Isaac Hirt-Manheimer is the founder of Unity Ecovillage in Ghana, constructed according to eco-friendly principles that he learned while attending the Green Apprenticeship training program at Kibbutz Lotan in Israel.

It is difficult to imagine anyone not moved by the scenes of children seeking asylum at our southern border.

Each March, dozens of countries across the globe commemorate Women’s History Month as a time to highlight the political, cultural, and socioeconomic achievements of women.

Earlier this month, the Senate Judiciary Committee held the first-ever Senate hearing on the Equality Act, a landmark bill that would add nondiscrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity to federal civil rights law.

This legislative session, members of the Florida legislature are working to pass legislation that will chill free speech and assembly by threatening to criminalize peaceful public protest. The bill would intimidate and punish peaceful protesters.

This is not yet the America most of us dream of, but it is an unavoidable part of our DNA. American equality and exceptionalism are checks that are still in the mail. If we truly love what this country is capable of, we must continue to speak the hard truth to power.

This is a moment that requires extraordinary courage to do the hardest and most transformative social change work. It is for all Americans of conscience to build a more just and compassionate future by facing the truth of our history and our present.

Democracy is, indeed, a promise we renew not just on election day, but every day. Democracy does not exist independent of our contributions to it. Citizens and immigrants, voters, and presidents – all of us build democracy.

It may prove difficult to wait for election results, especially in these times of heightened stress and anxiety; patience may seem impossible. Fortunately, Jewish faith and tradition offer lessons for us as we enter a period of waiting and uncertainty.