Anti-Racism Resources For Our Community
Racism’s horrific scope is plain for all to see. From COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on communities of color, to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police officers, recent tragedies have sparked widespread pain and anger and a heightened urgency around these issues. We are obligated to work together to address the dehumanization of a group of people in the form of systemic racism. Among the many who now step forward in solidarity are countless Jews, representing synagogues and other Jewish institutions, who understand that we have sacred difficult work to do together.
To help us renew and deepen our commitment to the Black community as well as support Jews of Color; specifically Black Jews, the JCRC of Greater Washington has created a resource list – for learning and self-examination around explicit and implicit racism, and for taking concrete anti-racist action to advance justice and equity in our society. Whether you are a seasoned social justice activist or are delving into this work for the first time, the JCRC is here to support you, and help you create a plan of action that works for your institution, synagogue, group, or family.
USING THESE MATERIALS
No two synagogues, institutions, schools, or families are the same.
Use the Anti-Racism Scaffolding Document and Jewish Organizational Assessment to gauge where your synagogue, institution, school, or family is on the spectrum of core knowledge, self-awareness, engagement with Black and Brown neighbors, and building a welcoming environment especially for Jews of Color within your community.
We suggest the following key questions as a starting point in this process:
- How can I build bridges, foster a sense of welcoming and belonging, and engage Jews of Color, both within my institution and beyond, in this process?
- How can I/we work together to dismantle systems of racism?
- Further learning regarding racism and addressing power and privilege
- Improving internal self-awareness and conducting a self-audit of our institution
- Legislative activism to further social change
- Deepening ties to faith communities of color and embracing and building bridges with Jews of Color
- Which specific demographic(s) within my institution do I wish to further engage?
- Which education and engagement platforms are likely to be the most successful in connecting to that demographic?
- Which sources will have the most resonance for my institution?
- Have I set realistic, achievable goals for this initiative, and do I have stakeholder support for those goals?
Listen, Learn, & Act: 5 Things You Can Do Now
- Check yourself: Perform a self-audit on privilege and bias and encourage your organization to do the same.
- Watch a recording of our panel discussion on how synagogues can become meaningfully involved in advancing racial justice
- Speak out: Email state and local legislators to demand that the government take steps to avoid a mass eviction crisis stemming from the COVID pandemic, which will disproportionately impact black and brown people
- Support Black business owners, such as Black-owned Etsy shops and Black owned restaurants
- Talk about race with your family and commit to reading and discussing books and articles about race
Take Action
- A Template for Outreach to Neighborhood Schools
- Justice in June - Autumn Gupta
- Turn the Tables On Racial Justice: Shabbat Dinner Host Guide - Repair the World
- Get Involved with Equal Justice Initiative - Equal Justice Initiative
- Civil Rights Action Resources - National Council Of Jewish Women
- We Must End The War On Black Lives. Here's Four Ways To Take Action Now - Bend the Arc
- Combat Hate and Xenophobia - AJC
- Resources on Police Brutality, Protests, and the Black Lives Matter Movement -T'ruah
- ADL Webinars: Fighting Hate from Home - ADL
- Host a Diversity Workshop - Operation Understanding DC
- Ways Your Congregation Can Act Now for Racial Justice - Union for Reform Judaism
- Color of Change
- National Urban League
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Webinar: Welcoming and Embracing Jews of Color
Legislative Action
Local Resources
Criminal Justice Reform
- JCRC Policy on Criminal Justice Reform
- JCPA Toolkit
- Legal Aid Justice Center (Virginia)
- Maryland Legislative Black Caucus
- Virginia Legislative Black Caucus
- Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law
- Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative
- ACLU DC
- Religious Action Center
Economic Equity and Justice
Education
- National Coalition Building Institute
- Montgomery County Black and Brown Coalition
- JCRC Academic Costs of the Pandemic Webinar
- Advocates for Justice and Education (Washington, DC)
- Children's Law Center (Washington, DC)
- Maryland Association of Boards of Education
- Maryland Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (Kerwin Commission)
- Virginia School Boards Association
- Virginia is for Learners
Housing
- Manna DC
- Mi Casa
- Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition
- Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance
- Yachad DC
DC Statehood
Jewish Texts to Use When Discussing Race
These texts can be used to start a conversation about race and equity. They focus on people being created in the image of God and the universal need for justice.
- Genesis 1:26-27
- Exodus 2:16-17
- Leviticus 19:18
- Numbers 12:1-16
- Deuteronomy 16:20
- Malachi 2:10
- Pirke Avot 3:14
- Abraham Joshua Heschel, Religion and Race, January 14, 1963
- Abraham Joshua Heschel, Telegraph to President Kennedy, June 16, 1963
- Source Sheet by Rabbi Sandra Lawson - Creating an Inclusive Judaism for the Future
- Source Sheet by AJWS – Civil Rights: What Should I Do?
