We are focusing on a wide range of activities to address racial justice within the United States and within the Jewish community itself.
To focus our Racial Justice efforts we crystallized and articulated our vision and mission for our racial justice work:
“We envision BAS as a Jewish community where people of all races and ethnicities feel at home. Guided by the central Jewish precept that all humans reflect the Divine Image, we thoughtfully and respectfully strive to pursue justice and equity for everyone within our congregation and in the wider community. We do this by educating ourselves about racism and its impact on our synagogue, our Jewish community and the greater society. We focus on activities that advance inclusion and diversity within our own community, and address racism and its attendant injustices in society.”
Our efforts will continue to focus on a series of educational activities including speakers, book group discussions and movie discussions on Black/Jewish relations; White Supremacy; and Jews of Color, among others. Our advocacy activities will includ voter registration efforts and lobbying for new Westchester County tenants’ rights, among others. Our service initiatives will feature cooking Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for two local homeless shelters, a holiday toy drive for children in a local homeless shelter and several collections of groceries, toys and baby supplies.
Members can access a resource list from the Members side of the website.
Pending pandemic protocols, this coming year we will continue this work.
See some of our upcoming education, advocacy and/or service activities here.
- Tikkun Olam/Social Action Family Program – Expanded number of sessions of this popular program under the leadership of Education Director Lisa Jacobs and in partnership with the Hebrew School and the Family Programming Chevra
- Corners of Our Fields High Holy Day through Sukkot food collection for Feeding Westchester
- Midnight Run. After a “pandemic pause,” this important work is back! We donate food and toiletries and then four times per year we help distribute them to those in need in New York City.
Contact Joy Brownstein for more information.
