THINK • TALK • ENGAGE • ADVOCACY • RESOURCES
STARTING TO THINK ABOUT RACE AND JUSTICE
(from “Teaching Tolerance” by Carolyn Hoyt, Child Magazine, December/January 2005)
Create situations where your child can meet people of diverse backgrounds, religions, and traditions. Meeting many new people will lead to questions and “teachable moments” and foster a better understanding of human [differences].
Talk to your child about your family history. Explain to your child where their grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents came from. If appropriate, talk about the relationship between ancestry and race. Explain that ancestry is an important factor in one’s physical appearance. If possible, differentiate between ancestry and “race.”
Recognize situations where bias or discrimination has occurred. It is important to point out intolerance when it happens, so your child understands the situation. Talk about how bias or discrimination and intolerance are hurtful to everyone. When discrimination or bias occurs it is important to recognize both your child’s feelings and the potential feelings of all individuals involved in the situation. After recognizing a situation in which discrimination has occurred, discuss ways that the situation could have been handled better.
STARTING TO TALK ABOUT RACE AND JUSTICE
Some Guidelines for Productive Family Discussions about Race (© 2007 American Anthropological Association. All rights reserved.)
Having a conversation about the idea of race with young children can be challenging. Parents may find the following guidelines useful, as methods to foster productive discussions at home.
1. Do not be afraid of sensitive topics.
There are many topics, like race, that adults think are too sensitive to discuss. Children perceive their discomfort. Use conversations with your child to teach him/her to feel positive about talking about race and to become more comfortable doing so yourself. Race does not have to be a taboo topic.
2. Create an environment that allows free expression.
As a parent it is important to create an environment where your child feels comfortable expressing his/her ideas and confusions. Parents, too, should be comfortable in acknowledging their confusion and limits in knowledge about race and human variation. Parents may want to emphasize that all questions are good questions.
3. Provide short and accurate answers to your child.
Although race is a complex topic, use your wisdom and experience to provide simple answers to your child’s questions. In cases where a parent is unsure of the answer to a question, take the opportunity to search for the answer with your child.
STARTING TO ENGAGE WITH RACE AND JUSTICE
While this piece was written following Michael Brown’s murder, the questions and issues it raises continue to be relevant.
10 Ways to be a White Ally: based on “12 Things White People Can Do Now Because Ferguson,” by Janee Woods
1. Learn about the history of racial politics and racism in Ferguson and how it reflects the history of racial politics and racism in America. Michael Brown’s murder is not an isolated incident. Start to learn and talk about the interplay between housing discrimination, intergenerational poverty and racial profiling.
2. Reject the “He Was a Good Kid” narrative and lift up the “Black Lives Matter” narrative. Michael Brown was a good kid, by accounts of those who knew him during his short life. But that’s not why his death is tragic. His death isn’t tragic because he was a sweet kid on his way to college next week. His death is tragic because he was a human being and his life mattered.
3. Use words that speak the truth about the disempowerment, oppression, disinvestment and racism that exist in our communities. Be mindful and socially aware with your language. Notice how news outlets are using words like riot and looting to describe the uprisings in Ferguson and across the country. Compare that to language the media uses after sporting events or protests in majority white communities.
4. Understand the modern forms of race oppression and how they are intertwined with policing, the courts and the prison system. While people of color make up about 30 percent of the United States’ population, they account for 60 percent of those imprisoned. Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is a good book to read to start getting informed.
5. Examine the interplay between poverty and racial equity. While combatting racism and championing economic justice should be deeply entwined, avoid using class issues to trump race issues and to avoid the racism conversation. While racism and class oppression are tangled together in this country, the fact remains that the number one predictor of prosperity and access to opportunity is race.
6. Diversify your media. Be intentional about looking for and paying close attention to diverse voices of color on TV, the internet and radio to help shape your awareness, understanding and thinking about political, economic and social issues. Seek out perspectives different from the ones you usually see and read.
7. Find support from fellow white allies. Challenge and encourage each other to dig deeper, even when it hurts and especially when you feel confused and angry and sad and hopeless, so that you can be more authentic in your shared journey with people of color to uphold and protect principles of antiracism and equity in our society. It is important to engage in conversations about race and racism with other white people and not to depend solely on black friends and the black community at large to lead this conversation.
8. Don’t be afraid to be unpopular. Let’s be realistic. If you start calling out all the racism you witness (and it will be a lot once you know what you’re looking at) some people might not want to hang out with you as much. That’s a risk you’ll need to accept. But think about it like this: staying silent when you witness oppression is the same as supporting oppression. So you can be the popular person who stands with the oppressor or you can be the (maybe) unpopular person who stands for equality and dignity for all people. Which person would you prefer to be?
9. Be proactive in your own community. As a white ally, you are not limited to being reactionary and only rising up to stand on the side of justice when black people are being subjected to violence very visibly and publicly. Moments of crisis do not need to be the catalyst—think about the communities of which you are a part, and what conversations you can help make happen.
