Making Spaces for Jews of Color

ENGAGEMENT ASSOCIATE, JEWISH FEDERATION OF NEW MEXICO ALBUQUERQUE MOISHE POD COFOUNDER

Making Spaces for

JEWS OF COLOR

If you were to imagine what I, the author of this article, look like, I’m confident that you would come up with an image of someone who looks nothing like me. Although now that I’ve told you that, you may be able to guess ... I’m not white. As a Black queer Jew by Choice, it can be difficult for me to feel at home in the wider Jewish community. Instead of looking for permission to exist or validation to fit in, I began making space for myself.

When I chose to be Jewish, I took to Judaism at breakneck speed. I saw in Jewish traditions ways of remembering painful pasts while working toward a better future for the world and wished I knew of similar rituals and practices that existed in the Black community. Within months I had turned my home into a Moishe House; my spouse and I became volunteer community builders, hosting and facilitating regular Jewish programming out of our home for young adults 22-32 years old. I now have a major role in strengthening my local Jewish community and the opportunity to create the Jewish spaces that I want to exist in.

Concurrently, I was experiencing severe depression and anxiety because of burnout in emergency medicine, which doubled during the pandemic. Health disparities across race and class that are always present in medicine became glaring and debilitating through COVID-19. My own health struggles made it physically and emotionally unsustainable to bear the weight of the ever-present pain and trauma of the ER. At first, the guilt of leaving such an essential profession overwhelmed me. But I realized I could make as much or more of a difference by filling spiritual and communal needs through my volunteer work in the Jewish community. This fueled my desire to leave medicine and pursue a career in Jewish nonprofit spaces.

I was moving so quickly that it took a while for me to realize that I experience the same “otherness” I live through every day as a Black queer woman. My Jewish identity is questioned in a way my white Jew by Choice friends’ identity isn’t because my skin color makes me easier to spot. I’m asked about what kind of conversion I went through to see if I am a “legit” Jew. I’m asked if I’m lost at synagogues. I frequently find myself in the dreaded “the Holocaust was worse than slavery” debates. And it hurts.

It feels like the community I was so excited to join is not as excited to have me.

Shutting down and disengaging was not an option. I participated in a JOC (Jews of Color) career development program from Upstart and was paired with Yavilah McCoy, the CEO and executive director of the diversity and inclusion nonprofit DIMENSIONS, Inc., as my mentor. That experience solidified my career switch to the Jewish community. I founded a program at Moishe House called JOC Joy for the residents, hosts, and staff who identify as Jews of Color to have a place away from the white-dominated spaces we occupy.

I am far from done. Every time one of us pushes for more diversity, more equity, and more openness, our table gets a little longer, and the path is made that much easier for the Jews of Color who will come after me.

Creating a more welcoming and loving community must include how we raise Jewish children. We need to learn how to talk about racism in the Jewish community and break the stereotype of what appearances we consider “Jewish enough.” I’m so grateful for the chance to work with PJ Library. At my programs, children don’t only listen to stories and make crafts. They see exactly what Judaism looks like. It looks like me. It looks like all of us.

Across Languages and Continents

FINDING COMMUNITY THROUGH PJ LIBRARY

By Florencia Katz

ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, PJ LIBRARY JEWISH FEDERATION OF WINNIPEG

During a cold week in November 2002, two newlyweds started their immigration journey in search of a new community.

Seeking a better future for ourselves and our families, my husband and I packed our bags with our dreams, expectations, and newly framed ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) and made our way to Winnipeg, Canada.

I grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a traditional Jewish home, and synagogue was always a big part of my life. I always enjoyed services, and when I was only 2 years old, I tried to follow along in a siddur (prayer book) as the rabbi and cantor sang the prayers. When I was older, I joined the youth group at the synagogue and later became a youth leader. As an adult, I was inspired to continue as a Jewish education leader, and I worked for many years at a Jewish day school as a kindergarten teacher.

But not long after our wedding, my husband and I decided to start a new life in Canada.

It was a huge change, but we were welcomed by a warm and friendly Jewish community in Winnipeg. They helped us get settled and feel connected, introducing us to new families and having us over for Shabbat dinner to get to know us.

Our little family grew soon after our arrival as we welcomed our firstborn son. When he was just 3 years old, we received a letter along with our now treasured book Something from Nothing, inviting us to join PJ Library. And so we did! A few years later, with a toddler and a baby, I made my way to one of the first PJ Library events, and I was hooked! As a teacher and a young mom, I felt empowered and excited, so I volunteered to plan a future program for Pesach.

I have now been working at the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg for close to 10 years. Currently I am the engagement manager and oversee the PJ Library program, which allows me to combine my love for reading and children's literature with giving back to the community that welcomed us with open arms.

My priority at the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg is making sure families feel welcomed and excited to participate. I treasure each time a PJ Library family says they further embraced Judaism, adopted a new tradition, made new friends, tried a new recipe, learned a new song, or offered to volunteer or join a committee because of our program.

I realize that my journey constantly guides the work I do and the way I connect with families. As a newcomer with a different background who spoke English as a second language, I experienced the values of community and belonging and the power of building personal connections with other families. Whether I welcome and connect with families that are new to Winnipeg, are new to the Jewish community, or have no Jewish connection other than PJ Library, I remember how meaningful it was to feel welcomed, accepted, and included.

I came to this community with my ketubah under my arm, few friends, and lots of dreams. My ketubah, made by an Argentinian artist, is a constant reminder of where I came from. I have made amazing friends, and many of my dreams have come true. I am so grateful for the community that I can now call home, and I would like to believe that I have played a small part in making our community more vibrant and engaged.

Regardless of where you come from, how you discover Judaism, or where you are in your Jewish journey, there is always a place for you.