Related Blog Posts on Racial Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Jews of Color, and Strengthening Congregations

Rosa Parks being fingerprinted on Feb 22, 1956
Civil Rights & Voting Rights

Rosa Parks's Legacy Endures Today

Israel Harris
Shayna Han
Many Americans remember Rosa Parks as the tired seamstress who refused to move to the back of a bus, but Rosa Parks is much more than that story. Though she did not identify as Jewish, her life reflected a commitment to we might identify as tikkun olam – repairing what is broken in our world. Here are three key insights from Rosa Parks’s life we can bear in mind as Black History Month begins.
Circle of arms with their hands in a pile on the center as if to celebrate teamwork
Governance

The 4 Best Principles of Congregational Governance

Amy Asin
Rabbi Esther L. Lederman
According to conventional wisdom, congregations will look different in 10-15 years. If this is the case, we need leadership that can come together to actively create our future. Otherwise, we will be reacting passively to forces and trends, and are less likely to be successful.
Progressive Pride Flag
Racial Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

Reflecting on Transgender Awareness Week in 2021

Hannah Bender
Eliana Rubin
Kelly Whitehead
Rachel Klein
Transgender Awareness Week is a chance to educate the public. It is important for people who are not part of the trans community to understand the oppression transgender and gender-expansive people face every day. While it is always important to affirm trans identities, Transgender Awareness Week provides an opportunity to center the voices of trans and gender-expansive people.
clock with a post it on it that says BREAK TIME
Strengthening Congregations

Clergy and Professionals Need a Break in October

Amanda Orgel Ferguson
My rabbi has explained that, after the Jewish month of Tishrei—which includes Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Sh’mini Atzeret-Simchat Torah—we have the month of Cheshvan, with no holiday other than Shabbat. Rabbi Block and I find great wisdom in this reality: We need a time of rest, symbolized by Shabbat, this Cheshvan, which significantly overlaps with October.
shofar
Yom Kippur

Cheshbon Hanafesh for Your Congregation

Amy Asin
The High Holiday season is an important time of personal and communal reflection, including your congregation’s leadership. This can also be a time of reflection for your congregation’s leadership.
Rosh HaShanah

7 Jewish Endeavors to Make 5782 a Sweet New Year

C.E. Harrison
It’s a long-standing custom for Jews to wish one another a “sweet new year” on Rosh Hashanah; to hope that this coming year will be one filled with joy, fulfillment, and an abundance of blessings. However, Judaism isn’t a path focused simply on wishing for good things; if our goal is to make each year “sweeter” than the last, we must work to make it happen.