views commentary Confronting Racism O For many, the intersections of n May 4-6, I and three other Jewishness and whiteness came up in Detroit Jews of Justice lead- discussion. Almost half of the group ers attended a “White People identified as Jewish, with multiple gen- Confronting Racism” weekend train- erations represented. We shared ing with Training for Change insights about feeling marginal- in Philadelphia. I arrived home ized as Jews, carrying historic surprised at how heartwarming trauma and fear, and how that a weekend confronting racism can sometimes lead to disasso- could be. The training ended with ciating from white identity. full hearts, affirmation and genu- I thought about how I have ine love for one another. I left feel- found comfort in presenting ing the most hopeful I have in a myself as a Jewish person, while. I was inspired by the brav- Emma Share the marginalized component ery of bringing our full selves to unconsciously absolving me the table: fears, tears, insecurities of some white guilt that so and all. I left feeling ready to bring often leaves me feeling frozen. openness and compassion to the We discussed how holding on difficult conversations necessary so tightly to the collective pain of our for confronting racism. Jewish identities fails to fully acknowl- The weekend offered safety to feel uncomfortable, a space for white people edge the impact of our white identities. Participants also spoke to the impor- to practice talking about race and tance of bringing our whole selves, find- whiteness. It didn’t take long to realize ing a balance between validating our how little we had talked about being experiences as Jews and staying aware white while growing up. A facilitator of how people perceive the other identi- reflected, “Silence is also a way we ties we carry. learn a lot about race.” Often fear drives For other participants, it wasn’t silence. Fear of the guilt that arises Jewishness that resonated, but their when confronting racism and privi- own feelings of living on the margins, lege. Fear of being rejected, criticized, whether because of sexual orientation, judged. Fear of saying the wrong thing, economic status, gendered experiences of not being a “good” white person. or trauma they carry with them. A room Doing harm. And the list goes on. We full of people bonded through white- humans are very good at fear. ness, each holding their own diverse Although silence may at times be well-intentioned, the impact can still be perspectives and lived experiences. We talked about moving beyond the harmful. It prevents constructive action. It normalizes the notion of whiteness as binary of viewing situations as all-bad default, that white people move through or all-good. It’s not innately bad to feel the pain of marginalized experiences. the world without a racial identity. It It can build empathy. As Jews, this can can result in white children growing up fuel our fight for justice. But sometimes without the awareness or skills needed starting from a place of marginalization to constructively talk about race. Contributing Writers: Ruthan Brodsky, Rochel Burstyn, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Don Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Adam Finkel, Stacy Gittleman, Stacy Goldberg, Judy Greenwald, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Allison Jacobs, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, David Sachs, Karen Schwartz, Robin Schwartz, Steve Stein, Joyce Wiswell Arthur M. Horwitz Publisher / Executive Editor ahorwitz@renmedia.us F. Kevin Browett Chief Operating Officer kbrowett@renmedia.us | Editorial Managing Editor: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@renmedia.us Story Development Editor: Keri Guten Cohen kcohen@renmedia.us Arts & Life Editor: Lynne Konstantin lkonstantin@renmedia.us Digital/Social Media Editor: Hannah Levine hlevine@renmedia.us Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@renmedia.us Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin2132@gmail.com Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar rsklar@renmedia.us | Advertising Sales Sales Director: Keith Farber kfarber@renmedia.us can create a barrier to genuine con- nection. The challenge is to work from a place of empathy without equating painful experiences. White guilt and the self-loathing that flows from it often motivate us to disas- sociate from our whiteness. Thinking that if we reject our whiteness, we won’t have to associate with all the “bad white people” or take responsibility for the damage of white supremacy. As tempo- rarily comforting as denying our white- ness might feel, this in itself enables white supremacy, by failing to recognize how we benefit from and participate in a racist society. It also allows for the co- opting of white identity by white suprem- acist narratives, leaving us to believe the only way to claim whiteness is to associ- ate with the white pride paraded around