GoLeft Star Activist Interview: Dara Silverman

GoLeft’s Star-Activist Interviews
GoLeft tracks where pop culture and activism meet (who doesn’t enjoy the escapism of Hollywood and the great shoes?), but the real celebrities of our world are the progressives working every day to fight injustice, improve everyone’s quality of life, and build community. So here’s our version of the celebrity profile: GoLeft’s Star-Activist Interviews, which helps us get to know some amazing people doing fascinating (and important) work.

Interview with Dara Silverman

Dara Silverman is the Executive Director of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ). JFREJ does grassroots organizing and political education to engage Jews in different social, racial and economic struggles in NYC. Our GoLeft interview with Dara revealed a great commitment to organizing, the need to read Entertainment Weekly and excitement over the new season of Weeds.  To find out more about the work Dara is working on, check out http://www.jfrej.org. You can also reach Dara at .

GL: How do you explain your work to people?
Dara: Primarily what I talk about is working with Jews from across the city – both individual Jews and rabbis and synagogues - to bring them on board with different areas of social justice.

We work where there are some real gains to be made where low-income people, people of color and immigrants are getting the real brunt of NYC policies and we’re trying to shift that and use the power that some Jews have access to, to leverage that power and make these changes happen. For example, we’re involved with the Domestic Worker campaign (http://www.jfrej.org/ShalomBayit2.html). And we’re organizing employers of domestic workers to align with domestic workers to fight for higher wages, benefits and respect.

GL: When did you know you wanted to be an organizer?
Dara: My parents were both academics and I started doing activist work in college. I thought ‘oh, I’ll work for a couple of years and then get a Masters in Social Work.’ But when I graduated I did an Americorp program called Green Corps which trains people to be environmental organizers. And even though I was never a big environmental person I got hooked on organizing.

GL: What is great about being an organizer?
Dara: Well everything! (laughs). But I think the main thing is getting to meet and talk to so many great people and hear their stories. And just getting a chance everyday to connect with why we’re doing this work. I sit down and talk to people and they tell me what motivates them and I get to talk with them and offer opportunities to take that passion to the next level from thinking about wanting to make change and then plugging in and actually doing it.

GL: And what makes you a great organizer?
Dara: (more laughter) Well, I don’t think I’m a great organizer. I think what makes me a good organizer is that I like people. I’m also really good at follow-up and we know 99% of organizing is follow-up. And I’m really excited when people take things on.

GL: What is the best line you’ve ever used to engage someone in your campaign?

Dara: “Oh, you’re Jewish, do I have a campaign for you.”

GL: What do you love about pop culture?
Dara: The thing I think I love most is that pop culture can be at times an accurate reflection of the different challenges that we see in life, but dramatized. So there can be better clothes, better food and better locations but a lot of the same issues can be reflected. So with a show like “Ugly Betty” it’s through this soap opera lens and it’s talking about all the things we’re talking about – race, class, gender and sexuality but they work in a much more fabulous office. 

GL: When was the last time you used a pop cultural reference in your work?

Dara: Earlier today, I was talking to someone on the phone and I was talking about the movie All About Eve and the process of having younger people coming up and the older person not making room for them and the challenges of that in organizing.

GL:  Which celebrity would you love to come out on your issue and why?

Dara: Well when the Nanny Diaries came out we really wanted to get Scarlett Johannsen to come out for our Domestic Workers campaign but that hasn’t happened yet. Also, we’d really love to get Jon Stewart or Liev Schrieber to host our annual Meyers’ Award.  Every year we hold an Annual Risk-Taker Awards named in honor of Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer who was an amazing rabbi and founder of JFREJ who stood up against the repressive regime in Argentina. . 

GL: What music lyrics do you live by?

Dara: “My Hometown” by Bruce Springsteen. The song is about factories closing in small towns, also the entire soundtrack to “Amadala” about music as a way to fight for revoulutionary change in South Africa and “Grown Women” by Mary J. Blige.

GL: What could a celebrity do that could make you end your relationship with them?
Dara: There’s a lot of things they could do. Saying something really offensive in the media. Being rude to our members or allies. Saying they agreed with us on policies and then they went against that. In our case we can have a celebrity come out in support of a living wage for domestic workers and not practice that. We’re not going to check pay stubs so to a certain extent you have to go on some faith.

GL: How do you balance your passion for your activism with your passion for your partner?

Dara: Recently my partner set down rules that I have to get home by 7:30pm twice a week once for a date with myself and once for a date with him. That’s a very good structure for helping me get to that balance.  Also, I’m taking three weeks for vacation this year. My first time ever taking that much time for vacation.

GL: Does your family support the work that you do and is that important to you?

Dara: My parents are very supportive. They really love what I do even though they don’t get everything I do. My brother is very politically conservative, he actually works for the Republican Jewish Coalition so he’s not necessarily supportive but he gives me some good counterpoints on my thoughts and positions to which I have to respond. 

GL:  Is there a relationship depicted in pop culture (fictional or real) that you admire or think is a healthy model? Why?

Dara: I think the movie “Matewan” have some really realistic organizer and people in the community relationships. In the movie “Silkwood,” the Karen Silkwood character is really angry and it alienates some people but you get to see the relationships that she’s able to build with Cher’s character [Dolly] and other workers in the movie. In the movie “Norma Rae” there’s also an organizer and he’s not perfect, he doesn’t have it all figured out, but he’s really committed to the workers and letting them figure it out.

GL: What is one truth your parents told you about sex/love/relationships?
Dara: When you find the person who can connect the dots of your beauty marks then that is big love. I always took it as a metaphor for someone who will focus on what maybe other people would not consider the most beautiful parts of you but that that person would enjoy that and appreciate those aspects of you.

GL: When solicitors come to your door do you answer or pretend not to be home?

Dara: When I was growing up and the Jehovah’s Witnesses would come to the door we would all run and whoever was last would have to go deal with them. But now, if it’s a political canvasser I’ll offer them a glass of lemonade. And depending on what it is I’ll give them money but I always try to be nice because I did canvassing and I know what it’s like.

GL: What is your astrological sign and how does that affect your organizing?

Dara: I’m an Aquarius on the cusp of Capricorn. I don’t really know how it affects my organizing. My friend Amy is an astrologer and a carpenter and has lots of theories but none of them have really stuck. But I think there’s a lot about being headstrong & passionate that fits.