Choosing Justice: Bringing Tikkun Olam Home to our Communities
Multiple Dates (See Below) • 3:30–4:30 pm • $10 per Session ($40 for all four)
Join us for an exciting interactive speaker series moderated by Rabbi Dr. Tirzah Firestone in conversation with leaders at the forefront of racial justice, collective healing, and changemaking in our communities.
See descriptions of each session below. You can register for one session, or all four. Register here.
Dr. Anita Sanchez, Indigenous Educator and award-winning author
We will discuss the indigenous wisdom that has historically been used to heal intergenerational trauma, and why it is especially important at this time of upheaval and transformation. Dr. Anita Sanchez, Nahua (Aztec) and Mexican American, will share Indigenous perspectives on “good medicine” and “bad medicine”, the Eagle Hoop Prophecy, and the promise of the four sacred gifts to support us as we strive to live in harmony with ourselves, each other, and the earth. The four sacred gifts are: the power to Forgive the Unforgivable; the power of Healing; the power of Unity; and the power of Hope in Action.
Freedom Kimberly Cartwright, American Descendant of Slavery and Racial Justice Activist and Educator
Through her tour company, Freedom Rail Tours, Freedom Cartwright brings folks to Montgomery, Alabama, the Cradle of the Confederacy in the Heart of Dixie, to bear witness to the legacy of enslavement, lynching, segregation, and mass incarceration. In this program, we will tour Montgomery together virtually. Through story and imagery, voices that have been silenced and suppressed will be heard. Freedom will guide us through simple practices that can bring our awareness to the sensations and feelings that arise and will help us connect with ancestors. Participants will need a journal, a pen, three blank pieces of paper, and a space that is conducive to contemplation.
Ilana Kaufman, Executive Director, Jews of Color Initiative
Ilana will share findings from Beyond the Count, the latest research commissioned by the Jews of Color Initiative. This was a national study to dig deeper into the collective experiences and perspectives of Jews of Color, such as experiences of community building, racial discrimination, and Jewish identity. The Count Me In study was conducted by a multi-racial research team at Stanford University, and the findings will be used to implement change in Jewish communities.
Dr. Penny Rosenwasser, white Ashkenazi Jewish Social Justice Educator
Dr. Rosenwasser will share stories, experiential practices, and lessons learned from her ongoing journey as a white Ashkenazi, anti-racist Jew. It’s a path of unlearning patterns of racism and internalized Jewish oppression, of self-reflection, solidarity, and relationship-building. It’s the intertwining of Jewish self-love with social justice. She will cite the anti-racism work going on at the Kehilla Synagogue in Oakland, CA, as a model for social justice reform in the Jewish community.
This program is presented in partnership with the Boulder JCC, the Siegel JCC in Wilmington, the White Theatre at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, the JCC Greater Boston, the Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City, and the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula.
Make Lunches for Samaritan House
Saturdays: November 13 and December 11
Register
Do a mitzvah (good deed) and make sandwiches for our neighbors at the Samaritan House. On the second Saturday of the month, please make 20 sack lunches. Each lunch should include:
- A sandwich. It can be deli meat, peanut butter & jelly, a cheese sandwich, tuna salad, or egg salad. Your choice.
- A piece of fruit – apple, orange, banana
- A small bag of baby carrots
- A single serving package (1.5-2oz) of either cookies or potato chips.
- A juice box or water
- Napkin
Please decorate your lunch bags and/or include a note of kindness.
Deliver your lunch bags to the back door of the Samaritan House kitchen located at 4031 Pacific Blvd in San Mateo at 10:00 am.
Registration required. Only sign up one person to represent your household. Each person signed up will need to make 20 lunches. If you have any questions, please contact Michele at msolomon@pjcc.org.
Understanding the Roots of Sephardic and Mizrachi Heritage
Thursday, November 18 • 7:00–8:15 pm
What do the terms “Sephardi” and “Mizrachi” mean? How do we lift up and celebrate the stories of Jews who came from Arab and Muslim countries in our communities today? In this interactive session we will explore some of the history, culture and politics of the Jewish communities of the Middle Eastern and North Africa. Jewish Educator Tamar Zaken will guide us in an educational and engaging session during Mizrachi Heritage Month.
