CJC STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF RACIAL JUSTICE

“Justice, justice shall you pursue. ”Tzedek tzedek tirdof.”
                                                                                       –Deuteronomy 16:11

Columbia Jewish Congregation stands for racial justice.

Motivated by our ever-deepening understanding of societal racism experienced by Black people and members of other minorities in the United States, we strive to create an oasis of belonging and healing for all, both in CJC and in the wider community.

The Jewish community, like our country, is vibrantly multi-racial and multi-ethnic. We recognize that members of minority groups, including Jews, continue to face dehumanizing discrimination, hatred, and violence. We also know that Jewish spaces have not always offered refuge for Jewish people who are not white.

Acting upon our core belief that all people deserve safety, justice, dignity, and a spiritual home, we are determined to build an inclusive community for ourselves and future generations that nurtures relationships and affirms the dignity of all. We commit to pursuing this goal, both as a congregation and in partnership with our larger community; we will cultivate relationships with people of all races and ethnicities to work together in this holy pursuit.

We embrace this challenge knowing that we may occasionally miss the mark. We believe in the process of teshuva [relational repair], and we offer ourselves and each other grace and forgiveness as we learn and grow.

Ultimately, at CJC, pursuing racial justice is a sacred and profound expression of our Jewish identity and our CJC tagline “Wherever you are in your journey, you are welcome here.”

“It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it.”
Pirkei Avot 2:16

This statement is guided by the definition of racism found in Oxford Languages: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.