"The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference."
Elie Wiesel taught us that if we do not stand up against all hate, if we are bystanders, we are no better than the haters.
In the aftermath of the horrific shootings in Atlanta targeting Asian-American women, and the ongoing attacks right here in our local community, the Jewish community commits to learning, listening, speaking up and showing up for the AAPI community. We need to understand specifically the intersection of misogyny and anti-Asian hate that has been in our society and now demands we get very uncomfortable with that truth in order to change it. We need to understand that hate and gun violence are also viruses we need to eradicate.
The Jewish community will not be indifferent to this hate against our AAPI neighbors and fellow Asian Jews. We take this first step of refusing apathy, and asserting that this is unacceptable. We will continue to listen to the needs, provide support and take action by following the Asian community leaders and friends.
The JCRC has been a partner with many AAPI organizations in local social justice work, and now is the time to show our support for those organizations. I hope you will take time to learn about and send financial support to some of the organizations listed below. There are also opportunities to join community listening sessions on protecting AAPI communities through these organizations.
A national organization that has been supporting AAPI women and girls for years:
Another national organization that has offices in San Francisco and Atlanta:
At the March 23rd County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Otto Lee will be calling for the development of an anti-hate and community outreach education campaign. If you are interested in joining me to speak in support at the meeting, please email me at diane@jvalley.org.
Simply reaching out to friends and neighbors in the AAPI community is also a very important step to take right now. Together we will build the community we want to see.
Diane Fisher
Director, Jewish Community Relations Council
