Juneteenth
The liberation of enslaved people in 1865 was not the end of the story. How do we support efforts to move towards meaningful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion?
It is not enough to honestly acknowledge the harms of the past and take responsibility for them; we must confront the harms of the present, too.
Many of us are living in fear that our loved ones will be targeted by racism or genderism or sexism or ableism.
We call on the Jewish community to stay steadfast in racial justice transformation.
Understanding ourselves as multiracial Jewish community would far better equip us as U.S. Jews to fight antisemitism.
We must bring to life that world where the tzelem Elohim (image of the Divine) of every person is recognized and can shine out.
Our children inhabit a race-based society and receive messages about how to apply racial labels.
Womanist biblical interpretation privileges characters on the margins of the text, often reading against the text, and the nation and characters it valorizes.
Biblical characters have been whitewashed in cultural and religious arts, theology and popular imagination. Whiteness has been spackled onto biblical texts and characters.
Rabbi Sandra Lawson explains the significance of Juneteenth and why it is important for Jewish individuals and communities to join in its celebration.
While white Jews might take for granted that ancient Jews looked like them, the evidence is otherwise.
Co-written by Rabbis Sandra Lawson and Donna Cephas, this essay examines the assumption that all Jews are white, while touching on a myriad of interrelated issues: conversion, interracial families, adoption, Ashkenazi privilege and political correctness.