10. If you are a person of faith, look to your scriptures or holy texts for guidance. Read Rabbi Laufer’s sermon the week of the Ferguson grand jury decision and Rabbi Laufer’s High Holy Day Sermon from 5776.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Click HERE for more reading resources.
ADVOCACY
The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 (S. 1659/H.R. 2867): On June 24, 2015, the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) (H.R. 2867 / S. 1659) was introduced in both the House and Senate. The Voting Rights Advancement Act has received broad and strong support from the civil rights community because it responds to the unique, modern-day challenges of voting discrimination. The Voting Rights Advancement Act recognizes that changing demographics require tools that protect voters nationwide—especially voters of color, voters who rely on languages other than English, and voters with disabilities.
Click HERE for more information.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Here are some organizations doing great work on changing the conversation about race and racism in America:
1. BeChol Lashon: An organization dedicated to advocating for the growth and diversity of the Jewish people. Their website has wonderful resources for talking about race in the Jewish community. http://www.bechollashon.org/
2. Jewish Multiracial Network: JMN advances Jewish diversity through empowerment and community building with Jews of Color and Jewish multiracial families. http://www.jewishmultiracialnetwork.org/
3. NAACP: The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. This summer, over 200 Reform rabbis joined the NAACP in its 1002 mile “America’s Journey for Justice” from Selma, Alabama, to Washington, D.C.–a landmark effort to highlight and address continuing racial justice issues. http://www.naacp.org/
4. Jews for Racial and Economic Justice: JFREJ works to pursue racial and economic justice in New York City by advancing systemic changes that result in concrete improvements in peoples daily lives. Among the campaigns in which they are currently engaged, police accountability is a significant one, particularly in NYC. http://www.jfrej.org/
5. Southern Poverty Law Center: Known for their work with hate/extremist groups, SPLC also runs a program called Teaching Tolerance, which has equipped hundreds of thousands of educators with classroom tools and resources that reduce prejudice, improve intergroup relations and foster school equity. http://www.splcenter.org/what-we-do/teaching-tolerance
6. Facing History: Facing History and Ourselves provides ideas, methods, and tools that support the practical needs, and the spirits, of educators worldwide who share the goal of creating a better, more informed, and more thoughtful society. Their blog has some great resources and articles to spark conversation. https://www.facinghistory.org/
7. Showing Up for Racial Justice: SURJ is a national network of groups and individuals organizing White people for racial justice. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves White people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability. http://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/about
Justin Callis (he/him), our Cantorial Intern, is a fourth-year student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. He is the recipient of the Reuben Peretz Abelson Prize for dedication to Yiddish Song, the Temple Israel of Boston Cantorial Prize, and the Lee Gura Memorial Prize for Aptitude in Synagogue Choral Music.
Known for his sweet and “sumptuous” (New York Times) tone, American-born Doori Na took up violin at the age of four and began his studies with Li Lin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He quickly made his first performance with orchestra at age seven with the Peninsula Youth Symphony as the first prize winner of the concerto competition. Thereafter Mr. Na went on to win top prizes in The Sound of Music Festival, The Korea Times Youth Music Competition, the Chinese Music Teacher’s Association, The Menuhin Dowling Young Artist Competition, The Junior Bach Festival, VOCE of the Music Teacher’s Association of California, and The Pacific Musical Society. Receiving full scholarships to private high school Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, he moved to Los Angeles to study with renown violin teacher, Robert Lipsett, at The Colburn Music School. There he appeared as soloist with the Palisades Symphony, Brentwood Symphony, and Torrance Symphony. During that time, the summer of 2004 was Mr. Na’s first time at the Perlman Music Program where his expression and musical identity were greatly influenced. He has been a part of the program ever since and participated in many of their special residencies in Florida, Vermont, New York, and Israel.
Violinist Michael Roth is a native of Scarsdale, NY and received his early musical training with Frances Magnes at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School. He attended Oberlin College and Conservatory, continuing his studies with Marilyn McDonald. At Oberlin, he won the Kaufman Prize for violin and First Prize in the Ohio String Teacher’s Association Competition. He completed his Master of Music degree at the University of Massachusetts where he worked with the distinguished American violinist and pedagogue Charles Treger and was a recipient of the Julian Olevsky Award. Mr. Roth is currently associate concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and has appeared in chamber music and as a soloist with the company, most recently in the debut of “Slice Too Sharp”, a ballet of Biber and Vivaldi violin concerti, and “After the Rain”, violin music of Arvo Part. In addition he is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Principal 2nd violin of the Westchester Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Pops. He was concertmaster of the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra for many years and often appeared as soloist there, as well as at the Caramoor and Bard Music Festivals. He has played and toured internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Chamber Soloists.
Sarah Adams, viola, performs locally with the New York Chamber Ensemble, the Claring Chamber Players, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Friends of Mozart, and the Saratoga Chamber Players.
