The third-largest Jewish community in America is living in imminent danger of domestic terrorism.
Washington, D.C., the city I call home, is in lockdown: a state of emergency has been declared in advance of President-elect Joe Biden’s Wednesday inauguration, and over 25,000 troops have moved in. Our city has turned into a fortress in order to protect the transition of power from President Trump to Biden from any attack building on the deadly Capitol riot two weeks ago.
I hear helicopters and sirens constantly. For the third time this year, my daughter’s Jewish school has been closed because extremists and neo-Nazis plan to march in support of Trump. My whole family is vulnerable, right now, as Jews; my Black and Jewish husband and daughter doubly so. The psychological toll has been heavy. Sitting at the playground with my dear friend Tara Leystra Ackerman, watching our very young children play, she expressed exactly what I was thinking: “I’ve been feeling overwhelmed, anxio