By Ginamarie Emanuel, , Seattle
I was delighted that Jerusalem Camp at the Rainbow Gathering was featured in Leyna Krow’s excellent article “Ten Jewish Places to See Before You Die (not counting Israel)” (Jew-ish.com insert, April 17).
Nineteen years ago in Colorado, I organized a Bat Mitzvah. One had to stand by the trail asking people if they were Jewish to find a minyan for such events then. Two years later, the first Jerusalem Camp organizers arrived, having now grown to 400 souls.
The purpose of Rainbow, an alcohol-free event, is to pray silently for world peace with all attendees on Fourth of July morning in a huge meadow (or, for the Ultra-Orthodox, separately but simultaneously inside the enormous Jerusalem eruv) as we celebrate our right to freedom of religion and assembly as Americans. Acoustic music is also enjoyed throughout Rainbow.
An error in your article is that Rainbow meets in national forests, not national parks. A free and non-commercial event cannot take place where an entrance fee is required.
In 37 years, many states have held gatherings twice, but Washington has only received this honor once, 30 years ago. Your article will be presented at this year’s Gathering, showing that a mainstream newspaper has encouraged its readers to attend. This has never happened before. Therefore, perhaps next year’s Gathering can finally be in Washington again.
Rainbow presents an economic boon to the rural areas nearby and attracts experienced activists to the major cities of the chosen state, who work, while they are visiting, against the blight suffered by our neighborhoods.
If you can help get street youth to New Mexico in early June to help with setup, would like to attend the upcoming Gathering in early July, or help with getting next year’s Gathering to Washington State, please call 206-632-2868.