The PJCC is proud to be a part of the Koret Initiative on Jewish Peoplehood. We are honored to present this program through the Taube Center for Jewish Peoplehood at the PJCC.
Registration required. Takes place via Zoom.
Make a Difference in Our Community Now
Volunteers Needed for Second Harvest Food Distribution
Food distribution is a great hands-on volunteer activity. This include assisting with set up, unloading and moving food from pallets to the distribution tables; sorting and distributing food; loading pre-packed food boxes into vehicles and clean up. This volunteer activity does require some heavy lifting (a minimum of 25 lbs.) and regular movement. This is best suited for volunteers with strong mobility and no back issues. It’s a fun, physical outdoor opportunity working alongside other volunteers and community members.
Distribution happens the first and third Fridays of the month at the Foster City Park and Registration from 8:00 – 10:30 am. Minimum age is 18 years old.
If you are interested, please contact Michele via email at msolomon@pjcc.org or call 650.378.2780.
Grappling with Race in America
The North Peninsula Jewish Community and the Jewish Community Relations Council presented a series of three lectures exploring the experience of Black People and People of Color in America and the many aspects of injustice manifest in our society. Experts and leaders in their fields guided the conversations and invited us to ask hard questions and draw our own conclusions.
The Black Experience in America from Reconstruction to Today
View the recording of this presentation.
How have the politics and polices in our country since Reconstruction led to the racism and injustice of our time?
Dr. Peniel Joseph, Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy and Barbara Jordan Chair of Ethics and Political Values, University of Texas, Austin.
Perspectives on Criminal Justice Reform and Police Reform
View the recording of this presentation.
How does inequity in our criminal justice system and in the process of policing manifest in the Bay Area and across the country? Featuring Dr. Paul Henderson, Director of the San Francisco Police Oversight Office.
The State of Educational Equity in California
View the recording of this presentation.
How do discrimination and inequity manifest in California’s educational system and what impact does this have on the lives of Black people, People of Color, and the poor? Featuring Natalie Wheatfall-Lum, Director of Policy, Education Trust-West.
Sponsored by Peninsula Temple Beth El, Peninsula Temple Sholom, Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Peninsula Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, and the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.
We believe that respecting and discussing diverse opinions and perspectives is what makes us a strong and vital community. We are committed to promoting civil discourse and being a “living room” where discussions on challenging topics can take place in open, inviting, and respectful ways.
Resources for Adults & Children
Books for Adults
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Children’s Books
I Am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer
Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry
Bedtime Inspirational Stories: 50 Amazing Black People Who Changed the World
If You Were a Kid During the Civil Rights Movement by Gwendolyn Hooks
Civil Rights Then and Now: A Timeline of the Fight for Equality in America by Kristina Brooke Daniele
Movies
Get Out
12 Years a Slave
The Hate U Give
Moonlight
Confronting Injustice
As a Jewish organization with a heritage built on an unambivalent call to justice, the PJCC recognizes that we must take a firm stance against the injustice, inequality, and hate that blights our society.
Read the PJCC’s statements on Racism, Injustice, and Solidarity with the Black Community and LGBTQIA + Rights.
Supporting the Black Community
We condemn the senseless killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and all those who came before them. As a diverse PJCC community, we stand with the Black community in this moment. We cannot be silent or stand idly by while people inside and outside our immediate community are in pain and are unsafe because of the color of their skin.
The writer James Baldwin said it best, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
We must advocate for change while also reaching to care for one another and striving to listen to those who are most impacted. We must face this moment head on and work together for change.
Join us—stand up and say “Count Me In” as we work together as a community to educate ourselves, educate our children and take steps to combat racism.
Things You Can Do Right Now
Speak Up and Support Others
Be an UPStander!
