SLA 150 Faith, Religion, and Society Steiner 1

To: Dr. Fran Leap

From: Kelly Steiner

Date: February 12, 2022

RE: Dialogue Essay

Jewish Faith is Stronger than Racial Hate

I chose to write about the racial justice, especially in the U.S. culture as it pertains to
Judaism. The Jews have been through slavery, captivity, antisemitism, racism, bigotry, and false
accusations for many centuries and some since the time of Abraham (the father of the Jews). One
thing that I find surprising and inspiring is that even though they have endured such horrific acts
of hatred, they continue as a community all over the world to try to help others in need. They
have hope that they can and will be able to turn things around in the world, for they are “God’s
chosen people” (Judaism, 4). The Jews believe that Yahweh (their God) has called upon them to
follow his insistence for justice and follow the Torah (law of their God) with a great
responsibility. “The Torah refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (the books of
Moses)” (Judaism, 4) and their code are the ten commandments, which call for love of all
people, justice of all people, and the honoring of God and no other Gods. Under their code they
believe that just as they depend on their God to give them a future better than the history they
have known is that “Yahweh is also depending on them!” (Hill, 234). Therefore, the Jewish
community works hard to help others, whether they are fighting hunger, racism, abuse, religious
bigotry, or giving to charities, they do so with a fulfillment that they are helping God’s work be
done for others.

Through events such as the slavery in Egypt and in more recent history, the Holocaust
(the racial cleansing of Nazi Germany’s and the depletion of the inferior race (those who were
not blonde-haired and blue eyed)) the Jews have learned to overcome their struggles individually
and as a community (Freeman). Unfortunately, the hatred and ignorance are still prevalent today.
Over the past decade there have been events such as the gunman who opened fire on The Tree of
Life Synagogue here in Pittsburgh in 2018, by a man claiming that “the Jews were helping
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immigrants resettle in America to make the country less white” (NRP), and the defacing of
Union Station in Washington, D.C. with swastikas by neo-Nazi groups, and one of the most
recent in the news was the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Texas last month
(Reform, 2022). These are only a few examples of the racial injustice towards Jewish people of
any color.

Jews have been supporting, helping, and peacefully standing up for the rights of racial
justice since the Civil Rights Movement. The Rabbi Abraham Heschel stood as an alliance with
Martin Luther King Jr. as a black Rabbi wanting equity and justice (NPR). Racial justice is an
important issue for the Jewish faith (Shalev). The Jewish traditions teach that justice is not
granted on all and that it must be pursued. In the Torah it reads Tzedek Tzedek (justice justice)
which they believe makes it that much more important and imperative to pursue justice (NPR).

The Jewish Community was also one of the first to speak up “in the wake of George
Floyd’s death (Shalev). Several Rabbis including Rothstein (a black Jew), the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, and many Jewish organizations representing every constituency (Orthodox,
Reformed, Conservative, and Reconstructionist) attempted to find justice with this historic
moment of racism (Shalev). One month after the death of Floyd, a Jewish coalition formed and
declared “the Black Lives Matter movement is the current day civil rights movement” (Shalev).
The Jewish community felt that it was their opportunity to help gain equity and justice for all
people.” Judaism is a distinctively community-based tradition” and they show this in through
their faith and their actions to help others not just themselves but to all of God’s people in hopes
of changing the injustices that everyone faces (Judaism, 4). “Once we were slaves in Egypt, now
are free people”, this is something that they never forget and prayer about every day (IJS).

Antisemitism which is the strong dislike and cruel treatment of Jewish people no
different than racism has been on the rise. Many unions and organizations have joined
partnerships together to raise awareness and give the tools and knowledge to the Jewish
communities to finds ways of responding to it (Reform, 2022). After the Colleyville, Texas
synagogue went under attach this year, the reform movement called upon the senate to
“immediately fill the positions of U.S. special Envoy on Antisemitism” also referred to as the
SEAS (Reform,2022). This Envoy helps develop and implement policies and projects to combat
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Antisemitism. The Jewish community is united no matter how far away they are from one
another, if one is hurting or struggling, they will help. This is an example of Jews all over
America helping in the prevention against future attacks.

I find it inspiring to see how the Jewish faith is so strong and loving to all even when they
themselves have been hated for long. This is journey that they accept in helping in the U.S. as
well as globally. They are open to help anyone, and they believe very strongly in their faith and
their observance to God.

“Do not oppose a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, for once you were strangers in
the land of Egypt” (IJS)
Work Cited

Antisemitism Spikes, and Many Jews Wonder: Where Are Our Allies? NPR. June 7, 2021,
5:00am.

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/07/1003411933/antisemitism-spikes-and-many-jews-wonder-
where-are-our-allies

Core Ethical Teachings of Judaism (the education website of the NSW Jewish Board of
Deputies) Israel and Judaism Studies (IJS)

https://www.ijs.org.au/core-ethical-teachings-of-judaism/

Hill, Knitter, Madges. Faith, Religion, Theology. Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2002.

How the Science of Racism Led to the Holocaust (the war against the divine image in man). By:
Tzui Freeman

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1831991/jewish/How-the-Science-of-Racism-
Led-to-the-Holocaust.htm

Jewish Community Striving to Make Good of Racial Justice. Sun-Sentinel By: Asaf Shalev. June
2, 2021.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/fl-jj-jewish-community-racial-justice-
pledges-year-after-george-floyd-murder-20210602-h2r7s4ydinfarhfal55r6quvgm-story.html

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Union for Reform Judaism

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Reform Jewish Leader Responds to Uptick in
Antisemitic Incidents. Washington, D.C. February 1, 2022.

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1676841/jewish/Ethics-Morality.htm

The Complete Idiot’s Guide on Judaism: The Root of Judaism. Chapter 4