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Racial Justice & Equity Initiative

Who We Are

The Judea Reform Racial Justice & Equity Initiative is composed of a group of congregants, parents, life-long learners, supporters of democracy, and engaged citizens concerned for the state of racial equity and justice in our country and our world. As a team, we have gathered to pursue tikkun olam and answer the call issued to us as Jews in Deuteronomy 16:20: Tzedek, tzedek, tirdof! Our group began meeting during the summer of 2021 to create a framework to bring folks together to discuss our individual and shared visions for building and growing Judea Reform as an actively anti racist congregation. 

In the words of Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner: “The United States simply cannot achieve the values of 'justice for all,' to which it aspires, until we address ongoing racism in all sectors and at all levels of society. Despite the abolishment of slavery in 1865, systemic oppression, police violence, and racial discrimination against Black Americans and people of Color continues today. Lynchings, Jim Crow laws, restricted access to the ballot box, a biased criminal justice system, and redlining are just some examples of how racial inequity has been sustained in American life. Systemic disparities and injustices will endure unless proactive steps are taken to acknowledge and eliminate them.” 

As members of the Reform Jewish movement, it is our calling and our duty to work across lines of difference to fight the structural racism that is embedded in our society and to advance justice for all people, regardless of race or ethnicity. Our Jewish values call us to pursue deep and meaningful conversations and actions around healing the world. The Judea Reform Racial Justice Core team has come together to ask how we, as American Reform Jews and members of Judea Reform, can work to initiate change in our synagogue and local community to actively pursue racial justice for our congregants and neighbors. 

 

Our Commitment

Our core team has set out to explore approaches to racial justice through the lens of our Reform Jewish values. So far, we have drafted a statement in solidarity with the Union for Reform Judaism's support of the Black Lives Matter movement. As Reform Jews committed to the spirit of tikkun olam, our racial justice team believes, unequivocally, Black Lives Matter! Here is our statement.

As a congregation, Judea Reform is committed to anti-racism. We acknowledge the historical damage that has been done and that continues to be done to communities of color and we stand in solidarity with these communities as we work to end white supremacy. In affirming that Black Lives Matter we affirm the right of all people and Jews of Color to be seen as whole, holy, complex members of our community, never expected to choose between different aspects of their identity. As a Congregation we are beholden to the idea of eradicating systemic racism which has been so pervasive and detrimental to the Black community. This will require deep reflection on the part of the congregants, as well as a desire to change, evolve and completely commit. We pledge to stand by, march with and provide our full support to non-white communities in a show of solidarity. Ayecha, Where are you?, we are asked. We respond with a full throated Hineinu, We are here!

What We’re Doing

Racial Justice & Equity Initiative Meetings

 

Join us for monthly meetings as we discuss projects, learnings, and explore the URJ's Audacious Hospitality initiative. For more information, click here.

URJ’s Racial Justice Campaign

In 2020, the Reform Movement launched Every Voice, Every Vote: The Reform Movement’s Civic Engagement Campaign with a focus on combating voter suppression that particularly suppresses the votes and voices of Communities of Color. As Reform Jews, we are called to continue the fight for racial justice and fulfill the sacred work of creating a more just, compassionate, and whole world. This campaign will address systemic racism by demanding policy change on the national level to ensure the U.S. federal Freedom to Vote and on the state level to advocate for racially just policies and ecnourage all members of the Reform Jewish community to do essential Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) and antiracism work within our communities and ourselves.

The URJ offers REDI (Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) training programs, programs for Jewish adjacent families, and s a variety of ways to engage in this world. We invite you to visit the URJ's Religious Action Center's Racial Justice campaign to learn about upcoming programs and to subscribe to receive updates.

Durham CAN

Durham CAN (Congregations Associations and Neighborhoods) is a local non-profit that organizes communities in Durham across religious, racial, and class lines for the public good. Durham CAN works to strengthen congregations and community institutions and build relationships among people and institutions across Durham County. While not a religious organization, CAN's agenda reflects faith-informed and democratic values, though CAN does not endorse any candidate or party for elected office. CAN members have access to learn more by participating in community organizing training and meetings.
Through our work with Durham CAN, we practice tikkun olam by engaging in social actions reflective of our Jewish values, including housing inequity, wage & economic injustice, voting rights, and systemic racism. This work also fully embraces the call issued to us as members of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism’s Brit Olam–a covenant striving to create a world in which all people experience wholeness, justice, and compassion.
We invite our congregants to join our delegation and take part in direct action with the greater Durham community. Details & schedules can be found here.

Join Us 

For more information on the JRC Racial Justice & Equity Initiative, please contact staff liaison Jordan Wade at jwade@judeareform.org.

Our Pillars, Our Promise: A Video Message

Wed, December 11 2024 10 Kislev 5785