Vigil for Darfur Draws 500-Plus

The Jewish Journal of greater L.A, CA
Aug 4 2005

More than 500 people attended a late July vigil at the Federal
Building in Westwood, where Jews and non-Jews held a candlelight
protest against the ongoing genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region.

“Folks, time is running out,” said Armenian American activist Armen
Carapetian, who likened the situation in Darfur to the past century’s
Armenian genocide.

The early evening rally signified an expansion of Darfur activism
in the Jewish community, spurred on by Jewish World Watch, based at
Valley Beth Shalom temple. The Conservative Encino shul’s leader,
Rabbi Harold Shulweis, was among the speakers, who also included
Rabbi Sharon Brous of the Westside IKAR congregation.

“I don’t want to stand here next summer,” Brous said, “and say,
‘Another year has gone. What have we done?'”

Human-rights experts estimate that 300,000 villagers have been
killed since 2003 by Arab janjaweed horsemen tacitly supported by
the Sudanese government.

The drive-time rally was a little smaller and more secular than a
day of fasting held on May 26, when about 600 Southern California
Jews attended Darfur events at synagogues in Pico-Robertson, Bel Air
and Pasadena. Sponsors of the event at the Federal Building included
Protestant, African immigrant, Catholic and Armenian groups.

Participants took part in making murals, singing and playing
instruments and signing White House-bound petitions.

“It’s my sister’s birthday, and she asked that we all come here for
this,” said Sarah Ham-Rosbrock, whose family, including her 28-year-old
sister Lena, attends Temple Israel of Long Beach.

“I’m involved because I am black,” said homeless activist Ted Hayes,
a speaker.

Progressive Jewish Alliance board member Eric Greene said Jews must
be more involved in non-Jewish issues such as Darfur, even when the
effort seems futile.

“It’s so daunting because it feels so big that it’s hard to know what
you can do,” he said. – DF