June 2, 2020 / 10 Sivan 5780
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Dear CBST Community,
We are horrified and outraged by the callous murder of George Floyd, z"l, by the Minneapolis police. We also remember Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, z"l, who were also recently murdered in acts of racist violence. We mourn their tragic loss and vow to continue fighting for a world without racism, bigotry, and hatred; a world in which every one of us–especially our Black and Brown friends, family members, and neighbors, and all people of color–is treated as being made in the divine image. We will build a world that takes each of our safety and dignity seriously.
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Rabbi Kleinbaum's Drash on Racial Justice
This past Shabbat, Rabbi Kleinbaum spoke powerfully about our responsibilities in this moment. If you missed it, or if you'd like to share it with friends or family, it's available to watch
here
.
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LGBTQ Organizations Unite to Combat Racial Violence
condemning racist violence: “We, the undersigned, recognize we cannot remain neutral, nor will awareness substitute for action. The LGBTQ community knows about the work of resisting police brutality and violence.
"We celebrate June as Pride Month, because it commemorates, in part, our resisting police harassment and brutality at Stonewall in New York City, and earlier in California, when such violence was common and expected. We remember it as a breakthrough moment when we refused to accept humiliation and fear as the price of living fully, freely, and authentically.”
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Learn More and Take Action
We recommend this list of
“Anti-racism resources for white people,”
which compiles excellent articles, books, movies, and podcasts for learning how to deepen our engagement with anti-racist work. As we learn from Rabbi Tarfon in Pirkei Avot (The Ethics of the Ancestors), “It is not incumbent upon you to finish the work, but neither are you free to absolve yourself from it.”
Rabbi Kleinbaum joined with Rabbi Rachel Timoner and Matt Nosanchuk to write
this piece in yesterday's
Forward
about what we can do in this moment: "As a Jewish community, our best institutions have undertaken anti-racist work both within and beyond the synagogue walls. But the process has only just begun, and making our voices heard against racism and police brutality in this moment is a requisite step in that march towards justice."
At the state level,
Civil Rights Law 50-a
is currently used as a shield by police to protect officers. Gov. Cuomo has indicated that he would be inclined to sign a bill that would repeal it and address police accountability and create transparency. CRL 50-a is so unjust that according to the NYC Bar Association, it shrouds evidence of police misconduct from the public.
CBST's Ending Mass Incarceration Team has shared
a document
from JFREJ, T'ruah, and other Jewish groups with information about how to call on elected officials to repeal 50-a. We are grateful to JFREJ for their leadership on the activism on Civil Rights Law 50.
May the memories of all those killed senselessly in acts of racist violence in this country--including George Floyd, Brionna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade--bless us with the strength and courage to change our society into one that is truly equal and just.
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Gregg H. Passin
President
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Yolanda Potasinski
Executive Director
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Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum
Senior Rabbi
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When you
CONTRIBUTE
to CBST, you make a meaningful statement.
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