לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ
You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.
Leviticus 19:16
Hinenu is unequivocally in solidarity with those rising up in mourning and action to honor George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed, James Scurlock, David McAtee, Robert Johnson Jr., Nina Pop, and so many others murdered by police officers and white supremacist violence. HaShem yikom damam, may the Source bring vengeance and justice for their lives.
We say today and always: Black lives are sacred. Black lives matter.
In Baltimore, we lift up the memory of Tyrone West, slain by police in 2013; Freddie Gray, slain by police in 2015; Korryn Gaines, slain by police in 2016; and the many others killed by both city and county police. We lift up the legacy of uprising this city knows in its bones. We lift up the calls from Black movement leaders to defund the police, for access to fair education, for equitable access to health care in time of global pandemic and always for communities of color impacted by the systemic racism that murders Black and Brown people in the United States. We lift up Black and Brown Jews of color, cherished Hinenu members, neighbors, and extended community, honoring the grief and pain located at intersections of anti-Black racism and antisemitism.
At this time, we particularly call on white Jews to reckon with the ways in which white Jews participate and collude in white supremacy. It is beyond time to make teshuva, reparations, for the ways in which white Jews have aligned with the police and systemic racism over collective, community safety. Our Jewish values call on us to name and act against the terror of white supremacist violence: “you shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:16). The 12th century Spanish commentator Ibn Ezra explains that text means: “‘do not take a stand against the blood of your fellow’--do not conspire with violent men against him.” The text asks white Jews in this season, “which side are you on?”
The organizer, educator, and curator Mariame Kaba invites us: “Let this radicalize you, rather than let it lead you to despair.” The world is changing. We are inspired and mobilized by all who are struggling for Black liberation and racial justice. We honor the righteous rage pouring forth in demonstration, and share in the anger. This too is Torah.
We respond to mourning with action:
Take action. Show up online or in person to say #BlackLivesMatter. In this time of serious risk from the COVID-19 pandemic, each person must calculate their own risk for assembling in public. Check out 26 Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets. If you do attend a protest, explore suggestions for protesting in the time of COVID-19. Explore and participate in the Movement for Black Lives Week of Action, with calls to action at a range of risk levels.
Educate yourself. If these ideas are new to you, make a point to explore and engage with the huge offerings of resources online, as well as the host of books available for a deeper dive. Start with these 26 anti-racism resources for white people, or this scaffolded list of resources, or explore these resources for parents. Read Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility, Layla F. Saad’s Me and White Supremacy, Ijeoma Oluo’s So You Want to Talk About Race, or Ibram X. Kendi’s How to be an Antiracist (bonus: most of these titles are available on audiobook through the Enoch Pratt Free Library!). If you’re into podcasts, check out NPR’s Code Switch, which has some episodes recommended for kids; Undisclosed about the case of Keith Davis in Baltimore City; and the NYTimes 1619 project. Ask a friend to be a hevruta, and study together.
Care for yourself. To be Black in the US is to consistently be re-traumatized by racist violence, and the care of you matters. Access community care in this time, such as a Black Liberation gathering organized by member Dena Robinson, or Emotional Emancipation Circle: for Black people to process racial stress and learn tools for emotional wellness.
Give. Donate to Black- and POC-led organizations doing on the ground work fighting white supremacy in Baltimore, such as Tubman House, Black Church Food Security Network, Baltimore Safe Haven, Baltimore Food Rescue, Organizing Black, Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, and Black Yield Institute. This list is by no means comprehensive! Support Black- and POC- movement work inMinneapolis by contributing to Black Visions Collective, and around the country through Movement for Black Lives, National Bail Out, and LGBTQ Freedom Fund.
Advocate. Connect with, and donate to, local and national movements for defunding the police, decarceration, and moratoria on evictions, including Out For Justice, Campaign for Justice, Safety and Jobs, CASA de Maryland, Jews United for Justice, the Movement for Black Lives, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
However you are able to dedicate your energy to building the world to come now, we call on you to do so. May we see a world of complete peace, safety, freedom from fear of violence soon and in our days.
Onward, towards peace with justice,
Michele Levy, President of the Hinenu Board of Directors
Elizabeth Gordon, Vice President of the Hinenu Board of Directors
Jaffa Batya Weiss, co-chair of Mobilization and Justice Committee
Mark Gunnery, co-chair of Mobilization and Justice Committee
Rabbi Ariana Katz
Image created by Aaron Hodge Greenberg
“Black Lives Matter text, enveloped in a tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl, with sacred text below. For months this idea has been stewing on the hot fires of my frustration and feelings of helplessness. I want to believe that art can make a difference, can communicate more deeply, can bring peoples together, can change the world — but my faith often flags. Maybe each piece can only be a small step, hopefully in the right direction, for humanity.
The Hebrew text is from the Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 and means: “Anyone who destroys a life is considered to have destroyed an entire world; and anyone who saves a life has saved an entire world.”