Hakol January 2020 Volume 42, Issue 3 Photo by Ellen Regal Anti-Racism: Beginning at Home From the Rabbi by Rabbi Benjamin Barnett once heard a fellow Jewish leader, a Jew of color, share by Rabbi Joshua Lesser: a story about being mistaken for a food delivery worker • Avoid making assumptions about gender identity, sexual at a Jewish convention. She was about to present on a orientation, religious identity, Jewish background, race or panel. Upon re-entering the building on her way there, I reasons for joining us. carrying a bag of takeout lunch which she had just purchased, • Respect a person’s identity and self-label, and respect a she was encountered by another convention participant who person’s chosen name and pronouns. Do not comment proceeded to take out her phone to settle her lunch order — about whether a name sounds Jewish or not. the lunch which she assumed this person was carrying. • Do not comment on whether someone looks Jewish I have never had an experience like the one my colleague or not. had. This fact demands being underscored. Never in all my years of entering synagogues, JCCs, Jewish camps, or other • Do not assume people want to only speak about their Jewish spaces has my Jewishness been questioned. That can identity, particularly when their identity is different from be attributed quite clearly to the fact that I am white. I have yours. Engage them in conversation and get to know heard Jews of color, on the other hand, recount time and again them. Be engaging rather than curious. having to endure experiences like this one. As my colleague • Do not expect a guest to immediately become your re- source on understanding their identity. relayed the incident, she did not express shock. It was along the lines of what she had experienced, in one form or another, This past month we dedicated our annual Human Rights far too many times. Shabbat to the work of anti-racism. This is work we must do In the Jewish community, this is a reality we must be within Havurah and within the Jewish community as a whole. aware of and with which we must reckon. The Institute for There are many directions in which we can and will go during Jewish and Community Research estimates that 20% of the this effort. One road we must clearly take is that of revealing American Jewish community is racially and ethnically di- and dismantling any exclusive behaviors we practice within verse. Yet, as Rabbi Sandra Lawson and Donna Cephas ex- our own community. While none of us might intend to be plain, “There still exists an unspoken assumption that all exclusive, for those of us who are white, the chances are vir- American Jews are white and from Eastern European back- tually certain that we have violated, explicitly or subtly, the grounds.” Especially for those of us who are white, this erro- guidelines above. So let us begin, or re-dedicate, here, at neous assumption, which repeatedly hurts Jews of color and home in our own community. Let us each examine our as- all of us, is something we must diligently examine and work sumptions and work to ensure that everyone who calls Havu- to eradicate within ourselves. rah home, and everyone who walks through our doors, is hon- Toward this end, I offer these five guidelines practiced by ored as they are. May each of our Jewish identities be cele- Congregation Bet Haverim in Atlanta. They are given to us brated and supported. Office Hours Monday — Thursday Friday Contents 10:00 am — 4:00 pm 10:00 am — 3:00 pm The Havurah Office will be closed on: January 1 & January 20 Anti-Racism: Beginning at Home 1 February Hakol Tuesday, January 14 Machzor Survey 2 Submission Deadline Events 2-4 To find the form, click the “Submit” tab on Havurah’s website at havurahshalom.org. The Library: Thank You Miryam! 3 Weekly Email tinyurl.com/ Deadline: Upcoming HCAT Events 4 Submission Form HavShaNL Tuesdays, 12 pm MACG Looks at Housing Crisis 4 Adult B’nei Mitzvah: Feb. 1 4 To find this form, click the “Submit” tab on Havurah’s website at havurahshalom.org. Poverty & Homelessness Update 5 Have a Question Send your questions to: New Photo Submission Policy 6 About Havurah? [email protected] Memoir Writing Workshop 6 Revised Facilities Use Policy Havurah Staff 7 Kitchen Kvetch Anniversary Benjamin Barnett, Rabbi – [email protected] 8 Weekend in Quest Adela Basayne, Program Director – [email protected] 8 Celebrating Shabbat School Rachel Pollak, Office & Facilities Manager – [email protected] 9 Tributes & Photos Brad Pector, Communications & Membership Coordinator – [email protected] 10 Calendar Deborah Eisenbach-Budner, Education Director – [email protected] 11 Carrie Kirschner, Assistant Coordinator of Education – [email protected] Kabbalat Shabbat 12 Hakol is Havurah’s monthly newsletter