Fighting for racial justice is a top priority for Reconstructing Judaism and is a natural extension of our Jewish values. The Torah’s very first and most central description of human beings is that we are created b’tzelem Elohim – equally and uniquely in the image of God. This theology was radical in its time and remains radical today, despite the profound truth and simplicity of this claim. Black Lives Matter. The lives of our BIPOC neighbors and fellow Jews of Color matter.  It is our obligation to do the holy work of racial justice so that the full humanity of all people within the influence of our communities may flourish and be fully honored.

Racism corrupts practically all aspects of our society, including education, access to jobs and health care, housing, voting and economic advancement, and Jewish communities are not exempt from having benefited from systemic racism. We have the obligation to build the Jewish communities that we want to live in. As Jews and Reconstructionists, we cannot act in a manner that creates barriers to inclusion, and if we have done so out of ignorance or malice or even indifference we have a moral and religious obligation not just to remove those barriers, but to build pathways that lead to inclusion, empowerment and leadership of BIPOC Jews within the Reconstructionist Movement and for BIPOC people within our society at large.

We hope this Racial Justice section of our website will be of service in our collective efforts to dismantle systemic racism, and to advance racial diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Reconstructionist movement.