Confronting Racism Series & Special Events
The Confronting Racism Series was first initiated on Yom Kippur 2020 by a
planning group of CMI congregants with support from CMI’s former Rabbi,
Brian Immerman. The series has been offering ongoing opportunities for our
congregation to learn and discuss issues and topics aimed at increasing our
understanding of systemic racism both historically and in current times. An
important aspect of many of the discussions is uncovering and reflecting on
our own implicit biases. Throughout the series participants reflect upon how
Jewish teaching and ethics compel us to confront racism in its many forms.
Challenging conversations are often guided by this doctrine “You are not
obligated to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it”
(Pirke Avot 2:21).
The series has included regularly scheduled meetings for CMI members
featuring presentations by the planning group with facilitated small group
discussions, suggested readings, videos, podcasts and other resource
materials. Hosted events with guest speakers and invited community
members have also been a feature of the series.
In spring of 2022 regular sessions called “Eidot: Active witnesses to our past
and participants in our future.” were added to the series based on the
requests by participants to make time for deeper discussions amongst CMI
members on what greater knowledge of the effects of racism leads us to do to
combat racism.
A listing of the sessions and special events to date follows below. Future
programming for our congregation and additional community events and
collaborations are in the planning stages. To learn more about the series and
to offer your feedback and ideas, contact the planning committee members:
Karen Baar karen.baar@gmail.com
Nancy Moss Racusin nancymr@snet.net
Beth Stenger beth.stenger@comcast.net
Nancy Yedlin nyedlin@aol.com
2020 Yom Kippur
Sep 27: White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack ()P. Mcintosh)
2021
Jan 7: Further Reflections on Race and Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible
Knapsack
Feb 4: Shifting Our Perspective: Listening to the Voices of People of Color
March 4: Historical Origins of “Race” & Racism: Power, Politics & Economics
Apr 1: Jews Come in all Colors: Jewish Identity &intersectionality
May 6: Cross-Race Relationships: Friendships, Families& Allies
June 3: Housing: How Structural Racism Works
June 24: Where Are We Now & What’s Next? Personal Reflections & Calls to
Action
Oct 21: 60th Anniversary of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s visit to CMI.
This featured archival material about Dr. King’s historic visit and interviews by Diane Orson, CT Public, with members who were there. In-person and livestreamed. Open to the community.
Dec 9: Feedback session -Participant input for the next round of the series
2022
Jan 15: Dr. King’s Life and Legacy in CT: Reflections and Challenges for Our
Time Guest speaker: Hugh Bailey, Opinion Editor CT Post and New Haven
Register.
March 24: How African Americans Confronted Germany’s Persecution of the
Jews in the 1930s Guest speaker: Glenda Gilmore, Professor of History and
African American Studies, Yale University. Members of Greater New Haven
African American Historical Society and Jewish Historical Society invited. In
person & livestreamed
Apr 7: Eidot: Kickoff Discussion Group
May 3: Migrations of the Soul: Stories from Exodus to the Great Migration
Collaboration with the Greater New Haven African American Historical
Society. Guest speaker: Carolyn Baker, co-president GNHAAHS. Both CMI
and GNHAAHS members invited.
May 5: Eidot: Discussion Topic: The Power of Language: Intent and Impact
June 2: Eidot: Discussion Topic: Critical Race Theory: Meaning and
Misappropriation
June 23: Juneteenth and Shavuot: Receiving the News Guest speaker: State
Representative Robyn Porter. In person and livestreamed. Open to the
community.
Oct 5: Yom Kippur discussion: Is There a Connection between Atonement
and Reparations? In person and on Zoom for CMI members.
Nov 17: Eidot: Discussion Topic: Post Election: Reflections and Directions:
What do the election results look like through the lens of confronting racism?
