Kaufman and Spitalnik identified three key strategies that will enable the Jewish community to better tend to the multiracial, multifaith coalitions that have been integral to Jewish safety and security throughout American history.
2025
Through archiving oral histories, Tanaka has noted some national trends, including shifts in intermarriage, reasons and dates of immigration to the U.S., intergenerational trauma, and relationships to whiteness and assimilation. “There’s so much to unpack, but everyone has a story rooted in political history,” Tanaka said.
When JoCI opened a Request for Proposals for projects supporting new and emerging initiatives for Jews of Color in Los Angeles, Rabbi Yonosan Perry and longtime collaborator Chava Shervington saw an opportunity to provide new support for youth in the community. Their idea: a bar and bat mitzvah preparatory program designed specifically for older children in Torah-observant Black Jewish families.
The Jews of Color Initiative continues to deepen its engagement in the South, supporting leaders and organizations who are shaping vibrant Jewish life—often in places where Jewish identity is powerfully thriving. One such leader is Dr. Buffie Longmire-Avital, whose story offers insight into both the challenges, and the transformative potential, of building Jewish community in the South.
The Grant Advisory Committee is an essential component of the Jews of Color Initiative’s grantmaking, helping to foster a more inclusive, dynamic, and equitable Jewish community. Through their service, these leaders are shaping the future of Jewish life and fostering a more inclusive community.
At UCLA, two student leaders are creating new opportunities for Jews of Color. Funded by a grant from the Jews of Color Initiative, Aiden Moseley and Jonathan Cohn co-founded the Jews of Color program through Hillel at UCLA—an initiative dedicated to fostering community and amplifying JoC voices on campus.
Two projects, both supported by grants from our Intergenerational Relationships for Cultural Preservation RFP, beautifully illustrate how food transmits cultural identity l’dor vador — from generation to generation.
At the core of Traylor’s leadership is the idea that all humans are created b’tzelem Elohim—“in the image of God”—a concept found in the very beginning of Torah. “If each and every person, not only Jews, but every person in the world, is created in the image of God,” Traylor said, “that calls us to not only be nice to them, but to love them and to fight to ensure they have live a life filled with goodness.”
Spicer’s leadership trajectory is an excellent example of putting research into action and can serve as a model for other communities. The survey created a centralized effort for community members to articulate their need for belonging and more leadership opportunities, and TischPDX took the findings seriously.
In the four years since its founding, Mosaic Visions has evolved and grown into a dynamic organization that facilitates community discussions around social justice, inclusion, and spiritual practice.