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- Havdalah #39: Ash Wednesday, Films, & Patriot Front
Havdalah #39: Ash Wednesday, Films, & Patriot Front
2 Adar, 5785 / March 1, 2025
White Rose RI
March 01, 2025
Shavua tov, neighbors.
A few days ago, I went outside, and it was so warm that I had to remove my coat. Spring is coming! This winter is finally fucking ending.
Today is the first of March, a day I always anticipate with near desperate eagerness. As long as I can remember, March 1st, whether by coincidence or not, has always felt like spring. March has never let me down. This year is no different!
Things are not magically fixed, or even better in most ways. In fact, things still suck quite bad! It’s rough out here! But at least this shit fucking winter is finally over. That’s worth celebrating! Spring isn’t here yet but winter is LEAVING. Good fucking riddance!
Our Sidebar this issue is a transmission from Katherine’s floor, where she’s currently laying supine staring into the middle distance. We’ve also got the usual events, bills, and various and sundry Rhode Island nonsense, including our old chums Patriot Front making an unwelcome appearance downtown. Things certainly are heating up.
But hey: that means dandelions are coming.
The warm thaw that March brings is only special to me because it ends winter. But in my wheel of the year, the true heralds of spring are the dandelions, the sturdy, little plants that are beautiful, edible, and not weeds. Not even concrete can stop these resilient ‘lil fuckers. The second I see the first ones, my seasonal depression goes hissing back into the recesses of my psyche like vampires confronted with dawn. Truly, they’re an inspiration.
Remember: be like the humble dandelion. Also, fuck winter.
Bella ciao.
James
PS: We’d like to hear from you! Let us know how we’re doing!
Workers and Renters: Providence General Assembly
When: Saturday, March 1, 12:00pm and every other Saturday
Where: 134 Mathewson Street, Providence, RI 02903
From their Instagram:
Worried about Trump?
Want to defend our communities?
Want a world that works for everyone?
Come to the Providence General Assembly!
Spanish, ASL interpretation and childcare available upon email request
Masking requested and masks will be provided
Direct questions to [email protected]
50501 Protest
When: Tuesday, March 4, 3:30pm-4:30pm
Where: Rhode Island State Capitol Steps, Mall Side, 82 Smith Street, Providence RI 02903
[ed: literally this is all we know]
Indivisible RI: North Kingstown School Committee Meeting
When: Tuesday, March 4, 6:30pm
Where: Central Admin Building-Conference Room 100 Romano Vineyard Way, Suite 120, North Kingstown 02852 (Meet outside)
One of our Indivisible RI (IRI)’s members, Hannah B., took the Safe Schools toolkit that IRI introduced at their February meeting and ran with it.
On March 4, North Kingstown could become the first school district in RI to adopt this legislation because of Hannah’s dedication and teamwork with others in North Kingstown.
IRI is calling for people to show up at the meeting. Meet the moment with a show of numbers and compel the school committee to act to protect kids, teachers, administrators, and more from ICE.
Meet outside the building with Hannah at 6:30pm.
Stand Up for Science Rally
When: Friday, March 7, 12:00pm-4:00pm
Where: Rhode Island State Capitol, 82 Smith Street, Providence RI 02903
This is the local rally for the national Stand Up for Science 2025; the goal is to have one in each state.
Their policy goals are:
Secure and Expand Scientific Funding
End Censorship and Political Interference in Science
Defend Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Science
Stand Up for Science is “a group of scientists and science-interested people, united by [their] shared passion that science is for everyone and benefits everyone. Stand Up for Science is a grassroots operation led by a core group of 5 early-career scientists, that has grown to a network of over 100 volunteers working toward a shared goal: to protect the American science enterprise.”
Similar to the 50501 events, we’re not sure who is in charge of the RI portion of the events, but their Facebook does indicate that the rally is confirmed, which implies someone did sign up for it (from how the events seem to be being planned, it probably isn’t a particular group).
ACLU Legislative Advocacy Training
When: Saturday, March 8, 10:00am-12:00pm
Where: Jamestown Philomenian Library, 26 North Road, Jamestown, RI 02835
If you want to get involved in the legislative process but don’t know where to start, join the ACLU at their free Legislative Advocacy Training. You’ll learn how to be an effective advocate during the legislative session and how to communicate with your state legislators so that they will listen.
In the training, the ACLU will explain the legislative process, talk about some bills that are being heard this session, and equip you to make your voice heard in multiple ways. Plus, a state legislator will join to provide an inside look at the legislative process, and to answer questions.
