You’ve heard of the rabbi shortage, but have you heard of the untapped rabbinical talent pipeline? From my vantage point leading Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy, there are clear solutions in recruiting, cultivating and elevating untapped talent.
Partner Thought Leadership
Building off of the Jews of Color Initiative’s landmark study “Beyond the Count” from 2021, “Threads of Identity” provides actionable steps for the Jewish community to take in order to create spaces where LGBTQ+ Jews of Color are not only acknowledged but fully embraced and supported.
"What stories could be told in school and media that demonstrated the joys and complexities of being Jewish, especially for this second-generation American Jew? What about the intersectionality of being Black, Jewish, and queer? Where is my representation in the media and in books?"
In this post October 7th world we are all managing sets of -isms that are making us feel less safe moving through the world as openly Jewish people. As a result, a narrative has emerged over the past several months that has called for a separation from ‘communities of color’ who are perceived as not being in ideological lockstep with the ‘Jewish community.’ This perspective assumes both that each community is monolithic in their views and that full agreement is a condition to working towards our shared liberation project.
Seeing life on the other side of the United States-Mexico border was a powerful reminder of our personal connections to the hardships of immigration, as well as the humanity that is lost when we talk about immigration policy. Standing in silence along the 1,933-mile southern US border, our bodies became temporary shelters, safeguarding hope.
In this poignant op-ed, Tova Harris, alumnus of the Jews of Color Initiative's Leadership Fellowship, reflects on the othering they experienced growing up as a Jew of Color and how, among community, they are reclaiming their unique identity as their own.