June 11, 2020
The American Sign Language (ASL) Shabbat Coalition representing four organizations, Jewish Deaf Congress, Washington Society of Jewish Deaf, Jewish Deaf Resource Center and Hillel at Gallaudet stand with the Black Community, which includes Black Deaf Jews and Jews of color, in denouncing all forms of racism and violence against Black people.
Recent events have brought to light what the Black community has been tirelessly trying to tell us, that systemic racism is still deeply rooted American society, in law enforcement, in the justice system, in education, in employment, in community health and social services, and more.
We, the Jewish Deaf community, publicly state that we should have done more and sooner to eradicate racism. We, individually and collectively, commit to actively listen, to step out of our comfort zones, to unpack our own implicit biases, to educate ourselves, to engage in courageous conversations, and to call out individual and systemic racism. We commit to do our part to ensure justice and equity for the Black community so that Black people can thrive rather than merely survive.
We must never forget George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aurbery, and countless others who have lost their lives to racism and brutality. These are names of people who matter; people who were part of the human family, who are loved and cherished. They matter to us. We mourn their loss and step up in their names.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (the only surviving member of his family who perished in the Holocaust) marched arm in arm with Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma. Rabbi Heschel made a powerful statement: “Racism is man’s gravest threat to man – the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.”
We commit ourselves to tikkun olam (repair the world), to live the values we profess and to transform our words into actions of love and compassion, so that we may contribute to the bringing about of justice and peace.
Psalm 133.1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity.”
Source: Hillel @ Gallaudet, Jewish Deaf Congress (JDC), Jewish Deaf Resource Center (JDRC) and Washington Society of Jewish Deaf (WSJD)
