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Who by ICE, and who by mercy? An Unetanah Tokef for immigration court

JL;DR SUMMARY Rabbi Michael Meyerstein reflects on his experience as a court observer in U.S. immigration courts during the Jewish High Holidays, drawing parallels with the Unetanah Tokef, a traditional Yom Kippur prayer. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Rosh HashanahHolocaustYom KippurJewish EthicsSocial JusticeImmigrationJusticeCompassionUnetanah TokefCourt Observers

Places mentioned

Guatemala
"A 50-ish woman from Central America appeared without counsel, because she couldnt afford one."
Washington DC, United States
"...but in immigration court...a way of holding Americas court system accountable."

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Cairo Item ID 62868
Cairo Source ID 42
Retrieved 2025-10-01 18:00:36 UTC
Curated 2025-10-01 19:01:06 UTC