Black Lives Matter and Crouch End Chavurah

What to say?

Crouch End Chavurah has yet to make any public announcement about the events that have taken place in the US over the last two weeks (and as we have seen, subsequently also taken place in the UK and other countries).

There are two reasons for this. 

Firstly, (and we think we speak for many people), we didn’t really know what to say. And if you don’t know what to say, a good general rule is not to say anything. Yet. 

That doesn’t mean we don’t find the death of George Floyd shocking. Or that we have not been moved by all of the subsequent events and developments. It just means that at that point nearly three weeks ago, we didn’t have the right words to express this emotive and complex scenario succinctly. Many organisations feel the need to make statements instantly. But a lot of those statements didn’t feel genuine or quite right.

A number of organisations have had to retract initial statements because they have been so bland as to be meaningless or in some cases, offensive. Worse still, some organisations profess their saintliness while having terrible records on diversity, for example.

Last week we held our regular meeting of the committee. As well as the usual (and unusual) business - Chaverim lessons, what are we going to do for High Holy Days, themes for Friday nights - we spent a lot of time discussing Black Lives Matter. I am sure it mirrored many of the conversations you have all been having with family, friends and colleagues, reflecting our deep sense of injustice and many of the questions we have been asking ourselves.

The conversation also touched on the similarities and differences in current events we recognise as Jews. Yes, of course we can express our solidarity; and as David Lammy MP noted this week, there is historical precedent for the Jewish and black communities working together, notably in the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa (and the civil rights movement in the United States).* But our experiences are not the same. And we need to recognise and address that.

Secondly, actions speak louder than words. Anyone can put out a statement in support. But what we actually do is far more important. And in this case, possibly one of the most important things.

So we decided to not put out “a statement”, but to let the community know what we intend to DO. Not just for now, but as part of an ongoing process. And perhaps it is good to start with what we have been doing already.
 

[Click here to read the full blog from Rabbi Sandra and Joel]