Bay Area Jews in Solidarity with Black Lives

Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties and the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund (the Federation) strongly condemn the murder of George Floyd, the most recent in a string of similar violent incidents against people of color requiring redress. We mourn the loss of George Floyd’s life and extend our love and support to his family and friends. We call for peaceful protests to honor him and to support the voices of the black community. The events of the last few days have shone a spotlight on widespread racist violence that denigrates us all, and we cannot continue with business as usual.

We stand in solidarity with the black community and their and our right to protest, and acknowledge the long-standing structural injustices that plague too much of our society, including our criminal justice system. We, as the Jewish community, pledge to work with civic, faith and political leaders to continue addressing racism and injustice in all forms.

Our historic communal experiences with forms of systemic oppression, leveled against us as antisemitism, require us to stand up against racism and bigotry in all its forms. Many in our community also benefit from white privilege and must use it to make change. For this reason, our Jewish journey towards inclusion must lift up the voices of the many, many Jews of Color who have been marginalized within the Jewish community and by the broader society. We must use our Jewish values such as loving kindness (chesed), justice (tzedek), and repairing the world (tikkun olam) as a guide to take action.

In 2017, JCRC passed a consensus policy statement on racial justice. Since then we have continued to advocate for more equitable policies, support allies, and amplify voices working for change. We are reaching out to friends, members of the clergy, and other civic leaders in the African American community to express our solidarity and support and to ask what they require of us in these difficult days.

But that’s not enough. We may be stuck at home, but we are not powerless and can join together in support.

We are asking our community to join our #KneelAtHome campaign to act for racial justice during COVID-19.

As an individual or as a family, please show your solidarity with your words and your photos.

Download the #KneelAtHome campaign placard.

To participate:

1. Print the flyer and write your message in the box provided.
    
2. Either have someone photograph you holding it or take a selfie while kneeling (prop up your smartphone and use the timer… using a mirror may make this easier).
    
3. Share your image on social media and/or share our post with the #KneelAtHome hashtag and tag us at @SFJCRC and @JewishBayArea!
    
4. Share this with others in our community and encourage their participation.

This isn’t the last step that we will take. Our organizations know that we must do more, and will keep you in touch about further developments.

Thank you for your support!