On the heels of the Jewish Town Hall Conversation on Guns, Safety and Community Security held via Zoom in March, local Jews will join with Mothers Against Community Gun Violence (MACGV) to walk for change in Minnesota.
The “Not on My Block Walkathon” will take place June 11, 2022, at Lake Nokomis from 9:30-11 a.m., starting and ending at the Lake Nokomis Community Center, and anybody concerned about gun violence prevention is invited to register and join the Jewish Allies for Gun Safety walking team.
The Jewish Allies’ team is a co-sponsor of the walk and was formed by participants in the Guns, Safety and the Jewish Community Town Hall held on March 13. That event was co-sponsored by over twenty local Jewish community organizations and congregations and attended by more than 150 people.
Lori Weissman and Barbara Fermon, Jewish gun safety advocates who helped organize the March conference and have been working on this issue with NCJW MN, Protect Minnesota, and Moms Demand Action for many years, are joining in this effort with MACGV, a group of mothers who have lost children to community gun violence. Weissman and Fermon have listened to the mothers’ stories and been moved by their success in turning unimaginable pain and loss into positive action to create safer communities.
“We want the Jewish community to gather with mothers who have lost children and walk beside them to show them that we care. Together we will raise awareness about the epidemic of gun violence,” Weissman said. The fundraiser will sustain MACGV programs to support victims’ families and will benefit their “Not on My Block” public safety initiative.
To join the Jewish Allies’ team, register for the Walkathon individually online, and then e-mail team captain Barbara Fermon by June 5 at [email protected]. For more information on Mothers Against Community Gun Violence click here.
