Anti-Racism & Belonging
Anti-Racism and Belonging
While Havurah is a wonderful and welcoming community, we shouldn’t assume that we are immune from the racism that is woven into the fabric of our society and is certainly present within predominantly white Jewish communities. The workgroup's goal is to embed anti-racist work throughout Havurah to support the alignment of our actions, beliefs, and values with our identity as a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community, so that all members, and especially our members who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), can show up as their authentic selves, be heard, valued, and appreciated, and have a sense of belonging.
We invite all Havurah members to embark with us in small group conversations to gain a better understanding of how anti-racism and belonging shows up within our congregation. All conversation groups are structured by self-selected shared identity and are led by Havurah consultants Tabitha and Adam St. Bernard-Jacobs. For a schedule of the conversations and RSVP links, click here.
We are committed to:
- Centering the voices of BIPOC members in this work
- Acknowledging that harm has been done, and that it will take time and intentionality to build trust and repair/restore those connections
- Acknowledging that this is long-term, slow work, and that for us to make progress as a community, leadership needs to be visibly committed to the work, and we need to have the support of the broader community
- Being intentional about not replicating systems of oppression and white dominant/supremacist thinking and ways of being
Like most organizations in this country, some of Havurah's current structures may be based in white dominant patterns, thinking, and ways of being that knowingly and unknowingly perpetuate inequities or contribute to patterns of exclusion and harm. For this reason, we have chosen to be a workgroup instead of a committee, so we can have the time and space to explore models of collective organizing that honor and uplift diverse ways of working together.
Members of the Anti-Racism and Belonging Workgroup include Michael Anderson-Nathe, Rabbi Benjamin Barnett, Bob Brown, Chris Coughlin, Alanna Hein, Maria Lisa Johnson, and Karen St. Clair. Bob Brown and Chris Coughlin serve as points of contact. Please reach out to them with any questions.
We hope you have seen some of the Hakol articles about the Anti-Racism and Belonging work we are collectively launching.
If you missed previous Hakol articles about this work, you can find there here:
- Page 4 of the June 2022 Hakol
- Page 3 of the April 2022 Hakol
- Page 3 of the February 2022 Hakol
- Page 4 of the January 2022 Hakol
- Page 4 of the December 2021 Hakol
- Page 5 of the October 2021 Hakol
- Page 11 of the August 2021 Hakol
- Page 8 of the June 2021 Hakol
- Pages 1 and 8 of of the May 2021 Hakol
Launching Our Collective Work
Recognizing that talking about racism can be challenging, the Anti-Racism and Belonging Workgroup has engaged consultants to support our work. Tabitha and Adam St. Bernard-Jacobs will launch the first phase of our anti-racism work during 2022 by engaging in small group conversations with community members over the coming months to gather stories and data from members. More information about the small groups will be available soon.
A Message from Tabitha and Adam
We are honored to work with Havurah Shalom to gain a better understanding of how Havurah members view and approach anti-racism within the congregation. Our goal is to identify issues that encourage and/or hinder belonging among congregants, particularly BIPOC members. Ultimately we hope to identify guideposts for — and a path to — a more equitable community.
In partnership with the Anti-Racism and Belonging Workgroup, we will lead an information gathering process to help expand the vision and deepen the impact of this internally focused work. As part of the process, we will engage in small group conversations with congregants, providing opportunities for you to share your experiences as members and your hopes for the future. Learning from you as the experts of your own experiences will inform our recommendations.
The values that ground us include:
- A focus on relationship-building with the Havurah Shalom community
- Moving at the speed of these relationships
- Providing clarity while accepting a possible lack of conclusion
- Open communication
- A commitment to listening
We lean into the intentional and process-driven nature required of anti-racism work as we reject a quick, results-driven approach. We look forward to helping Havurah Shalom grow into the future with care, belonging, and kehillah (community).
