In 2023, the Antiracism Working Group committed itself to action, educational programs, collaborating with other local faith communities, and learning together.
November: During the last two months of the year, we began participating in a service opportunity at a nearby predominantly Black church. Every other Friday, members of the church and others pack grocery bags for low-income families in the area — folks who might be on food stamps or who need a little extra assistance. Beth El members continued to participate in this service opportunity in 2024.
January: List of Black-owned businesses in the Sudbury area
To encourage Beth El members to prioritize Black-owned businesses, the Antiracism Working Group created a list of Black-owned businesses in the Sudbury area.
April 2: “The Signs Are All Around Us:” A Community Forum on History, Memory and Roadside Markers
The Antiracism Working Group, in partnership with Rabbi Josh Breindel, wrote a letter from members of the Sudbury Clergy Association to the Sudbury Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission to draw attention to the problematic representation of Indigenous People in roadside markers in Sudbury. The letter served as the catalyst for this important community forum.
July: The Antiracism Working Group signed on as an endorser for the following legislative proposals:
October 23: Inspired by the April 2 program, a group of committed Sudbury residents petitioned the town to support removing racist imagery from the Massachusetts state flag and seal (see press release). At a Special Town Meeting, Sudbury residents overwhelmingly supported the resolution to change the flag and seal. The initial spark for this vote was the letter drafted by Rabbi Josh and the Beth El Antiracism Working Group which served as the catalyst for the April 2 program.
Fall: The Antiracism Working Group hosted monthly Racial Justice Action Hours. Action hours are a short amount of time we set aside with other Beth El members to take action together in real time for racial justice. Using a model developed by Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ-Boston), we guided participants through a series of opportunities to take action, including calls, emails, petitions, fundraisers and more.
March 12: “Legacy of Courage, Black Changemakers in Massachusetts Past, Present and Future.”
In honor of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, the Antiracism Working Group screened a 20-minute film about Black women in Massachusetts history who confronted slavery and racial segregation. The film was followed by small group discussions exploring what we can learn from these changemakers and how to apply that learning to today’s challenges. This program was organized by Elaine B.G.
May 4: “Is Your Home Someone’s Workplace? Domestic Workers’ Rights and Your Responsibilities as an Employer”
The Antiracism Working Group sponsored this panel discussion at Beth El featuring a domestic worker and representatives from the Mass. Coalition of Domestic Workers, Attorney General’s Office, and Metrowest Worker Center. Click here to see the video recording.
June 25: Royall House and Slave Quarters tour
The Antiracism Working Group sponsored a guided tour of this historic Medford, Mass., estate and museum.
October 1: “The N-Word from Slavery to Hip Hop”
The Tikkun Olam Committee and Antiracism Working Group co-sponsored this in-person presentation featuring guest speaker Domingo Guyton, who took participants on a thought-provoking journey to explore the use of this word in the past and present.
March 19: “Afro-Semitic Experience Live at Or Atid”
This concert was hosted by Congregation Or Atid and presented in collaboration with Metrowest Jewish CultureFest and other area congregations including Beth El. The Afro-Semitic Experience is a jazz and world music band that combines an eclectic array of styles, sophisticated musicianship, good songwriting, deep grooves, and years of friendship with a simple message: unity in the community.
October 29: “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America”
The Antiracism Working Group collaborated with Sudbury churches and other Sudbury organizations for a showing and discussion of this two-hour documentary film. Several Beth El members served as facilitators for the small group discussions.
November: As noted above, we began participating in a service opportunity at a nearby predominantly Black church. Every other Friday, members of the church and others pack grocery bags for low-income families in the area — folks who might be on food stamps or who need a little extra assistance. Beth El members continued to participate in this service opportunity in 2024.
Here are some of the things we studied and learned together during our monthly Working Group meetings.
January: We read and discussed Liabilities of White Privilege: How White Privilege Hurts White People by Michelle Chalmers.
February: We discussed results of a survey (created by Lisa B. and distributed to members of the congregation) to help the Antiracism Working Group understand what matters to congregants so we can plan programs in the coming year that are in line with the community’s interests. Top interests included Torah study, lectures and movie discussions.
March: At our March monthly meeting, we showed these photos from the Photo Series by Chris Buck and Greg Semu, “Let’s Talk About Race,” followed by a discussion.
July: During our July meeting, we used The Rule of 7: Where are You on the Antiracism Path? as a springboard for discussion. This exercise is designed to test our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. It was created by Dr. Omekongo Dibinga, author of the book Lies About Black People.
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