I want to thank JCUA for this honor in Rabbi Marx’s name. This is particularly meaningful to me because growing up in Chicago as I did, Rabbi Marx was important to the history of the city. He fought against racism by attacking the systemic racism in housing. In 1968, he worked with the Westside Organization, Presentation Parish, and other grassroots community groups to establish the Contract Buyers League, which protected Black homebuyers on the South and West sides from usurious contract sales practices. This initiative, as did many others, amplified the power of organizing to combat racism, political corruption and injustice. He was not hesitant to call out those who discriminated, many of whom were Jewish. When he created JCUA in 1964, he made clear that we need to be a constant pilot light that is unafraid to confront the power structure.

Many would say their Judaism led them to social justice. For me, it was the opposite — my social justice work led me to dive deeper into Judaism. I was raised in a family of activists who were Jew “ish”. My parents, and particularly my mother, came from a family that fought for a better society, and a better democracy. Indeed when my grandmother died (before I was born) her funeral program referred to her as “our comrade Fannie.”  My sister, brother and for two years I attended the South Side school of Jewish Studies, which my parents helped found. It was a secular/cultural Jewish Sunday school that operated out of the YMCA and focused on Jewish history, culture, and ethics. There was no religion. We did not study the Torah. My parents were not believers but we were culturally Jewish and social justice activists. I can remember in my early teens that my brother took me to canvas in Indiana for Eugene McCarthy. I have worked on every national and many local elections since that time. My legal career was primarily dedicated to the Amalgamated Transit Union, fighting to protect workers and unions and bringing more women into the leadership of the union.

Donate to JCUA in Benetta’s honor.

I learned more about the religion when I joined a synagogue because I wanted to raise my children in the Jewish faith. But still I didn’t connect the dots. As I reflect back, I think it was my daughter, Briana, who decided to spend a year in the Operation Understanding DC program that finally made me realize the connection that my social justice values are indeed Jewish values.

Today JCUA continues to walk in Rabbi Marx’s footsteps and to fight every day to confront injustice. We have had many successes, including the reopening of a trauma center at the University of Chicago and increased police accountability with civilian oversight. Over the years JCUA has transformed itself into a member led organization. The true beauty of JCUA for me is it has given a Jewish home to so many younger people who work on our campaigns and help develop new campaigns. All of our member-led initiatives are anchored by a deep commitment to struggle against racism, antisemitism, islamophobia and other forms of hate. We are working hard to, as bell hooks states, truly examine the intersectionality between race, gender and class.

When I moved to Chicago from Northern Virginia back to Chicago where I grew up, JCUA gave me a pathway to continue my work towards local justice. In recent years, my activism has centered on creating space for younger people to learn about Judaism and its deep connection to social justice through my work with Operation Understanding, Arise Chicago, and Avodah.

So many people to thank. I want to thank my son and my daughter. It has been my greatest honor to be your mom. To my stepdaughter Sarah thank you for your love and your activism.  I want to thank my family for being here tonight and for always supporting me. I honestly could not love you more. Can I get my four grandchildren to stand…Luna, Gael, Abe and Zeke. I love being your nanny/bebe and I hope you will work and will fight for justice as I have done.

My deepest and most heartfelt thanks to my partner in life, Kalman Resnick, who has challenged me to be a better activist. Thank you to my former employer the Amalgamated Transit Union for giving so generously to this event and for teaching me the importance of fighting night and day for working families. And finally I want to thank my Avodah and JCUA families for all their support and love. As you have taught me, we cannot just “talk the talk.” We all need to “walk the walk.”

Thank you all so very much.