They will meet in front of the State House
A group of students will be gathering to raise awareness about keeping families in their homes. According to a media release, on Feb. 13, at 1 p.m., fifth graders involved in Boston Workers Circle and youth from City Life/Vida Urbana “will speak out to stop non-emergency evictions and foreclosures in the pandemic (including pandemic debt-related evictions, no-fault evictions, and evictions due to a landlord’s refusal to accept rent relief and requiring mortgage modifications).” The fifth graders’ street theater will involve the construction of a “sukkah.” They will “act out a skit involving a landlord giving an eviction notice, CLVU offering support, and a state legislator stepping forward to explain how legislation can help.”
A representative from CLVU offered some background on the street theater that will take place by the State House:
“Sukes (Sukkot) is a Jewish holiday associated with appreciating our homes and environment. The sukkah, a ritual temporary house built during the fall holiday of Sukes/Sukkot, is a Jewish tool from our history and tradition that reminds us each year of our vulnerability and the impact of housing insecurity. Today, we reinterpret the sukkah and use it during a public protest to raise awareness as Jewish activists about housing insecurity. The students will be using the sukkah to symbolize the instability of housing for many Massachusetts residents who are forced from their homes, a situation that has been worsened by the pandemic. Together, we say NO MORE evictions and foreclosures for profit—we demand the passage of housing justice bills.”
Tzipporah Rosenstock, age 10, gave a statement about her involvement:
“As a Boston Workers Circle 5th grader, I support City Life/Vida Urbana’s campaign for statewide rent control because I believe in the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam, which means repairing the world. In my ideal world, every child has a home. A home is so much more than having a roof over your head, but too many kids don’t even have that. Rent control will improve housing stability among low-income families and give more kids the permanent homes they deserve.”
Shira Laucharoen is a reporter based in Boston. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. In the past she has written for Sampan newspaper, The Somerville Times, Scout Magazine, Boston Magazine, and WBUR.