Registration is appreciated but not required
Free and beginner-friendly
The event is not endorsed by or affiliated with the Philomenian Public Library
Trump Administration Play-by-Play Tool for Public Education
When: Up now
Where: Online
The Partnership for the Future of Learning is making an online tool available which aims to demystify the Administration’s plans for the coming months. During his presidential campaign, Trump was open about his plans for dismantling public schools. Even as the campaign backed away from Project 2025, he embraced its proposals to roll back civil rights protections and defund and privatize public schools. Following the election, organizations across the progressive education policy space developed important resources on what these plans will mean for schools and communities. The Play-by-Play includes and complements many of these resources with information on how Administration policies are likely to be enacted, and the steps state and local organizations can take in response.
The Womxn Project’s Bodily Freedom Forever Index
When: Up now, updated every Tuesday
Where: Online
The Womxn Project has put together an index of politicians in RI, showing how candidates did in the 2024 election compared to their stance on bodily freedom. TWP will post weekly reports on Tuesdays, highlighting some of their findings from the BFFI.
They’re also welcoming people to come join them as they organize in each district, creating small hubs. With volunteers, they will keep building a more transparent political landscape with data-informed action and strategy. Check them out if you want to get involved!
ACLU Firewall for Freedom
When: Up now
Where: Online
The ACLU Rhode Island has been strategizing around RI’s strengths and weaknesses to create a Firewall for Freedom page. It covers issues including free speech, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, and immigrants’ rights. They lay out some context for where Rhode Island stands, what rights are safe for now, and protections we need to push for. It also explains some of their priorities for the upcoming Rhode Island legislative session. Check it out!
Office Hours with The Womxn Project Team
When: Every Tuesday, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Where: Zoom
Need a little support or just want to know what’s going on? The Womxn Project team will be on a live Zoom to answer your questions or point you in the direction of where to turn.
Weekly Kaddish
When: Every Sunday, 1:00pm-1:30pm
Where: Michael Van Leesten Pedestrian Bridge, Providence, RI 02903
Jewish Voice for Peace RI and allies will be hosting a weekly gathering on Sundays to recite the Mourners Kaddish and communally grieve the Palestinians murdered by the Israeli military. You need not be Jewish to attend; all are welcome to participate.
Stop the Bleed Training
When: Wednesday, March 5, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Where: West Louttit Library, 274 Victory Highway, West Greenwich, RI 02817
Join others for an informative session on basic techniques to control bleeding in emergency situations. Learn how to apply pressure, pack wounds, and use tourniquets effectively. This in-person event will equip you with life-saving skills that can make a difference in critical moments. Don't miss this opportunity to become a valuable asset in your community. Register now to secure your spot!
Admission is free
Inspirational Women Film Lecture Series: The Diary of Anne Frank
When: Wednesday, March 5, 1:00pm
Where: Salem Family Auditorium, Barrington Public Library, 281 County Road, Barrington, RI 02806
In honor of Women's History Month this March, join Librarian Doug Swiszcz on Wednesdays at 1:00pm for a collection of biopics featuring inspiring women from history. Each film will be preceded by a short film lecture given by Doug.
Free and open to all. Registration recommended.
March 5 - The Diary of Anne Frank
In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam during World War II, the persecutions against Jews compel teenager Anne Frank and her family to go into hiding in an attic. Together with another family, the Van Daans, and a dentist named Dussel, the group must endure the pressures of co-existing in such cramped quarters, while constantly living with the fear of discovery. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards.
1959 – 3 hrs – Black & white – Not rated
March 12 - The Miracle Worker
Young Helen Keller, blind, deaf and mute, has become frustrated and violent. Her parents hire a teacher named Annie Sullivan, whose personal struggles have provided her with the tools to assist Helen. And so begins a battle of wills between student and teacher. Through sheer willpower and compassion, the walls separating Helen from the outside world begin to crumble, as Helen and Anne forge a connection. Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke won Academy Awards for their performances.
1962 – 1 hr 56 mins – Black & white – Not rated
March 19 - Jackie
Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's historic legacy in the days immediately following her husband’s tragic death. Natalie Portman’s portrayal earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
2016 – 1 hr, 30 mins – Color – Rated R
March 26 - Respect
This look at the first 30 years in the life of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, traces her beginnings singing in her pastor father’s church, her initial record contract, her struggles to break free from the controlling men in her life, and the eventual recording of a gospel album that returned her to her gospel roots. Jennifer Hudson’s powerhouse performance conveys the highs and lows of Franklin’s life and career.
