blogs/brentspodek

Those of us who are white skinned Jews live in a liminal space in the American racial hierarchy. 

Sometimes - driving our car, walking through a store - we present as white and reap the unearned benefits of white skin privilege.  

Other times, we are deeply aware of the fact that while we are not oppressed in the way that black and brown people often are, we are vulnerable in ways that other white people often are not. 

The prospect of a genocidal regime attempting to wipe us out is hardly theoretical, and the fear that has shaped our communities and families runs deep in our bones. It can be hard to communicate that fear, even to allies who see us as white.

We have two events coming up at BHA to try and address these complicated issues. 

The first, on Holocaust Remembrance Day (April 8), is Fighting White Supremacy: From Charlottesville to Capitol Hill. We are organizing this event together with the City of Beacon’s Human Relations Commission, and I very much hope you will sign up to learn more about the efforts to sue the American Nazis out of existence. This event is open to the whole community, and details and registration are here: https://bit.ly/SueANazi

The second event, on Monday, April 19 is a little closer to home. We’ll be hearing from Jody Miller, BHA member and executive director of the Dutchess County Human Relations Commission about the alarming rise of anti semitism here in the Hudson Valley. This more intimate event is only for members of the BHA community to learn about what is going, and think together about how to bring our hearts and minds to this struggle. 

I hope you’ll join us for both of these events - sadly, fighting Nazis is part not only of our past, but our present as well. 

With blessings,

Rabbi Brent