2023
Jan 8: CMI Religious School Program for 7-8th Grade Students and Parents:
School leaders and Confronting Racism planners presented materials
highlighting the shared legacies of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and their experiences with discrimination,
injustice, civil rights, and social action. Guest presenter: Lauren Anderson, Founder,
Possible Futures Books, recommended educational resources for parents and children. In person
Jan 14: Hosted a Sabbath lunch and discussion with Dr. Deitra Reiser, CMI’s MLK service guest speaker, for CMI members with multiracial families. Dr. Reiser plays a key role in the Union of Reform Judaism’s initiatives to promote diversity, racial equity and belonging in the wider Jewish
community.
Jan 24: Models for Reparations: Redressing the Continuing Legacy of Slavery
Feb 23: Eidot: Discussion Topic: What We’ve learned about Reparations -
Taking the Next Steps
Mar 30: Intersectionality - Seeing All of Us on the Road to Equity
May 4: Eidot: Discussion Topic: What Does it Take to be an UpStander:
Confronting Racism in Everyday Life
June 16: 2nd Annual Juneteenth Sabbath Service: Our special guest speaker was Reverend Bonita Grubbs, who has been Executive Director of Christian Community Action since December 1988. Reverend Grubs shared her reflections on fai.th and community. In person and open to the community
Aug 30: Confronting Racism Dinner and Conversation: On the CMI patio with special guest Rabbi Joshua Pernick, Director of Jewish Life and Community Relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, Leader of JEDI (Jewish Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) of Greater New Haven. In person.
Sep 25: Yom Kippur reading and discussion: The Confronting Racism planning group facilitated a reading of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s “A letter from the Birmingham Jail” and a discussion of its continued relevance for our congregation’s ongoing work in confronting racism. In person and on zoom.
Dec 19: Eidot: Discussion Topic: Confronting Racism During the Current Conflict. This discussion allowed us as a group to share our current thoughts, feelings, and questions about the current Israel/Gaza conflict. We reflected together on how to address the connections and intersections of anti-Black racism and anti-Semitism in this fraught time and on how we will structure programming going forward.
2024
Mar 7: Debrief of CMI Civil Rights Journey: The Confronting Racism planning team hosted and facilitated a discussion for members who, as a congregation, had recently returned from a three-day trip to Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham. The group shared their reflections on the trip and talked about how to build on this civil rights journey, both in learning and in taking actions.
Mar 14: Eidot: Discussion Topic: Allyship and Intersectionality in Tense Times: Still Confronting Racism. This session reintroduced the concepts of allyship and intersectionality to the group and asked participants to reflect on the identities which are most salient in light of the current world conflict(s). Feelings about and ways to engage, reengage, or repair relationships with allies and organizations doing social and racial justice work were discussed.
Mar 18: Black-Jewish Relations: A History for our Times. Guest speaker Cheryl Greenberg, Trinity College History Professor Emerita, relayed the history of how these groups’ perspectives and experiences have come together and diverged, conflicted, and aligned in the movements for civil rights for African-Americans and Jewish-Americans. How understanding this history may help enable us to further our mutual interests in building community and “repairing the world” was discussed. In person & livestreamed.
May 2: A follow up discussion with Professor Cheryl Greenberg on Zoom about the current state of Black-Jewish relations. Much of the conversation between Professor Greenberg and participants focused on the Israel/Gaza war and its effect on the relations and alliances between Blacks and Jews on racism, discrimination, and social justice issues.
June 19: 3rd Annual Juneteenth celebration at its Peace and Justice Shabbat service. CMI welcomed Mr. Tubyes Cropper, Community Engagement Program Manager at Beinecke Library as its guest speaker. Mr. Cropper, part of the Yale & Slavery Working Group, wrote and directed the documentary What Could Have Been about the 1831 HBCU proposed by educators and activists of the time but defeated by the White establishment in New Haven. This service included readings and music selected to commemorate Juneteenth. Rabbi Emeritus Herbert Brockman offered remarks on the history of the Peace and Justice service at CMI. In person and on livestream, open to the community.
Check the CMI calendar listing for announcements of upcoming events and
check back here for updated listing of past programs.
** All sessions on Zoom, unless otherwise noted