Praised by the New York Times as “irresistible in both music and performance.” flutist, 
Rabbi Mira Weller (she/her) received her ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in May 2022. She studied Culture and Politics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and received her Master’s in Jewish Education at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC-JIR. She is the proud recipient of awards for her studies in rabbinic literature, her work in Jewish education, and she was granted the Myrtle Lorch Pfaelzer-Monroe Pfaelzer Award for an Outstanding Female Rabbinical School Student (2022). Rabbi Mira speaks Hebrew and Spanish (so please practice with her!). She has a passion for uncovering new possibilities in the great wealth of our tradition and for making music inspired by Judaism’s many cultures. Her guilty pleasures include cupcakes, classical music, and philosophy.
Alan Goodis is a touring Jewish musician playing over 150 events a year. Born and raised in Toronto, Alan is a proud product of URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute. Noted for his dedication to building relationships and community through music, Alan tours throughout the US to serve as an Artist-In-Residence and performer at Temples, Youth Conventions and Jewish summer camps.
Julie Silver is one of the most celebrated and beloved performers in the world of contemporary Jewish music today. She tours throughout the world, and has been engaging audiences with her gorgeous compositions and liturgical settings, her lyrical guitar playing, her dynamic stage presence, and her megawatt smile for over 25 years.
Dan is a product of the URJ Jewish camping movement. He has toured Jewish summer camps across North America for the last 15 years. A classically trained singer, Dan received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina. In 1995, realizing the potential of music to make powerful connections with Jewish youth, Dan established the Jewish rock band Eighteen. Since that time, Dan and Eighteen have released 13 albums. Songs like, L’takein, B’tzelem Elo-him, Kehillah Kedoshah, Chazak, Sweet As Honey, and Asher Yatzar have become Jewish communal anthems throughout North America.
Naomi Less is an internationally celebrated singer/songwriter, ritualist and educator. Beloved for her warm smile and inviting presence, communities celebrate her imagination and innovation, tenderness and pizzazz! Her original music is sung in worship communities worldwide. Naomi serves as Co-Founder, Ritual Leader and Associate Director of Lab/Shul and is a leader in amplifying women’s voices through her work at Songleader Boot Camp and her Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio. Naomiadvocates for people struggling with fertility journeys as a performance artist and speaker for Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Challenges. Fun fact: Naomi and her husband wrote the song shine/Yivarech’cha, a Friday night blessing, specifically composed for URJ Crane Lake Camp, sung every Friday night in the dining hall.
Her destiny became obvious to Joanie Leeds’ parents when, at the tender age of 2, Joanie grabbed the performer’s mic at a party and belted out the entire song“Tomorrow” from Annie. Jaws dropped! No one could remember ever hearing a big voice like that coming from one so tiny and certainly no one would have thought she would one day earn a GRAMMY® Award for her original music.
A composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, Elana Arian is one of the leading voices in contemporary Jewish music. Elana’s music is part of Jewish life across the globe, and her compositions are sung in spiritual communities, summer camps, and synagogues from Louisville to London, from Chicago to the CzechRepublic, and everywhere in between. Elana just released her fourth album of original music, The Other Side of Fear, and her compositions have been published in countless Transcontinental Music collections. Elana serves proudly on the faculty of Hava Nashira (Oconomowoc, WI), the Wexner Heritage Foundation (Aspen, CO), Shirei Chagiga (London, England), and as an instructor at the Hebrew Union College in New York, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Elana has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and perhaps most memorably, five separate appearances at the (Obama) White House. She lives in New York with her wife, Julia, and their two daughters, Maya and Acadia.
Known for his unique, engaging, and deeply soulful approach, Noah Aronson is considered one of the most sought after Jewish musicians in North America, making over 65 community appearances each year.
There is a reason why Time Magazine has listed Michelle in their Top Ten list of Jewish rock stars.
Kol B’Seder has been composing and performing contemporary Jewish music since the early1970s. Rabbi Dan Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper met as college students; over the past 50years they have released numerous CDs and songbooks. With Debbie Friedman (z”l) and others, they forged a new musical sound for American Jewish camps, schools and synagogues. Their songs, such as “Shalom Rav,” “Modeh Ani,” and “Lo Alecha,” have become traditionalJewish melodies around the world. They are delighted to be inaugurating their fiftieth anniversary celebration by appearing in support of URJ camps, where they first composed and incubated many of their early songs.
New York bassist Roger Wagner enjoys a long and diverse career. As soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral bassist, Mr. Wagner has appeared on many of the world’s great concert stages.
Margaret Kampmeier, 
Leonard Bernstein described 
Sarah Adams 
Michael Roth
Our initiative for young children and their grown-ups provides a slate of offerings including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, music, classroom readiness programs, and new parent experiences. During the pandemic, we have leaned on $1m of seed funding for Sholom Sprouts established through this campaign as we offer age-appropriate virtual programs for our families with young children, who are the future of our community. We look forward to welcoming our littlest members and their grown-ups back to our new fifth floor, as well as hiring a Program Assistant to increase the capacity of Sholom Sprouts to grow. This program provides a crucial entry-point to the congregation and membership for young families.
