Standing in Solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

San Francisco, CA – The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund stands together in grief and solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, which includes the AAPI Jewish community. This week’s shooting at three Atlanta-area spas is the latest in a string of violent attacks targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and women in particular, and calls attention to the combination of racist and gendered hate that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. We mourn the loss of life and our thoughts are with the victims and the families of these horrible acts of violence. Those who commit these acts must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

According to a report released on March 16 by Stop AAPI Hate, there were almost 3,800 reported incidents of anti-Asian hate across the nation from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, ranging from physical assault and verbal harassment to various civil rights violations. Of these incidents, 68 percent of the respondents were women, and more than 700 of the total reported incidents occurred here in our Bay Area, and continue to occur here in our region.

As a Jewish community, we have felt firsthand the kind of pain that hateful acts like these have caused, and we are grateful for the outpouring of support that has already occurred from so many communities, including our own. As we approach the Passover season, we call upon our Bay Area Jewish community to join us in continuing to stop AAPI hate and to repair the world (tikkun olam) by putting our Jewish values to work. As the famous Jewish poet and activist Emma Lazarus said, “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.” Below are some suggestions for actions that we can all take.

Express Kindness and Support (Chesed):

  • If you see something, say something. Call 911 and report an incident at Stop AAPI Hate
  • Help someone in need of mental health support. Call the Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK. For Asian Languages: 1-877-990-8585. @AsiansforMentalHealth has a comment thread of therapists willing to provide reduced/free sessions to the Asian American community.
  • Volunteer to chaperone anyone within Oakland’s Chinatown neighborhood to help them feel safer.
  • Support your local Asian-American-owned small businesses, which are experiencing a decline in support during the pandemic.
  • Reach out to your AAPI friends, neighbors, and co-workers to express concern, listen, and learn about their feelings and needs.
  • Uplift Asian Jewish Voices by reading and celebrating the stories and contributions of Asian Jews.

Advocate for Justice (Tzedek):

  • Call your legislators and local elected officials and ask what they are doing for the Asian community.
  • Call your local Assemblymember and tell them you support AB 57 (Gabriel), “Hate Crime Prevention and Reporting Act.”

Give (Tzedakah):

  • API Equality Northern California builds real solutions that are centered in our communities, build self-determination, and promote healing for the land and the people. All programs are led by queer and transgender API members who are directly impacted by the issues being addressed.
  • Asian Health Services is located in the East Bay, and provides health, social, and advocacy services for all regardless of income, insurance status, immigration status, language, or culture. They are also collecting funds for individuals and families impacted by the recent crime that has occurred in the community.
  • Chinese for Affirmative Action is a Bay Area organization that protects the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and advances multiracial democracy in the United States. They advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice. 
  • San Francisco Filipino Community Center provides a safe space where Filipino families can access services, receive support, and build community, and helps to address the immediate and long-term issues of our communities locally and in the Philippines.
  • Stop AAPI Hate is a national coalition aimed at addressing anti-Asian discrimination amid the pandemic. Founded by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies Department.
  • Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay provides quality services to low-income, refugee, and immigrant populations and their families.

Danny Grossman
Chief Executive Officer

Arthur Slepian
Board Chair

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The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund connects people of all ages, backgrounds, and perspectives to the power of the Jewish community to improve the world. We partner with donors, organizations, and foundations to address pressing issues facing our community, and develop innovative strategies that result in deep and lasting impact locally, in Israel, and around the world. Learn more at www.jewishfed.org.

For immediate release

March 18, 2021

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