Jennifer Meeropol is the granddaughter of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and the daughter of RFC Founder, Robert Meeropol. Jenn became the Executive Director of the RFC on September 1, 2013. Prior posts on this page were written by Robert (unless otherwise noted), and represent his opinions, which are not necessarily shared by the RFC.
The new book, Drawing Deportation: Art and Resistance Among Immigrant Children hit bookshelves on Valentine’s Day and was described as a love letter to immigrant children. However, it is also bitter medicine to understand the American tragedy known as family separation. The book is based on work with children of immigrants along border states like Arizona and California who contend with the fear and stress related to family separation that our current enforcement-focused immigration system creates.
This year has felt like a series of seemingly endless crises, from the pandemic to environmental calamity (fires and storms and floods to name just a few) to the frightening rise in antisemitic, racist and anti-trans speech and violence at home and around the globe. All of these developments are symptomatic of escalating threats to democracy and the frightening rise of fascism.
We are heading into the winter holidays on a high note: now that the second half of our granting season has concluded, we can proudly say that altogether we have been able to support a total of 86 families this season. With six new families joining 80 families receiving renewal grants, the RFC has officially awarded close to $200,000 this fall for the children of targeted, progressive activists.
The last few weeks have been a flurry of activity at the RFC. As summer turned into fall, we received over 80 applications for support from activist parents and guardians all across the country. This comes as no surprise; fascism, racism, reproductive injustice and climate destruction remain persistent and pervasive threats in this country. We need only to turn on the news to see that targeting is on the rise, and that it takes enormous bravery to push back against these powerful forces. This is the work our beneficiary families do, and it is an honor to be able to support them in their fight.
One of my mother’s earliest childhood memories is hearing one name repeated over and over in conversations around her: “Rosenberg.” It’s no surprise that my mom grew up constantly aware of the horrors of the Rosenberg case. She was raised in a Jewish community in New York City at the time of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’s trial and execution. Her parents - my grandparents - were the same age as the Rosenbergs.