- Select Jewish Texts on Protest- T’ruah
- Speaking Truth To Power - Rabbi Dov Linzer
- Ask The Rabbis | Does Jewish Law Forbid Racism? - Moment Magazine
Organizations Working to Make Our Jewish Spaces More Welcoming For Jews of Color
- Jews of Color Initiative
- Jewish Social Justice Roundtable
- Be’chol Lashon
- Dimensions, Inc.
- Edot - The Midwest Regional Jewish Diversity Collaborative
- Jewish Multiracial Network
- Jews In All Hues
- Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ)
- AJC Black Jewish Caucus
- Union for Reform Judaism
- Jewish Women International
- National Council of Jewish Women
Resources
- Anti-Racism Scaffolding Document - Created by Anna Stamborski, M. Div Candidate (2022) , Nikki Zimmermann, M. Div candidate (2021) & Bailie Gregory, M. Div, M.S. Ed.
- How Inclusive Are You? Organizational Assessment - Jewish Multiracial Network
- In Your Backyard: A Toolkit for Addressing Criminal Justice at the Local Level - JCPA
- Jewish Racial Justice Resources - Jewish Social Justice Roundtable
- Racial Equity Resource Guide - W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- What Is Everyday Bias? - ADL
- Gather DC's Solidarity Guide - GatherDC
- Talking About Race - National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Tipsheets - Racial Equity Tools
- Racial Justice Resource Guide - United Nations Association of the USA
- Strategies for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Prejudice: Essential Principles - Teaching Tolerance
- Love Thy Neighbor: Temple Beth Ami's Response to Racial Injustice - Temple Beth Ami
- Guidelines for Being Strong White Allies - Paul Kivel
- Jewish Perspectives of Racial Justice - Repair The World
Media
Books
- How to Be an Antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi
- The New Jim Crow - Michelle Alexander
- So You Want to Talk About Race - Ijeoma Oluo
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together In the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race - Beverly Daniel Tatum
- White Fragility - Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism - Robin DiAngelo
- Me and White Supremacy - Layla F. Saad
Reading lists:
- An Anti-Racist Reading List - Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times
- 20 Books by Black Jewish Authors You Should Read - Emily Burack, Alma
- Book and Films List - Racial Equity Tools
Articles
- Black Jews Respond to the George Floyd Protests - April Baskin, Anthony Russell, Yitz Jordan and Tema Smith, compiled by Josefin Dolsten, JTA
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice - Corinne Shutack, Medium
- Who Gets to be Afraid in America? - Ibram X. Kendi, The Atlantic
- White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack - Peggy McIntosh, Peace and Freedom Magazine
- The Intersectionality Wars - Joan Coaston, Vox
- The Case for Reparations - Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic
- Guidelines for Effective White Caucus Groups - Dr. Craig Elliot
- 13 Jews of Color to Follow on Social Media Right Now - Arielle Kaplan, Kveller
- Ending Mass Incarceration is a Jewish Issue - T'ruah
- What Makes This Jew Different Than All Other Jews? Race, Difference, and Safety in Jewish Spaces - Shais Rishon, My Jewish Learning
- In Jewish Color - Articles compiled by The Forward
- Our True Colors - Marra B. Gad, Tablet Magazine
- The 1619 Project - Compiled by the New York Times Magazine
- Young Hasidic Jews protest in support of black neighbors, challenging history of racial tensions - Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, Washington Post
- We Orthodox Jews have been largely complacent about racism. It’s time to change that. - David Fine, JTA
- Orthodox Progressives Finding Their Voices on Racial Justice - Eli Reiter, The New York Jewish Week
- Bagels, Lox, and Grits: Defining My Jewish Identity - Yolanda Savage-Narva, Reform Judaism.Org
- One Synagogue’s Experience With a Racial Justice Discussion Group - Jayme Epstein and Fran Zamore
Films
Talking to Kids About Race
- 13 Books about Equality for Kids Ages 3-5 - Brightly
- A Jewish Anti-Racist Reading List for Children of All Ages - Lior Zaltzman, Kveller
- A Resource for Talking about Race with Young Children - Raising Race Conscious Children
- 7 Ways to Highlight Resistance Efforts When Discussing Oppression with Children - Mia Birdsong, EmbraceRace
- Talking to Young Children about Bias and Prejudice - ADL
- Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup - Katrina Michie, Pretty Good
- Anti-Racism Resources for Jewish Parents - Ohr Kodesh Congregation
- Rights in America - DOCSTeach, National Archives
- ADL Table Talk - ADL
- Talking to Kids about Racism - Oakland Library
- PJ Library Resources for Talking with Kids About Racism - PJ Library
- Activities that Promote Racial and Cultural Awareness - PBS
- Antiracist Baby Picture Book by Ibram X. Kendi
- Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
For more information on these issues and to get involved with the JCRC please follow this link and complete the form.
Disclaimer
This toolkit was compiled by JCRC staff in response to community requests for information and guidance on discussing racism and building an anti-racist Jewish community. This is not an exhaustive list and does not constitute endorsement. We will continue to cultivate this list as new items are created and shared. We welcome suggestions for adding to this toolkit.