"We Are Marching in the Light of G-d"

It's been a while since I last checked in, and quite a bit has changed. I moved halfway across the country to start a new chapter of my life in Seattle.

I've spent the majority of the last three months getting acclimated to this new city that is quite different from the Midwest. And while I will always feel most at home in Chicago, I am currently feeling quite proud to be residing in the state of Washington.

Though I missed the boat on registering to vote in Washington state, I knew how many important issues were on the ballot. One particularly close to my heart. So, when I heard about the Faith Ballot Drop Walk being organized last Sunday, I knew I needed to be a part of it.

People from a dozen different religious backgrounds gathered at the Central Lutheran Church in support of R74 and the freedom to marry. We all huddled together and listened to the inspirational words of members of the clergy and policymakers. You could feel the love in the room... people from very different religions all united for one cause. We grabbed our signs, headed out onto the street and began our march to the King County Administrative Building downtown.

My friend Sarah and I found a spot in line, excited to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. We were surrounded by Jews wearing their kippot and magen david necklaces proudly, carrying banners that reminded us about the very commandment that was the impetus for this blog (tzedek, tzedek, tirdof). And surrounding the Jews, there were Lutherans and Catholics, and we all marched as one.

We definitely did not take the most direct route down to the administrative building, but we did take the best one. As we walked through the streets of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, we were greeted by friendly smiles, waves, cars honking their horns and cheers. And we began to chant and sing. We sang several songs, but this is the one that stuck with me the most:

We are marching in the light of G-d,
we are marching in the light of G-d.
We are marching in the light of G-d,
we are marching in the light of G-d.
We are marching,
Oo we are marching in the light of G-d.
We are marching,
Oo we are marching in the light of G-d.

You can imagine how powerful these words felt as we were transforming them into action. In that moment, I felt so proud to be an ally, and so proud to be a Jew. It felt incredible to take a stand and lend my voice to a cause that is so dear to me.

We marched until our voices were raw, our feet were trembling and folks with ballots in their hands had dropped them off.

It was all quite exciting, but the best news came days later, when R74 passed! It was what we all prayed for, and our prayers had been answered! It was a part of history that I am delighted to have been a small part of, and an experience that I'll never forget.

You can read more about our march and see photos by clicking here.