2021 – 2 hrs 25 mins – Color – Rated PG-13
That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America with Amanda Jones
When: Thursday, March 6, 6:30pm
Where: Salem Family Auditorium, Barrington Public Library, 281 County Road, Barrington, RI 02806
Five libraries in the East Bay have come together to bring Amanda Jones, author of That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, to join them for a moderated discussion and Q&A session.
About Amanda Jones
Amanda Jones is an American librarian and anti-censorship advocate. Jones has been heavily involved in anti-book banning movements in the state of Louisiana and throughout the US. In 2023, she was awarded the American Association of School Librarians' Intellectual Freedom Award and the American Library Association's Paul Howard Award for Courage, which honors "an individual who has exhibited unusual courage for the benefit of library programs or services." Her book, That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, is part memoir, part manifesto, the inspiring story of a Louisiana librarian advocating for inclusivity on the front lines of our vicious culture wars.
Amanda will be joining via Zoom, but you will have the option to watch from home via Zoom or join them at the library to watch the livestream in person and engage in a discussion afterwards with your community members.
JVP Course: Study & Action for Palestine 2025
When: Sundays, March 16, 30, April 6, 20, 27, and May 4, 4:30pm-6:30pm
Where: Online (sessions will also be recorded)
Study & Action for Palestine (Spring 2025) is an online course and a learning community for anyone who is committed to a Free Palestine and the well-being of all people, everywhere.
It consists of extensive study materials, six live sessions (recorded and available to anyone who registers) and an ongoing focus on action — both what participants are doing or can be doing right now, as well as how we can deepen our engagement in specific, strategic struggles and for long haul, systemic change.
Designed to be a community of support for study and taking meaningful action, course content includes:
Campaigning and organizing skills that can apply to anything you are working on, brought directly to the group from Palestinian, Jewish, Christian & labor organizing for a Free Palestine right now!
Camaraderie and support for your involvement in solidarity struggle whether you are new to activism or a seasoned community leader.
A material analysis of U.S. imperialism, settler colonialism, and the struggle for a free Palestine that strengthens all of the work that you do.
Sustainable ways to contribute to the solidarity movement for Palestine and the broader struggle for collective liberation (at home & abroad) for the long haul.
Suggested registration fee is $175-$325, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
The AMOR Community Fund for ICE Detainees
The AMOR Community Fund for ICE Detainees is a volunteer run, community funded project dedicated to supporting folks in ICE Detention at the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls RI.
With the funds raised so far, AMOR has focused on providing commissary support so that folks detained can afford the phone calls that are often critical to getting connected with their family and broader community of support. Access to funds for commissary also helps the people in detention access basic necessities like deodorant, lotion, toothpaste, soap, and snacks.
With threats of mass deportation, the world feels scary right now and it can be hard to know what to do or how to help. Your donation has a tangible effect on people experiencing detention in our community right now.
Help keep the AMOR Community Fund for ICE Detainees alive by donating today, or becoming a monthly donor!
An Act Relating to State Affairs and Government — The Civil Rights Act of 1990
Bill Number: H5455
Summary: This bill would integrate the IHRA definition of antisemitism into the Civil Rights Act of 1990, which conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. This would almost certainly be used to disproportionately target Palestinians and anti-zionist Jewish activists.
Our Position: AGAINST / IN OPPOSITION TO
Current Status: Referred to the House State Government and Elections Committee
How You Can Help: Please consider contacting the members of the House State Government and Elections Committee to tell them how important it is that they OPPOSE this legislation. Asterisks indicate sponsors of the bill.
Representative Evan B. Shanley: [email protected]
Representative Mary Messier: [email protected]
Representative Arthur J. Corvese: [email protected]
Representative Edith H. Ajello: [email protected]
*Representative Jacquelyn M. Baginski: [email protected]
Representative Jon D. Brien: [email protected]
Representative Katherine S. Kazarian: [email protected]
Representative Brian Patrick Kennedy: [email protected]
Representative Jason Knight: [email protected]
Representative Michelle E. McGaw: [email protected]
*Representative Brian C. Newberry: [email protected]
Representative Christopher G. Paplauskas: [email protected]
Representative Jennifer A. Stewart: [email protected]
Representative Teresa A. Tanzi: [email protected]
If there are bills you’d like updates on, let us know! Email us at [email protected] with the bill number, and we will track it!
Katherine (she / her)
Lent starts this week on Ash Wednesday, and I’m not ready for it.
