“Water is life”. Those were the words of Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis to myself and Dr. Robin McDowell (Washington University) as we took off from St. Louis to Jackson with a van full of water donated by the CRC congregation.
Where did this idea come from? As I heard reports of the water crisis in Jackson, reminding me of the one in Flint, three things came to my mind:
The historic connection between St. Louis and Mississippi. So many people in St. Louis, particularly African-Americans, have family roots in Mississippi.
Without water there is no life and those of us in St. Louis are blessed with an abundance of water and have a responsibility to share.
Who do we partner with in Jackson and how do we get water down there from St. Louis? I looked online and found Congregation Beth Israel. I then contacted Rabbi Susan Talve and she talked to Rabbi Rosen in Mississippi and he said they were more than happy to accept water donations and were partnering with community organizations for distribution. I then knew what had to be done.
I told Rabbi Talve I'd drive to Jackson with water if CRC could donate the water and they generously did so. Not only did they donate water; but the community organized a Godundme to help us rent a van, pay for gas, and donate to Congregation Beth Israel. Dr. Robin rented the van and we were on our way after attending Saturday Shabbat service led by Rabbi Daniel Bogard.
The drive to Jackson is 7-8 hours and a pleasant one. Memphis is the only urban center we passed on the way. We stopped for fried chicken and gas in Arkansas on the way and more chicken in Hernando, Mississippi on the return trip.
Once in Jackson Beth Israel rented us lovely rooms at the Fairview Inn. If anyone is traveling to Jackson, and isn’t on a budget, I highly recommend this hotel in an historic mansion which functions as a bed and breakfast.
After a night of rest we delivered the water to Beth Israel with the help of students at their Sunday School. One of those helping us was from St. Louis and in Jackson as part of the Teach For America program.
Rabbi Rosen, decked out in a Minnesota Vikings jersey and matching kippah, then gave us a tour and told us about the history of the congregation. The roots go back to 1860 and in the 1960's the synagogue, and the home of the rabbi, was bombed by the Klan over his support for the Civil Rights Movement. Behind the synagogue there is a Holocaust memorial and a plaque for a survivor of Auschwitz who later made his home in Jackson. In the lobby there is a Torah scroll rescued from Prague after being confiscated by Nazis.
While in Jackson we also got the opportunity to see the Mississippi State Capitol. On one side of the building thees’s a plaque commemorating the Civil Rights Movement and on the other a monument honoring the women of the confederacy.
We also visited the home of Medgar Evers who was a local activist assassinated at his home. The home is now a preserved historic site. While there we also got the opportunity to visit with former St. Louis resident and activist Romona Taylor Williams who is leading a sustainable project and environmental organization focused on rural Mississippi.
In between Jackson and St. Louis the grass and trees are green and there are billboards for Jesus, Trump, against abortion, and there was a banner blaming Jews for 9-11.
" The spirit of america is the spirit of the south"...James Baldwin.
I suggest reading the reports from the Mississippi Free Press for further information and background to the local water crisis and what needs to be done moving forward.
Next week I’ll be in Poland delivering St. Louis swag to Ukrainian refugees and visiting Auschwitz and then on to Israel.
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I’ve always wanted to visit Auschwitz, safe travels, Umar