by Jaime Kaiser, Senior Manager of Digital Communications
On the third night of Hanukkah, Dayenu Circle leaders and community members gathered virtually for an evening of Hanukkah connection and learning, coming together to explore what it means to resist authoritarianism with courage, creativity, and community.
The event is part of a new initiative called the Jews For Freedom coalition, which formed in response to the relentless attacks on democracy and the rule of law in our country. In December, many of the organizations behind Jews for Freedom held gatherings just like this one to celebrate the joy of Hanukkah and invite us to recommit to struggles for freedom and against authoritarian leaders.
Ritual And candleLighting
The gathering opened with a ritual led by Rabbi Laura Bellows, who invited participants into a brief meditation to arrive fully in the moment. Together, we lit Hanukkah candles and recited blessings in a way that felt intentional and grounding. Participants across the country lit their own hanukkiyot at home, and those without candles were still able to feel the warmth of the flame (metaphorically speaking!) by lifting their hands toward the screen. Despite the distance, the togetherness was real and tangible!
Political Education
The gathering was deeply participatory, with attendees actively engaging in discussion, reflection, and shared learning. Dayenu’s Deputy Organizing Director Muriel MacDonald and Campus Organizer Rocky Stern led a brief but jam-packed training on resisting authoritarianism.
“The impacts of authoritarianism are being felt differently depending on where you live, your identities and your proximity to privilege. And we know that it will take all of us, Jews included, to stop it,” Muriel said.
Rocky and Muriel gave a shape and name to this growing threat, helping participants name mounting authoritarian efforts from the federal government that they’ve noticed, and what noncooperative resistance can look like.
“The point of sharing this information is not to instill fear, but rather to align us to the urgency of this moment so we can build our power to stop the authoritarians. We have time to block them, and it’s urgent that we act now,” Rocky expressed.
Through concrete examples and thoughtful facilitation, we discussed as group how these threats show up in our lives and institutions and, importantly, how we can respond. Participants discussed ways to resist through actions both large and small, from community care to collective organizing and public action.
Closing Music
The evening closed in song, grounding us once more in shared spirit and imagination. Together, we sang: “Who Could Have Imagined?” by Sarina Partridge, a melody that captured both the gravity of our difficult moment, but also the hope that emerges when we come together to do hard things!
There’s much more to come in our efforts to resist authoritarianism alongside the Jews For Freedom coalition in 2026!
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Jaime Kaiser
Jaime Kaiser, Dayenu's Senior Manager of Digital Communications, believes in the power of storytelling to inform, inspire and mobilize. Her media expertise has roots in public radio, where she produced and edited dozens of stories for a weekly PRX show about the environment. Jaime was previously a lead producer for Post Script Media, a climate podcast startup. She has collaborated on climate and clean energy content with a range of other digital media companies. Jaime has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Brandeis University.