Authoritarianism feeds on silence, isolation, and fear. That’s why we launched The Beacon, a project born from the urgent wisdom of those who study how authoritarianism rises—and how everyday people can stop it.
Their expert advice for this moment is consistent and urgent. It’s time to do three things.
Show up in public. Get people out of their homes and into the streets to make resistance visible and boldly affirm what we believe in.
Build local connections. Strengthen community ties in neighborhoods, local governments, and institutions. Real change grows from the ground up.
Keep joy alive. Together, we laugh, have fun, and strengthen our muscles of not giving up and not giving in.
No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. That’s why we created The Beacon and its signature event, “Thursdays at 7, Shine the Light.”
Shine the Light in Teaneck, NJ; April 24, 2025
Every Thursday from 7:00-7:30 p.m., your local time, we create signs that express our rejection of the hate and cruelty of the current administration. We take our signs out into our neighborhoods, whether we live in a small town or a metropolis, and make our voices heard.
Thursdays at 7, Shine the Light isn’t a replacement for larger demonstrations. It’s a powerful complement and an entry point to making your voice heard. It works with and alongside other protests.
This weekly, neighborhood-based action harnesses the power of visibility and community. When people see others take a stand, they’re inspired to join. It’s one of the simplest, most effective ways everyday people can stand up to authoritarianism: together.
The Beacon invites us to Shine the Light every week at the same time, building local communities of resistance. Like the 7 p.m. pot-and-pan banging during the COVID-19 shutdown to support healthcare workers, this is a shared ritual. It creates space for public expressions of outrage and solidarity.
Shine the Light in Cambridge, MA; May 1, 2025
It may begin with just a few of your neighbors, but that act often inspires others to join. And for those who participate, it’s more than a protest. It’s a deeply moving act of connection and courage.
Movements grow because people say yes to each other, to showing up, to trying something new. Movements grow when we invite our neighbors in, when we take a step that might feel scary, but ends up easing the despair and grief so many of us feel in this time.
Along the way, we discover something powerful: it feels good to be with people who are willing to be a little brave, a little honest, and even a little funny in these uncertain times.
When we all step out at the same time, and when we send our photos to The Beacon, we see it: a national movement, block by block. We’re not alone in standing against a cruel regime of bullies and billionaires. We’re not alone in standing for a bold, inclusive democracy that lifts everyone.
Shine the Light in Lancaster, OH; April 10, 2025.
In just six weeks, people have gathered to Shine the Light from the 96th Street subway stop in NYC to rural towns across Connecticut, from Porter Square in Cambridge, Mass., to a senior center in Denver, from Portland to Pittsburgh. (See photos.)
People honk, wave, and ask questions. Some thank us. Others don’t. Still, we come back. Because every week, more people are reminded: they’re not alone either. And there is something they can do.
We’re proud to work alongside groups fighting the current administration and standing up for a democracy rooted in compassion, inclusion, hope, and justice. This effort is about both showing up and helping others take their first step into visible, continual resistance.
Thursdays at 7, Shine the Light is spreading. New gatherings are forming and growing every week. To start, you don’t need permission or a perfect plan. Just begin. Maybe it’s you, a friend, and a sign in front of your building. Maybe you join neighbors already meeting in your area.
Every action counts. Every bit of light we shed adds to the thrum and glow of resistance.
No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.
Shine the Light in Greenwich Village, NYC; April 24, 2025.
On Thursdays at 7 p.m., we invite you to Shine the Light, wherever you are. In front of your home. On a busy street corner. At a local park or subway stop. From coast to coast, we stand together.
Together, we’re creating a movement grounded in courage, compassion, and community. And together, we’re dismantling authoritarianism.
To learn more and join our WhatsApp groups, go to beaconfordemocracy.org. For Shine the Light info and resources, go to tinyurl.com/thursdaylight.
I’ll see you out there on the streets, with my sign and my friends.
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum has dedicated her life to promoting social justice, LGBTQ+ and human rights, and progressive values within Judaism. She served for 32 years as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City, the largest LGBTQ+ synagogue in the world — for people of all sexual identities and genders — where she is now Senior Rabbi Emerita. The BBC named her one of its 100 Women of 2024, and Newsweek named her one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America.
The Beacon is a project of Union Theological Seminary.