Interfaith leaders stand together

Jews in the D jews and racial justice

Protesters and police clash in

Detroit during demonstrations following the May 25 police killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd.

Jewish Groups Respond to Civil Unrest Interfaith leaders stand together to denounce racial injustice.

CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER A fter the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis May 25, civil unrest has broken out throughout the country, including in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and others.

In response to the events, many Metro Detroit Jewish organizations have shared their thoughts on Floyd’s death, the protests and how best to stand with members of the black community during this time.

The Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity, a partnership between the Jewish Community Relations Council/AJC and the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity, along with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Michigan chapter, released a joint statement on June 1 in response to the death of Floyd.

“First, let’s acknowledge that white people don’t fully get it. We may be moved to the point of tears when we see racial injustice, but if we’re being honest we must admit that we live different lives than people of color in this country and thus we don’t/can’t realize their experience in America,” the statement read. “It just means that we mustn’t pretend that we stand in their shoes, just like they don’t stand in ours. Many Jews can surely relate to the ways in which non-Jews can empathize and support us and work with us in effective coalitions. Many American Jews lost family in the Holocaust. We know that many non-Jews are empathetic, and that touches our hearts immensely.”

The statement emphasizes the need to acknowledge the growing number of Jews of color in the community, and how Jews should not perceive them as invisible during this time. The organizations ask communities to come together and recognize the changes that need to be made in our society.

“There is much to be done. We must join hands and do this together. We must be for each other and we must do it now,” read the statement. “This is a time for outrage, for there is much to be outraged about. But it’s also a time for us to be outraged together. Our unity in the face of racial injustice is our strength. Good people of all colors, faiths and ethnicities can and must step up our efforts. This is a time for solidarity, for commitment, for community involvement.”

The Coalition also hosted a June 4 Zoom webinar, “Dear White People... Please Listen”, in which a selection of local black faith leaders shared their perspectives on racial injustice in America. The talk was recorded and can be viewed on the Coalition’s Facebook page.

Also on June 4, Coalition members marched peacefully in Detroit alongside

ALEXANDER CLEGG/JEWISH NEWS

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and several other interfaith leaders.

The National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW) chapter’s president, Amy Coulter, told the JN their mission statement has always been to strive for social justice for all women, children and families, regardless of race.

“We stand with the people who are protesting against the murder of George Floyd,” Coulter said. “We demand justice as well and stand with all of our sister organizations and all of our sections across the country.”

The NCJW has chapters in 28 states and has roughly 90,000 members.

“Our mission is social justice for all,” Coulter said. “There is no line between color, between religion, between anything.”

Sarah Allyn, executive director of Repair the World Detroit, said she was horrified and saddened by the death of George Floyd.

“At Repair the World Detroit, we are making sure the people who have been impacted by this the most, our friends and colleagues in the black community, are making sure the white voices are not center-stage,” Allyn told the JN. “We really want to lift up the voices of the black folks who are being directly impacted here.”

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