The dedication ceremony affirms the congregation’s commitment to racial justice.
On Friday, August 28, 2020, members of Temple Hillel B’nai Torah gathered to affirm that Black Lives Matter, hanging a banner on the front of our home in West Roxbury. Earlier this summer, Hillel B’nai Torah’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to put up a “Black Lives Matter” banner with the support of the congregation. The dedication on Friday marked the first time the members of the congregation had gathered in person since quarantine began in March 2020. The event was organized by Sherry Flashman and members of the Tikkun Olam committee.
Jocelyn Gordon, congregation president, began the dedication by welcoming the crowd saying, “Our community is here today to engage further in the fight for racial equity; to take one more step toward uprooting structural racism. The Banner behind me states our community’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement. And, hanging the banner reaffirms our congregational commitment to challenge racial policies.” She continued, “We at Hillel B’nai Torah commit ourselves as a holy community, a kehillah kedosha, to be a part of the struggle to upend racist policies; policies that are behind so many people of color being killed or harmed by police—most recently Jacob Blake,—or being disproportionately affected by the COVID pandemic.” It weighed heavily on the crowd that the banner was raised in the same week that the nation watched as another Black man was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Rabbi Barbara Penzner began her remarks by sharing the names of Black victims of police violence, with members of the crowd shouting out more. She said, “We say their names because their lives mattered. They had mothers and fathers who have lost a precious child. They had children who will grow up without a parent. They made a difference to their families and their communities. We say their names. We stand with their families. We say together Black Lives Matter.” Not unlike a prayer service, Rabbi Penzner led the crowd in saying “Black Lives Matter,” repeated out loud.
Rabbi Penzner emphasized that these acts of violence were not random and were the outcomes of system racism and a white supremacist culture. The Rabbi invoked the Jewish value of Ib’tzelem Elohim (in the divine image) and centuries-old American history of injustice that comes into direct conflict with that value. She said, “When we say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ we are lifting up the humanity, the dignity, the very image of God that resides in every human being, an image that has been made invisible by 400 years of racial injustice, that began with enslaving people to enrich plantation owners and continued through segregation and Jim Crow. And persisted through the benefits of the New Deal and the GI Bill denied to Black people. And was resurrected after the Civil Rights Movement in mass incarceration of Black people, dividing families, depriving them of their wage-earners, impoverishing and fracturing their communities.”
The decision to hang this banner is deeply rooted in Torah. Rabbi Penzner explained, "By raising this banner today, this Jewish community, Hillel B’nai Torah, takes this historic step in the life of our synagogue and commits to this teaching of Torah: 'We do not stand idly by.' We do not just observe, we do not simply mouth pious words. As Jews called to do mitzvot, called to act, we will indeed pursue justice wherever we see injustice. Justice, justice, shall we pursue.”
Josh Frank, a teacher and racial justice educator in our community, offered a reminder that August 28 marked the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He also noted that another March was happening, in-person and virtually, to push Congress to protect the lives of Black people. Josh shared that he remembered when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated, being 9 years old, watching the country react, and the impact it had on his life. He said, “We’re here this week because our work is not done and our 9-year-olds are watching. We are here because we’re all a part of this history and will continue the fight.”
Moreno Guzman, Facilities Manager and beloved member of the HBT family, shared some of his personal experiences of police harassment as a Black man and an immigrant. While visiting Maine with a friend, he was pulled over three times passing three consecutive traffic lights. “I now understood why other people were afraid. I was so freaked out. I asked my friend to take me back home. I was shaking, almost crying.” He shared that he understood the struggle of the Jewish people and how grateful he was to see Black Lives Matter signs at HBT. “Thank you for your support.”
Vijay Fisch, a junior at Needham High School, shared how he became involved in racial justice issues following the murder of George Floyd. He shared some of his research and activism in his own town, reviewing laws and police union contracts, and recognizing how unjust those rules and contracts were. He said, “All of these laws put officers above the law. And their job is to enforce the law. But it doesn’t give them the right to be above the law and be shielded by it.”
He encouraged everyone present to get involved in local efforts. “I’m happy we’re putting this banner to show solidarity with BIPOC.”
Rabbi Penzner expressed her gratitude on behalf of the whole congregation to Sherry Flashman and the Tikkun Olam committee who made the dedication event possible, ordering the banner and organizing speakers. Sherry expressed her appreciation to all who attended, noting the importance of holding the event in person.
To close out the dedication, Rabbi Penzner noted the importance of acknowledging the roots of the anti-racist roots at HBT and invited Lesley Belay to speak. She shared her story of arriving at HBT 25 years ago with three Black boys. She shared how they were welcomed but it was a difficult experience for her children to grow up in the synagogue. Leslie shared how she talked about the challenges her boys experienced then and people dismissed her concerns. She said, “I hope that today that by hanging this banner, and studying and learning, that our congregation acknowledges those things are true and we need to work on them continuously.” She shared learning about the increase in members and children of color among the congregation’s membership and how proud that made her. She shared her appreciation for the crowd convening in the middle of a workday during a pandemic and what that meant. She said, “It shows that we as a community are willing to continue to do the work. It’s not enough to hang a banner. It’s not enough to make phone calls. We have to continue to do the work in our own community and I know we will.”