We’re not slowing down. Ceasefire now.

The Israeli military is carrying out a genocide against Palestinians in our names. That’s why we refuse to slow down our organizing for a ceasefire for even a minute.

This Hanukkah, our action is our hope. And just as the Hanukkah light was never extinguished — even in the bleakest moments — we remain unwavering in our fight for a world where Palestinians are free.

Hanukkah and the Miracle of Resistance, TIME, December 8, 2023

“Amidst our absolute horror at this moment, we are teaching our young people and reminding ourselves that bombs don’t lead to peace, and that a future of Jewish liberation is only possible through spirited commitment to liberation for Palestinians, too. That resistance to oppression is not only about self-protection, but about building a world where everyone is free and safe.”

-Stefanie Fox, Executive Director, JVP

How Anti-Zionist American Jews Are Organizing For a Ceasefire in Gaza, Teen Vogue, December 8, 2023

“’We have to make so clear, as Jews, that we do not believe our safety can ever come at the expense of another community.’”

-Jay Saper, JVP-NYC

A Jewish American Says “Not in My Name!”, Yes!, November 30, 2023

“I am a racial justice leader in my Oakland synagogue: Ethnic cleansing and genocide are not part of my Judaism. I am committed to a future where every Palestinian life and every Israeli life is seen as equally precious, a future where both peoples live in freedom, equality, and safety. This means ending the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, ending the siege of Gaza, and ending the system of apartheid, in which Palestinians are denied the rights given to Jewish Israelis.”

-Penny Rosenwasser, JVP-Bay Area

Jewish American Families Confront a Generational Divide Over Israel, The New York Times, December 5, 2023

“It feels so simple — just don’t murder people. Don’t kill people. Just stop it.”

– Louisa Kornblatt, JVP-NYC

No Gala For Genocide, Mondoweiss, December 3, 2023

“Like my rabbinic ancestor, I’m a longtime anti-Zionist. JVP Philadelphia’s inbox overflows with Jews and other allies reaching out to join in calls for peace, and for an end to the occupation and the unjust conditions that can only yield more violence.”   

-Ezra Berkley Nepon

Pro-Palestine Protesters Clash With Attendees at Global Conference for Israel, Westworld, Decemebr 2, 2023

“We as American Jews refuse to be silent and are calling for our government to end their support of the Israeli state. Never again means never again for anyone. We do not believe in a version of safety that is based on the dispossession of others, the displacement of others.”

– Siena Mann, JVP-Denver

Jewish Groups Plan Massive NYC Ceasefire Protest for First Night of Hanukkah, Truthout, December 7, 2023

“It has been too much to bear, watching the death toll rise daily — in our name, funded by our tax dollars. It feels impossible to celebrate, and essential that we come together as a Jewish community, with our neighbors and allies.”

-Sophie Ellman-Golan, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice

Lighting the menorah for peace, Brattleboro Reformer, December 7, 2023

“As anti-Zionist Jews, we call on allies to gather and loudly advocate for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”

– JVP-VT/NH

At Hanukkah Rally in New York, Prayers, Candles and Calls for Cease-Fire, The New York Times, December 7, 2023

“Bundled in winter coats and holding menorahs, the demonstrators came together more in commemoration than in celebration, expressing grief for the Israelis and Palestinians who had been killed in the two months since the Oct. 7 attacks that began the Israel-Hamas war. They sang prayers as they stood around a large menorah bearing the word ‘cease-fire’ in colorful lighted letters.”

Jewish protesters stage sit-in demanding U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids call for ceasefire in the war in Gaza, The Kansas City Star, December 7, 2023

“We are here, ahead of the first night of Hanukkah, urging Representative Sharice Davids to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza right now. She needs to meet with her Palestinian constituents as soon as possible … The death toll is rising and she needs to take action.”

-Michael Wolfe, Chapter Organizer, JVP

Sonya Meyerson-Knox on Jewish Voice for Peace, Fair, December 8, 2023

Sonya Meyerson-Knox is communications director of Jewish Voice for Peace. We talk with her this week on CounterSpin.

A Hanukkah without decorations? L.A. Jews struggle with a holiday amid Israel-Hamas war, LA Times, December 7, 2023

“I plan to light my own menorah every night. It’s a way to say, ‘Hey, I’m Jewish, and I’m here.’ I personally feel like I’m sort of fighting for what it means to be Jewish and to be understood and standing up for justice and equality.”

-Benjamin Kersten, JVP-LA

Progressive Zionists Choose a Side, Jewish Currents, December 8, 2023

 “At the end of the day, a ceasefire is very self-explanatory. It means an end to this violence, an end to fighting.”

-Beth Miller, Political Director, JVP/A

‘Concerned and afraid’: Jews celebrate Hanukkah amid rise in hate, ABC News, December 7, 2023

“I’m going to be talking about how we are both proudly displaying our Jewish heritage and also proudly displaying our commitment to fighting for a world where everybody is safe in their home.”

-Stefanie Fox, Executive Director, JVP

‘Largest pro-Palestinian Mobilization in U.S. History’ | More Than 1 Million Americans Participated in Protests Since Hamas-Israel War Began on Oct 7, Haaretz, December 5, 2023

How have communities been uniting in solidarity with Palestinians?, Al Jazeera, December 7, 2023