Accessing a space where I once felt so uncomfortable has helped me recognize the power of embodying my Jewish identity, whether in JoC spaces or any other Jewish spaces. Overall, this fellowship has given me the clarity that my power does not only come from one facet of my identity. From redefining my presentation, to evolving how my confidence and self determination presents itself when I engage in different social circles, I am proud to show up as my full self.
New York Hub
As a Jews of Color Initiative Fellow at Hofstra Hillel, I immersed myself in a dynamic environment and collaborated with passionate individuals to contribute to projects that engaged students. Through my journey, I encountered challenges, learned valuable lessons, and formed lifelong connections.
Drawing upon experiences of raising their young sons as well as a desire to create positive representation, Tameika Minor and Tonia Respes began a mission to create a graphic novel that celebrated the nuanced, intersectional identities of Black Jewish families and young Black Jewish boys.
The Jews of Color Initiative is excited to highlight the JoC Pro Network, an initiative featuring professional gatherings and convenings that create access and community for Jews of Color seeking to expand their careers in the Jewish nonprofit ecosystem. Previously, UJA- Federation of New York managed the Network. Today, the JoCI is proud to lead it.
The Jews of Color Initiative is proud and excited to announce our second ever cohort of our JoCI Leadership Fellowship. Our six Fellows have each been placed in various leadership positions in the New York City Jewish organizational ecosystem, where they will continue their work as activists, educators, and leaders.
This year, the Incubator cohort features six Jewish leaders of Color representing four innovative projects that are shaping the field for Jews of Color.
At the completion of the Incubator’s successful pilot year, leaders from the first cohort presented their learnings and accomplishments to colleagues, peers, friends, and family at a showcase event to demonstrate the program’s importance, and the impact their projects will have on the field.
Throughout the ten months of the Jews of Color Initiative’s Leadership Fellowship, members of the first cohort experienced both a professional and personal transformation. On August 2, the Fellowship ended with a powerful commencement ceremony in which Fellows reflected on the program.
I’ve always wondered how one passes on traditions, stories of old and new. What echoes from one life to another, what we carry. To be both Black and Jewish is to hear two stories of a Paradise both loved and lost.
Amidst their busy calendars, we asked the Fellows to pause and think back to their accomplishments, learning, and new visions for the future that they have cultivated throughout the Fellowship.