There’s an increasing focus in popular discourse on allyship, particularly when it comes to people of color and other marginalized groups. What does it mean to be an ally, both to individuals and to groups? How can one begin to do that work in a way that is meaningful and is about helping others and not about assisting one’s ego or placing oneself at the center of the story? In this episode, Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D. and Rabbi Sandra Lawson – longtime friends and now colleagues – discuss these questions using examples from their own lives. Noting the importance of relationships and context, they delve into the difficulty of saying and doing the right thing at the right time, citing examples of which they were proud and where they might have done better. In the discussion, Rabbi Sandra stresses that white people who aim to be allies to people of color should, “be humble and be curious, and be open to learning, instead of thinking that [you] can't learn anything.”

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Links:

• NY Times: "To White People Who Want to Be ‘One of the Good Ones’" by Maeve Higgins
• Chaver Up!: 49 Rabbis Explore What it Means to be an Ally through a Jewish Lens
• Evolve essay: "Racism in the Jewish Community" by Rabbi Sandra Lawson
• Evolve essay: "A Beat to Which We Can All Move" by Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D.
• Evolve essay: "Noticing Jews of Color in Our Communities" by Carmen Amalia Corrales
• Evolve resource: Jewish Approaches to Justice Work
• The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
• Ritualwell: "Pride Shabbat Blessing from an Ally" by Sara Stock Mayo
• Ritualwell: "Quick Tips for Transgender Allies" by TransfaithOnline.org
• Ritualwell: "Modah Ani" poem by Martha Hurwitz