Racial justice work is both broad and deep. Our goal is to help make Beth El a more inclusive community for people of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds, and to work to repair the corrosive effects of racism in our community.

With input from the Beth El community, the committee has established two areas of focus:

• Making Beth El an inclusive place for Jews of color 
• Working for racial justice in collaboration with communities of color. 

Beth El Focus: Creating an Inclusive Community 

We have congregants of color; it is our commitment to thoughtfully consider how to create a truly inclusive space for worship and fellowship. We are working to integrate racial justice issues into congregational life in a variety of ways. In the past, that has included offering readings about racial justice; organizing a book club, including a series of discussions about The 1619 Project; and creating a ShulCloud option for identifying one’s race. 

Community Engagement:

Beth El is a member of Durham CAN (Congregations, Associations, and Neighborhoods). Durham CAN is “a broad-based, non-profit organization that works to coalesce, train, and organize communities in Durham across religious, racial, ethnic, class, and geographic lines for the public good.” Beth El is represented by a core team of volunteers.

Each year, Durham CAN chooses a slate of priorities. The Beth El core team meets monthly with Durham CAN members and has taken part in actions that move forward Durham CAN’s priorities on topics such as affordable housing and increasing food security. 

Why is a Racial Justice Committee necessary?

The assumption that the Jewish community is white persists. But a 2020 Pew Research study found that among Jews aged 18 to 29, 15% identify as Hispanic, Black, Asian, multiracial, or some other race or ethnicity. 

In contrast, just 3% of Jews aged 65 and older did so, according to a story in Religion News Service (written by Beth El’s own Yonat Shimron!) We want Beth El to be inclusive of Jews of all races.

Our commitment to tikkun olam includes the broader society and Durham. We are a part of the larger community affected by issues of race; we are a diverse congregation existing in a multicultural and complicated world. Our work began with a year of study after the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 prompted a national reckoning on race. After more than two years of groundwork, including input from the Beth El community, the board approved Racial Justice as an official Beth El committee. 

Learn more about the Racial Justice Committee’s history.

Want to learn more about Beth El’s racial justice work?

Here are a few easy ways to get involved and stay connected:

• Attend one of our events.

• Read/watch/listen/share resources on racial justice. 

• Fill in your demographic information on ShulCloud (This will not be made public and will be used to provide demographic information about Beth El.)

• Join the core team for Durham CAN. Contact racialjustice@betheldurham.org 

• Join the committee! We meet on the second Sunday of the month, alternating Zoom and in-person gatherings. Contact us at racialjustice@betheldurham.org 

We invite you into the work of tikkun olam, or at least our corner of it! If you are interested in learning more or joining the committee, contact us at racialjustice@betheldurham.org