Generally, in Lent, American Catholics give up food, especially kids — dessert, or pizza, or soda, or something else. Plus, no meat on Fridays, and the stronger fasts on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The old style of fasting was more severe; eggs, butter, sugar. Things we don’t even think of as luxuries anymore. That’s one of the purposes of Mardi Gras, of Fat Tuesday: to use up what couldn’t be eaten during Lent so it wouldn’t go bad. Sometimes the laity are encouraged to give up activities, or add ones that focus the person on faith; giving up social media, or going to Mass several times a week. And of course, the clergy remind us it’s a good time to give alms.
I often do a mix of these things. I give up desserts and – more substantially – caffeine (the first three or four days are rough), and try to eat simply in general. I cut back on podcasts, on news. I try to go to bed early, and pray Compline. This last part is the hardest for me (once the detox is done) — I’m a compulsive list person, who runs on habit and efficiency, and having to go to bed at a certain time, even if not everything is done, even if there’s more things on the list, and instead choosing to trust that the work will get done, that the time in prayer is well spent, that God will provide, is so fucking hard.
That sort of a fast, this year, doesn’t feel like giving something up. It feels like indulgence. Who am I to go to bed without making my daily calls to my reps? Without digitizing more records for the food pantry? Without reading through every substack detailing every possible take on the news? Why should I get to go to bed when there’s still work to be done?
Or is that sheer arrogance? The world doesn’t stop turning because I’ve spent 40 days sleeping properly; that’s part of the point, a curbing of the activist’s anxiety and ego. Or am I just thinking that because I’m so tired? Put my own oxygen mask on first vs. everyone needs to put their shoulder to the wheel. An endless circling loop, unhelpful and exhausting.
I don’t currently have an answer. Maybe I’ll do what I normally do; maybe I won’t do any sort of step back from activism and volunteering. Maybe I’ll find a balance.
I’ll try and remember that Lent is not a diet. The point of Lent is not a second chance at a New Year’s Resolution. A Lenten fast is not one to be kept all year, and while it may bring you closer to God, to give you better perspective on your life and what you do, it’s not a way to lose weight, to reset your sleep schedule, or to do a clandestine detox. Even if that does happen (Catholics are so big on double effect, you guys).
It feels so hard to trust in God and let go for Lent, this year. Which probably means I really need to do it.
Mind how you go —
Needle Drop: “Doubting Thomas”, Nickel Creek
Patriot Front Descends on Downtown
On Saturday, February 22nd, about two dozen members of Patriot Front arrived on the green across from the State House and the Mall to remind the rest of us that they haven’t gone totally defunct, they prommyyy. Almost all were masked, but anti-fascists still photographed them on the scene:
If you have intel or information about any of the individuals pictured above, please email [email protected] and we will pass your tip along to the right researchers.
News Round-Up: Local
Non-binary teachers are being targeted in the state-controlled Providence School System (Steve Ahlquist [ed: our beloved] in RIFuture.news, February 20, 2025)
Providence City Council President Miller requests an explanation for teacher non-renewals for Infante-Green and Montañez (Steve Ahlquist in RIFuture.news, February 21, 2025)
Providence Students oppose non-renewal notices to non-binary educators; Call for transparency from State and District leaders (Steve Ahlquist in RIFuture.news, February 26, 2025)
Dozens gather outside Providence Public Safety Building to protest police harassment of those forced to live outside (Steve Ahlquist in RIFuture.news, February 26, 2025)
Hundreds crowd the Providence School Board meeting in support of teachers facing non-renewal (Steve Ahlquist in RIFuture.news, February 27, 2025)
Deep Dives
Democratic Insiders Are Sharing A Warning About Curtis Yarvin, Elon Musk, & Neoreactionaries (Robert Evans in Shatter Zone, February 26, 2025)
How To Be a Fighter When You Feel Like a Punching Bag (Kelly Hayes in Organizing My Thoughts, February 28, 2025)
Pod Recs: Weird Little Guys, Movement Memos, and It Could Happen Here
They Got What They Wanted (Weird Little Guys, February 20, 2025)
Let’s Learn and Live Lessons in Collective Survival Together (Movement Memos, February 20, 2025)
Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #4 (It Could Happen Here, February 21, 2025)
How Trump is Changing Trans Healthcare (It Could Happen Here, February 25, 2025)
Textbooks and Holy Books (It Could Happen Here, February 26, 2025)
Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #5 (It Could Happen Here, February 28, 2025)
