 FEBRUARY 4 • 2021 | 17

JCRC/AJC names diversity associate.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

Focus on Inclusion

T

he Jewish Community 
Relations Council/
American Jewish 
Committee (JCRC/AJC) has cre-
ated a new role in the organiza-
tion — community associate — 
which has been filled by Detroit 
native Ashira Solomon.
Solomon will be working to 
build and enhance JCRC/AJC’s 
initiatives in unity, diversity, 
equity and inclusion. 
“We wanted someone who, in 
addition to reaching out to the 
African American community, 
could also reach inward to the 
Jewish community in issues of 
inclusion,
” JCRC/AJC Executive 
Director Rabbi Asher Lopatin 
said. 
“With all these ambitious 
programs we needed to find 
someone who could really be 
a sensitive, caring and capable 
person who had a background 
in taking big ideas and putting 
them to action, and also some-
one who understood how to be 
sensitive to the needs of different 
communities and to be a good 
ally with other organizations,
” 
Lopatin said.
“
Ashira Solomon is the per-
fect person to meet all of these 
needs, and it worked out really 
well.
” 
Solomon comes from a 
Christian family, and when 
searching for a connection 
spiritually, told her parents at 
13 years old that she was going 
to be Jewish. “
Along with being 
multiracial, I’m a convert as 
well,
” Solomon said. “So, I’m 
very familiar with both religions 
and the positive impacts they 
provide to individuals.
”

Solomon was the co-chair of 
the Diversity Council at Berkley 
High School. She became a peer 
mediator, continued similar 
work in college and then went 
on to work at Farber Hebrew 
Day School-Yeshivat Akiva for 
six years. 
“It’s something I’ve always 
been passionate about,
” she said. 
 Solomon will be working 
with the Coalition for Black and 
Jewish Unity and with its differ-
ent committees and programs. 
She will also be working on an 
initiative addressing trauma in 
the Black community as well as 
managing a Black and Jewish 
fellowship opportunity for uni-
versity students. 
“Sometimes we start these 
conversations about diversity, jus-
tice and inclusion and what that 
means, and then it just kind of 
ends up dwindling,
” she said. “We 
want to keep the conversation 
going and get people involved.
“I think the ultimate goal is 
to bring people together,
” she 
said. “I feel very grateful to be 
in a position that I can help 
make connections and do very 
fine work that gives others the 
opportunity to do great things, 
both in their community and 
beyond.
” 

Ashira 
Solomon

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