SHOWING UP AS ALLIES AND ACCOMPLICES
Black lives matter. As Jews, our primary mandate is pikuach nefesh, our commitment to protecting and preserving human life. We live in a country and a world where some lives are valued less than others, where Black people are held down by systemic oppression through institutions and social realities that form the foundation of our everyday lives. This reality is intolerable, and Zioness declares, today and every day, not only that Black lives matter, but that Black lives are beautiful, invaluable, precious. Our work to dismantle white supremacy and its systems of oppression will not end until we live in a world that fully respects and values the humanity of Black Americans.
That is why Zionesses from coast to coast have been and will continue to participate, proudly and vocally, at marches and rallies in support of Black lives. That is why we will continue our work with coalition building and fighting for policy changes at the local, state and federal levels.
We know that there is a possibility that we may experience some painful antisemitism in our activism. If we encounter it, we will address it. Antisemitism divides and weakens our movements for justice, pushing committed activists out of the spaces that are effectively advocating for urgent change. When we engage in good faith to advance movements for justice and face propaganda slandering Israel and Zionism––the liberation movement of the Jewish people––this antisemitism is painful and crushing. We will be conscious of the fact that what we hear often stems from a lack of understanding. We will assume the best in people and be gentle when correcting the record, understanding that our lived experiences may be different. And we will remember that the fight against anti-Black and anti-Jewish racism is a shared battle against white supremacy, and our success depends on the strength of our relationships with our allies. We will only defeat hate by fighting it together.