Racial Justice and Inclusion

DEI and Racial Justice Resource Bank for Congregations and Leaders

Foundations of DEI and Racial Justice: Understanding the Basics

Purpose: Equip congregations new to DEI and racial justice work with fundamental knowledge, language, and frameworks.

Key Topics:

• Definitions: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Racial Justice, and Belonging
• Why racial justice matters in Jewish spaces
• Implicit bias, racial privilege, and their impact on community building
• Jewish texts and values supporting DEI and racial equity

Resources:

• Glossary of DEI Terms (Racial Equity Tools)
• “Jews of Color Initiative: Research & Resources”

Implicit Association Test (Harvard Project Implicit)

Creating Inclusive Congregational Cultures

Purpose: Help leaders assess and shift their synagogue’s culture to be more welcoming, inclusive, and racially equitable.

Key Topics:

• Conducting a DEI and racial equity audit: policies, practices, and culture
• Inclusive language and communication strategies
• Welcoming Jews of Color, interfaith families, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and others
• Ritual and prayer space adaptations to support accessibility and diversity

Resources:

• DEI Synagogue Audit Checklist
• Welcoming Practices for Greeters and Ushers
• Guide to Inclusive Language
• Dr. Keren McGinity’s Guide to Welcoming Interfaith Families

Deepening Equity Work: Addressing Power, Privilege, and Systemic Racism

Purpose: Guide congregations in exploring structural inequities and leveraging privilege to foster equity.

Key Topics:

• Understanding systemic racism within and beyond Jewish communities
• Examining power dynamics and privilege within congregational leadership
• Reparative actions and allyship in racial justice
• Uplifting the voices and leadership of Jews of Color

Resources:

• Sanctifying the Search by Rabbi Ilana Garber on Equity in Jewish Leadership 
• “Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ): Resources for Allyship”
• Racial Justice Trainings and Workshops (Avodah)
• “Speaking Truths: Understanding Privilege in Jewish Spaces”

Engaging with External Communities: Allyship and Partnership in Racial Justice

Purpose: Help congregations collaborate with other organizations and communities in shared DEI and racial justice work.

Key Topics:

• Building partnerships with non-Jewish racial justice organizations
• Understanding allyship: from intention to action
• Co-sponsoring events and initiatives with communities of color
• Navigating challenges in interfaith and intercultural collaborations

Resources:

• “Building Bridges: A Toolkit for Jewish-Muslim Interfaith Dialogue”
• Partnership Toolkit for Racial Justice Organizations
• Jewish Multiracial Network (JMN) Community Resources

Sustaining DEI and Racial Justice Growth: Advanced Strategies and Reflection

Purpose: Support seasoned DEI and racial justice leaders in maintaining momentum and measuring impact.

Key Topics:

• Setting long-term DEI and racial justice goals and tracking progress
• Reflecting on and learning from successes and setbacks
• Coaching future leaders within the congregation, especially Jews of Color
• Evolving practices to meet changing community needs

Resources:

• Intersectionality and Jewish Communities: Advanced Readings
• Keshet’s Advanced DEI Leadership Trainings
• Frameworks for Evaluating DEI Initiatives

Jew of Color founded or Run Organizations

Amplifying minority Jewish voices is essential for fostering a more inclusive and representative Jewish community. Jewish people of color (JOC) bring diverse experiences, traditions, and perspectives that enrich our collective understanding of Jewish identity. By intentionally uplifting JOC voices, we challenge the dominant narratives that often overlook their contributions and ensure that Jewish spaces reflect the full spectrum of our people. The organizations listed below are dedicated to centering and empowering JOC communities, providing spaces for leadership, advocacy, and belonging within Jewish life.

• Jews in ALL Hues (founded by a Conservative Jew of Color)
  • JIAH is one of the only independent Jewish social justice organizations in existence founded by a biracial, multi-heritage, Jew of Color millennial. Thefounder, Jared Jackson, is an internationally renowned Jewish diversity leader, consultant, and deeply committed to both his faith and his heritages. From their genesis, JIAH has been in service of social justice and equity.
• Atlanta Jews of Color Council (co-founded by Conservative Jews of Color)
  • AJOCC regards racial equity as the defining issue of our time. As a nonprofit model of excellence, AJOCC honors their constituents’ Jewish heritage by bringing awareness about the multiplicity of Jewish identities and who we are collectively as a people. Cultivating cultural competence empowers people to be extremely intentional about inclusion. Their approach is focused on justice, solidarity, and centering the most vulnerable.
• Jews of Color Initiative
  • The Jews of Color Initiative works to build a truly multiracial, anti-racist Jewish community in which Jews of Color can experience joy and reach their full potential and belonging as leaders and community members. To do so requires creating structural and communal support for Jews of Color and expanding the field of knowledge about our community.
• Jewtina y Co.
  • Jewtina y Co. is a Jewish and Latin organization on a mission to nurture Latin-Jewish community, identity, leadership and resiliency, and celebrate Latin-Jewish heritage and multiculturalism.
• Edot
  • This organization develops Midwest JOC (Jew of Color) leaders while also helping Jewish community organizations to serve a more diverse constituency.
• MochaJuden
  • MochaJuden hosts a Welcoming & Diverse Synagogues list and how-to and shares a plethora of resources about and for Jews of Color. This site is curated by a biracial German and Black Jewish woman.
• Multiracial Jewish Association of Minnesota (founded by a Conservative Jew of Color)
  • The MJAM mission is to support, uplift and advocate for the multiracial Jewish community of Minnesota, including black, indigenous, Asian, Latinx, Sephardi, Mizrachi, and multiracial or interracial families who identify as Jewish. As an organization, they serve to build connections across racial identities and within the broader Jewish community in Minnesota, advocate for the collective place and purpose of JOCISM & their families, and educate organizations, leaders, and allies in how to better support this unique community as part of the collective Jewish identity.
• Mitsui Collective
  • Mitsui Collective builds a resilient community through embodied Jewish practice and somatic antiracism.
• Lunar Collective
  • The LUNAR Collective cultivates connection, belonging and visibility for Asian American Jews through intersectional community programming and authentic digital storytelling.
• Be’chol Lashon
  • Be’chol Lashon (Hebrew for “in every language”) strengthens Jewish identity by raising awareness about the ethnic, racial and cultural diversity of Jewish identity and experience. Be’chol Lashon brings the historic Jewish commitment to civil rights and racial justice forward into the 21st century. Be’chol Lashon regards embracing the historical diversity of the Jewish people and, more importantly, the growing diversity of the community today as the most important step toward securing relevancy in an exciting American future.
• The Multitudes (founded by a Conservative Jew of Color)
  • The Multitudes supports Jewish community spaces on their journey towards a higher level of race consciousness.

Books for Jew of Color Inclusion

Jewish Multiracial Network has compiled a list of books for adults and children reflecting diversity in Jewish spaces. Use this page as a resource, and email them books you know of that have helped you!

Webinars

• Racial Justice and Inclusion in Conservative Synagogues: 101 and February in Review: Webinar| Materials
• Racial Justice and Diversity in Religious School: Webinar| Materials
• Juneteenth Haggadah: Webinar| Materials