And we come together
with a shared belief that every human being
deserves to have clean air to breathe
and water to drink,
healthy food to eat
and safe homes to live in.
This is a human right –
no matter our zipcode or our income or our race.
We stand here this morning with grief in our hearts
and anxiety in our veins.
We stand here this morning all too aware
that we are on a runaway train of climate devastation.
The impacts of the climate crisis are being felt right now.
Accutely here in the Gulf Coast
and all across our nation, and throughout the world.
And we stand here this morning angry.
Because who is driving this runaway train of climate destruction?
Who is the engineer?
Who is the conductor?
Who is making the money
while communities are decimated and our world burns?
It is the fossil fuel industry.
Yes, the fossil fuel industry.
We stand here today to raise up a moral call
because we know there is another way.
The solutions are very much at hand.
We have a vision for our world as it could be
As it must be
Where every human being and community can flourish.
Where all people can thrive
and live full and healthy lives
for generations to come
Worthy of who they are –
beings created in the divine image.
We believe fiercely in our collective power
to bring about this world.
And we can only get there together.
So we will keep showing up and rising up
in anger and in grief.
in hope and most of all in love.
Love for our families and our neighbors and ourselves.
Love for our children and grandchildren
and all the generations yet to come.
Holy One of Blessing,
we thank you for the gift of coming together today
in all our uniqueness and multitudes.Please grant us the strength to continue the work day after day after day
When we are energized, and when we are tired.
When we see progress
and when we wonder how it is possible we are still fighting these same destructive forces.
Like Esther, let us be reminded that we are called to do this work.
We are here for just such a time as this.
And Holy One of Blessing
Let us always remember
that our lives are inexorably tied up with one another
Our liberation and our health
our well being and our future –
all of us dependent on one another.
Please, God may we never forget
That We Will Only Get There Together.
Amen.