that is edited, designed, and printed in-house by Havurah staff. Cover photo by Ellen Regal. The Machzor Survey Is Live! Spend time evaluating the Machzor options and then choose your favorite by going to: havurahshalom.org/machzor Panim el Panim: Conversations on Israel & Palestine Thursdays, February 6 & 27, 7pm - 9pm at Havurah Troubled by issues around Israel and Palestine? Looking for deeper understanding of your own and others’ perspectives? All Havurah members are welcome to join these evenings of honest and re- spectful dialogue about Israel and Palestine. In the context of intentional and supportive formats, we will encounter one another’s positions regarding this important and difficult topic. No prior knowledge or experience required, simply an open mind and a willingness to meet one another with honor and curiosity amidst our differences of perspective. Ideally participants will attend both ses- sions. Attendance at the first session is required for participation in the second. Coordinated by Nancy Becker, Lee Gordon, Eliana Temkin, and Rabbi Benjamin. Please reach out to any of us with questions. 2 Where Would We Be Without A Library? From Steering by Ken Lerner Have you ever been in our Havurah library? My guess is Shabbat School materials occupied the space that is now Debo- that every member has spent some time in that well-stocked rah’s office. Upon completion of the second stage of our con- and cared-for enclave at one point or another. But how many struction, the library was moved to its current home. have actually thought Miryam was assisted about how this resource in creating our current is sustained and curated library by Janet Byrd, for the benefit of all of with Kate Loggan em- us? ploying her professional We largely have librarian skills to help Miryam Brewer to thank create a catalogue sys- for her selfless devotion tem for our growing to the library for most of trove. Susan Lazareck the last 24 years. The was also a help in organ- library might not exist izing and shelving without her caring stew- books. The library has ardship, aided by a few grown under Miryam’s other helpful congre- patient guidance, using gants along the way. funds from our budget Miryam has decided that to continually update after 24 years of caring what is needed. for Havurah’s library she Miryam has devoted will step down from this herself to Havurah in role. We are beginning a many ways beyond the search for 1-3 people library. She served on who have the time and many committees, in- energy to continue to cluding the Steering sustain our library. Committee, served as Back before we had a building, Havurah Co-President from 2013-2015, and was the chair we also did not have much of a li- of our Rabbi Search Committee that culminated in the hir- brary. A selection of books for ing of Rabbi Benjamin, all the while nurturing and growing Shabbat School was kept in a rolling the library. Most recently she has added her talents and bookcase built by Bob Epstein, one energy to Havurah’s Leadership Development Team. of Havurah’s early members and Miryam is a shining example of a hands-on leader in a par- Havurah president from 1981-1982. ticipatory congregation, taking on many roles as the needs Shabbat School classes were held at arose. We are forever grateful for all she has given to help the MJCC, and the folding, rolling our community thrive. bookcase was stored in a closet there. Monica Moriarty became somewhat of a custodian of this tiny collection and color-coded the books. Miryam Brewer donated some of her own Judaica for this “library,” and Monica asked If this important service to the congregation might interest her if she would take on the task of maintaining our library. you, please contact Debbi Nadell or Shelley Sobel: debbin- When we moved to our new building in 1998 the library and [email protected] // [email protected] Events Sacred Action: Contemplative Practice InterPlay Torah Study: Fun as a Spiritual Practice! for Engaging in the World Tuesdays, Jan. 7, 14, 21; Feb. 4, 11, 18, 7pm - 9 pm Wednesdays, Jan. 29 - March 4, 12 pm - 1pm Beginning in text, we’ll use “sacred play” to find and express In what ways can Jewish spiritual practice guide our work for our own meaning and connections to Torah. Facilitated by healing and justice in the world? In this group we will ex- Cassandra Sagan. plore this question together through learning, discussion, and practice. At each meeting we will engage in various modali- Leadership Development Training ties, including meditation, chanting, contemplative study, and Sunday, Jan. 12; March 15, 2 pm - 4:30pm self-reflection. Guidance will be given for continued practice Havurah’s Leadership Development Committee and MACG and engagement between sessions.