About Tabitha and Adam
Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs (she/her) is a Trinidadian-American artist, organizer, and writer of Raising Anti-Racist Kids. She is the founder of Tabii Just Strategies, a consulting firm focused on dismantling racism and creating equitable systems with an approach that targets sustainable, long-term change. She is a member of Kolot Chayeinu’s Race Working Group. Tabitha is a founding organizer of Women’s March. She currently serves as a senior advisor after serving as Deputy Executive Director of Program. She also led the team that organized the historic 2018 National School Walkouts. Tabitha was recognized as one of Glamour Magazine’s 2017 Women of the Year, and one of 200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World (book). Tabitha is raising two kids with her favorite human, Adam.
Adam St. Bernard Jacobs (he/him) is a peace educator, nonprofit leader, and proud parent. He was the founding Executive Director of Kids Creative, an arts education program in NYC, and currently leads fundraising efforts at a national education nonprofit. He helped found an elementary school in the Bronx and sits on organizing committees working to dismantle white supremacy. Adam has co-led multiple white caucus groups in Jewish and non-Jewish spaces. He has degrees in International Politics, Peace Education, and Talmud and Rabbinics. He is also a children’s performer musician, performing as Mr. Clown in The Dirty Sock Funtime Band, and was a regular on Nick Jr.
Thu, April 25 2024
17 Nisan 5784
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Upcoming Events
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Thursday ,
AprApril 25 , 2024
Thursday, Apr 25th 11:00a to 3:00p
This exhibit is about science and art. It is meant to be a learning experience, about the top 60 solutions to climate change, as researched by over 5,000 scientists. And most importantly it is about hope. It is about learning about these solutions to climate change and changing the hearts and minds of those around us, so that we can all work together. Anne Nesse, 2024 -
Thursday ,
AprApril 25 , 2024
Thursday, Apr 25th 7:00p to 8:30p
Please join us for our monthly Racial Justice Committee Meeting. We will learn of upcoming events and plan new ones. -
Saturday ,
AprApril 27 , 2024
Shabbat, Apr 27th 10:00a to 12:00p
Please join us in welcoming Beatrice Weiss Ekstrom as a Bat Mitzvah and member of our community. -
Sunday ,
AprApril 28 , 2024
Sunday, Apr 28th 11:00a to 1:00p
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Sunday ,
AprApril 28 , 2024
Sunday, Apr 28th 12:00p to 4:00p
HCAT invites you to continue with our climate action month by attending a community wide Climate Action Fair at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. Cosponsored by the MJCC and the Jewish Federation’s Climate team, meet dozens of environmental organizations and discover resources for actions you can take. A series of speakers will talk about forestry, electrification, native plants and climate friendly foods. (And let Elianne Lieberman know if you can give someone a ride or are seeking a ride!) -
Sunday ,
AprApril 28 , 2024
Sunday, Apr 28th 1:00p to 5:00p
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Monday ,
AprApril 29 , 2024
Monday, Apr 29th 5:30p to 7:00p
Join the Climate Action Team's monthly meeting in Zoom Room Gimel. -
Tuesday ,
AprApril 30 , 2024
Tuesday, Apr 30th 8:00a to 9:15a
For all who want a regular prayer practice and for people saying Kaddish. We will observe Yizkor today as well. We meet both in person and streaming online in Zoom Room Aleph. All are welcome. Please email info@havurahshalom.org for join info. -
Tuesday ,
AprApril 30 , 2024
Tuesday, Apr 30th 7:00p to 7:30p
[RSVP to be emailed a recording of the April 9 intro session.] The Omer is an ancient tradition marking time between the Exodus from the Narrow Place to the Expanse at Sinai. Explore tools and practices to facilitate your own learning and experience from Liberation to Revelation. We will have an intro class followed by half-hour check-ins, one for each Sephira. Led by Andrine de la Rocha. 7 pm, Tuesdays, Apr. 9 (Intro), 23 (Chesed), 30 (Gevurah); May 7 (Tiferet), 14 (Netzach), 21 (Hod), 28 (Yesod); Jun. 4 (Malchut) Led by Andrine de la Rocha. -
Tuesday ,
AprApril 30 , 2024
Tuesday, Apr 30th 7:00p to 8:30p
February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns, alone, to the crypt several times to hold his boy’s body. From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying.