A personal appeal to my American Jewish family

[Sid Shniad]

https://www.instagram.com/p/DSXtdm0kTk3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

ifnotnoworg

“At a time like this, calls for more armed security and the constant presence of law enforcement at our congregations increase exponentially in our community. While I understand how security guards & law enforcement make some of us, specifically those who have benefitted from the protections of the state, feel safe, especially after such a horrifying attack, it puts many of us Black and Brown Jews, alongside our non-Jewish Black and Brown siblings, at risk of physical injury, emotional and mental duress, and possible death.

All I am asking of you at this moment is that you keep in mind those of us who do not benefit from the so-called ‘protection’ of armed security guards and police officers. I am asking you to choose the Jewish present and future, where 1 in 7 Jews under 30 identify as non-white or multiracial and 17% of Jewish adults live in a multiracial household. And these numbers are growing.

I urge you to seek alternative solutions, such as community safety initiatives, such as Community Violence Intervention teams trained in non-violence de-escalation tactics or Community Mediation Centers to resolve conflict & disagreemens. I urge you to reach out to your neighboring mosques, churches and other houses of worship to work together towards solutions that keep us all safe.”

We are so grateful to Dean, IfNotNow BIJOCSM (Black, Indigenous, Jews of Color, Sephardi, and Mizrahi) & Israeli-American Organizer, for this crucial agitation to think deeper about Jewish safety and safety for all.

For a good starting point on community safety initiatives, follow @communitysafetycampaign and download the guide at 🔗 https://communitysafetycampaign.org/the-guide/