Racial Justice Committee:
The Board at Tikkun v’Or joins with the voices of the local and national groups that are outraged by the endless killing of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) in our country, including the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. We can never tolerate this injustice, nor can we stand in silence while our elected officials and law enforcement support white supremacy.
Tikkun v’Or’s commitment to Spirit, Community, and Justice compels us to ask each person in our community to act in some way that voices our resistance to the status quo.
The Racial Justice Committee at Congregation Tikkun v’Or seeks to support groups and events that are working to eliminate racism in our own community.
- Support these local organizations Multicultural Resource Center, and the Ithaca Chapters of SURJ and Black Lives Matter in Ithaca.
- Visit the webpage of Bend the Arc, a movement for progressive Jews for racial justice. You can donate or participate in protests virtually by signing petitions and acting on social media.
- Visit the national Black Lives Matter
- Find advocacy steps on the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism webpage.
- Learn about Campaign Zero, an organization dedicated to research and policy change around police violence toward African Americans.
- Sign up for the Poor People’s Campaign’s Digital March on Washington, scheduled for June 20.
- Donate to Act Blue, where you can split a donation between 40 community bail funds.
- REGISTER TO VOTE by absentee ballot. Make sure your voice is heard!
- Watch Trevor Noah reflect on racism in America.
- Listen to Jews across gender, ethnic and cultural spectrums tell their stories.
- Talk to your kids about being anti-racist. Here is a list of books to help support this conversation.
- Some of those books are hard to find, now, but you can find read alouds of some on youtube
- Support local businesses owned by BIPOC
Racial Justice Committee members publicize and attend community events throughout the year and encourage others to join us.
We encourage all in the congregation to increase their understanding and awareness of the impact of institutional racism on all our lives. A planning group meets as needed, but more importantly, congregants are encouraged to attend community events and participate in activities that support our local communities of color.
Work has included participation in Ithaca Sanctuary Alliance and Ithaca Welcomes Refugees.
