Last week, JCUA gathered — in-person and online — to find strength in community as we processed the results of the election. We spoke honestly about the dangers ahead, but we also spoke of resilience, of what we’ve built together, and of the power we hold.

We know this moment is hard, but it is not hopeless.

The incoming administration undoubtedly presents significant threats to vulnerable communities across the country, including our loved ones here in Chicago and Illinois.

But JCUA will not stand idly by in the face of new and heightened dangers. We will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners — fighting unjust policies, taking direct action, and working to ensure our region remains a haven where all people have safety, dignity, and justice.

After the 2016 election, communities across the country mobilized to protect those targeted by right-wing agendas, standing up for immigrants under threat, demanding police accountability, fighting for reproductive rights, and defending democratic institutions. In Chicago and across Illinois, thousands of people turned to JCUA, looking for a place to channel their fears and their energy. Together we grew our movement, hand-in-hand with partners inside and beyond the Jewish community.

Today, we are even stronger, even more ready. JCUA is a vital space for people to come together across backgrounds and identities to build collective power. We resist the politics of division that keep us isolated, providing a place where people can find connection, purpose, and strength. We maintain close relationships with partners across the city, state, and country — forming coalitions that will respond boldly and effectively to the challenges we face.

JCUA welcomes all who seek a place to turn their anger and despair into action. We are ready to grow, to build, and to fight for a world where every person has safety, dignity, and justice.

There is work to be done, and there is a place for each of us in this fight.

During last week’s gathering, we turned to words of Torah, to the story of Abraham in Parashah Chayei Sarah (“The Life of Sarah”), which we will recite in a few weeks. The story recounts that in the midst of his grief, Abraham mourned the death of his wife Sarah, and then he rose. He rose to continue the journey that had been set before him.

Today, we are doing the same. We mourn, and then we will rise. We rise because we know that our work for justice is never finished. We rise because we believe deeply in a vision of a city and state where all people can flourish, and where no one is left behind. Together, we will rise and build that world together.