For these clergy, Trump's immigration blitz became a call to action

"Then came Minneapolis. The massive ICE crackdown there - with its stories of federal law enforcement shooting U.S. citizens, separating families and deporting undocumented people, even those trying to go through legal channels - led Leigh to feel called in a new way, to go to Minnesota and join the opposition. He didn't end up doing it. But some of his congregants began pushing: What are we doing? How are we defending democratic norms?"

"Historically, I had the idea I was leading the way to a better future. I was a kind of 'active,' he said. 'But in the moment we're in, I'm coming to a new realization. They say faith leaders' job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. This moment needs all of us to say: I'm willing to be a bit more uncomfortable.'"

"That call to become more visible, more confrontational, more activist brought Leigh this week from his Concord, Massachusetts, synagogue to a three-day training at the D.C. synagogue Adas Israel. There, he and more than 140 rabbis and cantors from around the country heard lectures about the historic role of clergy in opposing authoritarianism, studied concrete organizing tools such as boycotts and walkouts, and how to build relationships with local sheriffs. And they prayed."

Rabbi Darby Leigh originally defined his role as pastoral, focusing on bar mitzvahs, hospice visits, and intimate pastoral care. The Minneapolis ICE crackdown, with reports of shootings, family separations, and deportations, prompted him to consider direct action. Congregants began urging more public defense of democratic norms. Leigh attended a three-day training at Adas Israel with over 140 rabbis and cantors, studying clergy roles opposing authoritarianism, learning organizing tactics like boycotts and walkouts, and building relationships with local sheriffs. Participants practiced responses to potential ICE incursions and incorporated prayer into their preparation. Polls indicate clergy moral authority has weakened amid intense political polarization.

Read at The Washington Post