Lexington Rally Against Hate

Date: 

Sunday, June 11, 2017 (All day)

Location: 

Lexington Common National Historic Site, 1625 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
This event is not only a response to the acts of hate that have taken place in Lexington but a statement of who we are as members of this community and what we stand for. Rabbi David Lerner, Rev. Barbara Callaghan, Dr. Mary Czajkowski and others will speak. Eric Abbot, Summer Rabbinic Intern, is leading music, and we will share in prayer and spirit. The event will likely take about 45 minutes, and we plan to offer a shared prayer that all houses of worship will be invited to take up for whatever period of time you might see fit.

Pluralism Project Summary:

On July 11, 2017, members of the Lexington community gathered in the historic Battle Green to stand in solidarity with the local Jewish community and against anti-Semitism. A few weeks prior, while Lexington High School was performing Rags, a musical about Russian Jews immigrating to the US in the 1900s, swastikas had appeared in the school. Later, a letter purporting to be from the high school principal deriding the hate incidents circulated within the community. In response, the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association organized the rally, which brought together 100 people. Town officials and leaders shared personal stories about how hate and intolerance have increased in the last few months while a local rabbinic intern lead the participants in songs such as “We Shall Overcome” and “One Day.”

This summary was written by a Pluralism Project staff member who attended the event.