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'Hands Across Stand Together' encourages the simple act of handholding as a way to reconnect with community

Josh James/WUKY

This Friday, Lexingtonians of all backgrounds will stand together in a show of nonpartisan unity. Organizers hope see the idea grow in its second year.

Representatives of the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths joined hands in Triangle Park as they announced their second "Hands Across Stand Together" event.

When you begin to see how we all connect, it's tough to just dismiss someone.

Jeff Rubin, event organizer

"Let's love one another. Let's hold hands. Let's uplift one another," one speaker said.

Rabbi Rabbi David Wirtschafter began his remarks with, "Behold how beautiful and pleasant it is to join hands as brothers and sisters together."

But the initiative, which saw 800 people lining a downtown street and others along other roads around the city last year, isn't limited to an interfaith gathering. The invitation is to anyone and everyone who wants to take a stand against division and for community.

Organizer Jeff Rubin described it as a chance to revisit the question of why we come together in the first place.

"The person that is next door to me could be the nurse in the hospital that takes care of me if I get sick, or could be my son's teacher. When you begin to see how we all connect, it's tough to just dismiss someone," he says.

The event is set for noon to one this Friday on the 63rd anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, with participants symbolically stretching hands across a route that reaches from Versailles Road through downtown and toward Winchester Road.

More information is on the Hands Across Stand Together 2026 Lexington Facebook page.