by neo-Nazis. It’s sad to think this is the only option for feeling confident as a white person in the world. When we hate our whiteness and what the system has represented for so many centuries, we stay stuck, frozen and unable to re-envision a white iden- tity that could be positive and focused on anti-racist work. The training invited discussion about the idea of build- ing positive white identity. How do we acknowledge the toxic legacy of white supremacy, colonization, oppression, etc., while envisioning a future where whiteness no longer perpetuates this history? The weekend modeled how we as white people can live out our values more actively in our daily lives. It was a sort of microcosm for what we as a society need to do if we’re ever going to become a sustainable, equitable soci- ety. We need to reflect on internalized | Production By FARAGO & ASSOCIATES Manager: Scott Drzewiecki Designers: Kelly Kosek, Amy Pollard, Michelle Sheridan, Susan Walker | Detroit Jewish News Chairman: Michael H. Steinhardt President/Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz ahorwitz@renmedia.us Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett kbrowett@renmedia.us Controller: Craig R. Phipps Account Executives : Martin Chumiecki, Wendy Flusty, Annette Kizy Sales Manager Assistant : Karen Marzolf | Business Offices Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner | Fulfillment Joelle Harder jharder@renmedia.us messages of racism. We need to create more safe spaces to have uncomfortable conversations. We need to bring more love and compassion to the table as we grapple with the root causes of our country’s divisiveness and the immense racial and economic disparities. It will be difficult to recreate the transformative space offered by Training for Change that weekend. I know this was a special and rare oppor- tunity. But I did walk away knowing there are things I can do. I can try to create moments of safety for white people in my life to grapple with our fears and confusion about our whiteness. I can bring more compassion to interactions with the people I hold dearest to me and with people whom I might be quick to judge. I can be brave enough to stand by my values while also engaging in authentic curiosity about how others’ experiences shape their cur- rent views. I can acknowledge my fellow white people’s humanity, as I challenge myself and others to work toward a world that respects and celebrates the dignity and lives of all people. Though my fears and perfectionism will slow me down, I know I will make mistakes along the way. I hope that my white community will help me learn from my mistakes, sit with me in the pain of them and encourage me to keep moving forward. • Raised in a Humanistic Jewish community in Ann Arbor, Emma Share moved to Detroit a few years ago to work in youth-serving organizations including a Head Start preschool in Southwest Detroit and, most recently, an infant mental health program at the Children’s Center. She is an active leader on the Detroit Jews for Justice (DJJ) water justice team. | Departments General Offi ces: 248-354-6060 Advertising: 248-351-5107 Advertising Fax: 248-304-0049 Circulation: 248-351-5120 Classifi ed Ads: 248-351-5116 Advertising Deadline: Monday, 2 p.m. Editorial Fax: 248-304-8885 Deadline: All public and social announcements must be typewritten and received by noon Tuesday, nine days prior to desired date of publication. Subscriptions: 1 year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $85 2 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$153 3 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$204 1 year out-of-state . . . . . . . . . . .$125 2 years out-of-state . . . . . . . . . .$225 Per year foreign . . . . . . . . . . . . .$300 Detroit Jewish News 29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110 Southfi eld, MI 48034 ©copyright 2018 Detroit Jewish News The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is published every Thursday at 29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Hwy., #110, Southfield, MI 48034. To make a donation to the DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION go to the website www.djnfounadtion.org OUR JN The Jewish News aspires to communicate news and opinion that’s useful, engaging, enjoyable and unique. It strives to reflect the full range of diverse viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. We desire to create and maintain a challenging, caring, enjoyable work environment that encourages creativity and innovation. We acknowledge our role as a responsible, responsive MISSION member of the community. Being competitive, we must always strive to be the most respected, outstanding Jewish community publication in the nation. Our rewards are informed, educated readers, very satisfied advertisers, contented employees and profitable growth. 6 July 5 • 2018 jn jn 1942 - 2018 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week