Love Thy Neighbor
Temple Beth Ami’s Response to Racial Injustice
Our world is terribly fractured, broken, and so are we because of systemic racial injustice that continues to plague our nation and cause untold damage in our community.
Yet our tradition teaches us that the world does not have to be this way and that we must be part of the solution. Even when this may feel daunting and overwhelming, the rabbis teach, “It is not for you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” [Pirkei Avot 2:16]
Our task, then, is to find ways to become agents of healing, recognizing that the problem of racial injustice has been with us for a very long time and that it will take time, effort, discomfort, and honesty to bring tikkun (repair) into our community.
The Torah’s sacred teachings call us to love our neighbor, to hear the cries of the vulnerable, to pursue justice, and to see each and every human being as created in the very image of the divine.
We reject the brokenness of the world as it is, in favor of the Divine vision of the world as it should and can be.
In addition to ongoing programming, we encourage you to read, watch, learn, and share these resources to help further the necessary dialogues we must have to live our Jewish values and be part of building a more equitable community.
Articles
- I’m a Black Rabbi. I’ve Never Been in a Jewish Space Where I Wasn’t Questioned.
- When Black People Are in Pain, White People Just Join Book Clubs
- ‘Believe us’: Black Jews Respond to George Floyd Protests in Their Own Words
- My White Friend Asked Me on Facebook to Explain White Privilege. I Decided to Be Honest.
- America’s Racial Contract is Killing Us
- Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?
- The 1619 Project
- White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
- 13 Jews of Color to Follow on Social Media Right Now
- Dear White People…10 Ways You Can Show Up for your Black Friends and Colleagues
Videos
- Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man
- The Path To Ending Systemic Racism in the US
- Ted Talks – Talks to Help You Understand Racism in America
- The Daily Show Trevor Noah Commentary
- Franchesca Ramsey, 5 Tips for Being an Ally
- Evan Traylor, I Can’t Breathe
- The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Daily Social Distancing Show: May 29,2020
- The Other America by Martin Luther King Jr.
Training/Programs/Aggregated Resources
- Justice, Justice Shall We Pursue: Resources for Action After the Capitol Insurrection
- Leadership Montgomery Race Equity Trainings and Workshops
- Justice in June – A Daily Guide with Resources to Becoming an Active Ally
- Anti-Racism Resources for White People
- Racial Equity Tools
- Point Made Learning
- Colorlines
- Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture – Talking About Race
- National Archives Docs Teach – Rights in America
- Talking About Racism and Violence with Students
- Learn about race, inequality, and social justice
Books
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- List of Books About Racism and Social Justice for Kids
- The Person You Mean to Be by Dolly Chug
- How to be an Anti Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Resources for Parents of Young Children