JUNE 11 • 2020 | 15
go to marches, register
new voters, organize …
Ultimately, if you feel moved
at the moment (and we all
should), commit to being in
it for the long haul.
I would like to see the
Jewish community using
their political powers and
platforms to align with the
policies and campaigns that
advocate for human rights
and decency.
Let this not be a moment
but a movement.
CHRIS HARRISON,
WATERFORD
As a Jew, I can’
t think of a
better form of sacred action
than protest. And protest
can mean anything from
being on the front lines
marching with signs to
donating money and time to
antiracist causes; it’
s all valid.
Further, seeing not only so
many black people protest-
ing, but also non-black allies,
is incredible. This is how it
should be.
I feel a heightened sense of
paranoia. I hope I don’
t get
pulled over by the wrong cop
or my neighbors don’
t racial-
ly profile me for walking
my dog. Despite everything,
however, I can’
t help but feel
hopeful. Seeing how serious-
ly everyone is finally start-
ing to take police brutality,
unchecked authority and
systemic racism makes me
think that the tide might be
shifting; that non-black peo-
ple are fully seeing what’
s
happening.
Make antiracism a prior-
ity in your congregations
and institutions. This isn’
t
optional; it’
s a necessity. This
is not just because black
people are suffering in your
surrounding communities,
but because there may very
well be black Jews and black
family members of Jews in
your very Jewish communi-
ties who need to be listened
to and actively included.
Address your individual
and institutional implicit
biases and learn to be OK
with the discomfort that
comes with it. Read books
and articles and watch vid-
eos by antiracists. I also
recommend rabbis, can-
tors and lay leaders also
read the Union for Reform
Judaism article “Ways Your
Congregation Can Act Now
for Racial Justice” by Rabbi
Jonah Pesner.
When people ask me for
suggestions, I feel really glad
that they’
re asking, but it
can also get overwhelming
right now. I want to be there
to help people, but I also
want them to feel confident
enough to look things up
themselves. The Jewish com-
munity alone has plenty of
resources.
continued on page 16
Chris
Harrison
COURTESY OF CHRIS HARRISON
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STORY
Our
STORY
Our
“It began with rain, and our roof leaking into our
house,” said Diane Starr. “We didn’t know the
cause, or the extent of the damage, or even if it
could be easily repaired. Keith and I called in a
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it, they found the whole thing needed to be replaced.
In the way it so often happens, there was structural
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more work and more money than we hoped.”
Diane and Keith, not wanting to do things cheaply
and then run into further problems along the way,
looked for a way to cover the full cost of the necessary
work, and turned to Hebrew Free Loan.
“We both have jobs, but this is a big investment,
and one we weren’t expecting,” Diane said. Their
family was familiar with HFL because their daughter
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they know HFL staff members.
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and nothing to be nervous about. It wasn’t at all
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and the HFL loan was not only interest-free, but
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Hebrew Free Loan, Diane said, “enables Jewish
people to stay in our community and be supported.
It seems like an unexpected expense for anything in
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could be made easier through the support of our
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