We have all been a bystander at one time or another. It can be uncomfortable. Often people do not respond because they do not want to be a target of abuse themselves. Raise you voice when you hear racist remarks. Standing up to racism can be a powerful sign of support. It can also make the offender think twice about their actions. When responding, always assess the situation and never put yourself at risk. Your actions do not need to involve confrontation.
Make Your Home a Safe Zone
Ten-year-old Cruz of Burlingame invites the Peninsula community to come together and put up signs of support in our windows. He says, “I want my generation to come together and be kind to each other. Love more. Smile more. I know we can stand together and see past color and see people for who they are inside. We all have beautiful skin.” Join Cruz and put a sign in your window showing your support for the Black community.
Educate Yourself
Take Action
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is a national network of groups and individuals organizing for racial justice. Join a local SURJ Chapter and get engaged with the struggle for racial justice in our community.
Get More Weekly Action Tips
Our partner 2 for Seder has begun to send “Weekly Action Tips” with suggestions for small, meaningful activities you can do. Each Action Tip is effective against the bigger picture of hate and anti-Semitism. Most activities are quick and the most effective ones for you will involve an activity that you are already doing. Sign up today!
Educate Your Children
Talking to Your Kids about Race: A (Virtual) Conversation
How should parents talk to their children and teens about race? In this video, brought to you by the The Parent Education Series, they bring together a distinguished panel of experts to address this question, and to offer insights into an often difficult, fraught subject: race in America.
Panelists include Julie Lythcott-Haims, JD, MFA: Former Dean at Stanford, speaker, activist, New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult and Real American: A Memoir; Donald E. Grant, Jr., PhD: Executive Director, Center for Community & Social Impact, Pacific Oaks College; Eric Abrams, MBA: Chief Inclusion Officer, Stanford Graduate School of Education; and Kareem Graham, PhD: Senior Scientist (Immunologist), author of “White parents, talk to your kids about race” (San Francisco Chronicle, Opinion, June 9, 2020).
Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup from Pretty Good
31 Books to Support Conversations on Race, Racism, and Resistance
Talking With Children About Racism, Police Brutality and Protests by Laura Markham
IsraAID
Help Distribute Vital Relief Supplies to Our Communities
Volunteer to ensure the provision of vital supplies to the most vulnerable communities. As partof our COVID-19 response, we are seeking volunteers to sort, assemble and distribute food packages at regional distribution centers. Current locations of operation: Los Angeles & San Francisco Bay Area.
Criteria to volunteer: Age 14+ (16+ for Santa Clara operation); Ability to lift up to 25 pounds; Active health insurance; US citizenship/permanent resident; Access to a car.
Teen volunteers are eligible to receive volunteer credits upon completion of volunteer shifts.
Register today and make a difference!
Shalom Bayit
Right now, everyone is being told that staying at home is the safest thing to do. Unfortunately, staying home is not safe for those who are in abusive relationships, who are now having to stay at home with their abusers. During Shelter-In-Place, the Bay Area has reported an increase in domestic violence related ER visits and 9-1-1 calls. It is more difficult than ever for victims to access the safety and support they need. Survivors of domestic violence often report that community silence and the feeling of being alone are part of the trauma of abuse.
In the spirit of Kol Yisrael Arevim zeh ba-zeh, we are leading an effort to let survivors of abuse know that their Jewish community is here to support them. If you have someone you’re worried about right now, this is the time to message or call them. They might not be able to safely speak with you, but if you reach out they will know that you are there for them. If they are able to get a private minute, let them know that they don’t deserve to be abused, that it isn’t their fault, and that help is available.
Let them know that they can call Shalom Bayit’s free, confidential helpline: 866-SHALOM-7.
Friends and family of the person being abused are also welcome to call to get ideas for how to support.
Learn more about Shalom Bayit on their website.
Additional Opportunities to Serve
The PJCC partners with several agencies to do good, including IsraAID, Mission Hospice, the Jewish Coalition for Literacy (JCL), Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS), Samaritan House, and more.
Stay tuned for more ways to serve partner organizations alongside the PJCC, or check the “Ideas for Getting Involved” tab for additional drives & service opportunities!
