Kol Or’s Juneteenth havdalah in 2018.
Last summer, amid national protests against racism and police brutality following the murder of George Floyd, many Jewish organizations hosted their first Juneteenth events. This year, American Jews are making the holiday an annual tradition, and observing it in a myriad of ways from organizing Shabbat services, to hosting virtual panels to scheduling time for relaxation and reflection.
Officially recognized by 47 states and the District of Columbia, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday, celebrated on June 19, marks the anniversary of the announcement of the Union Army’s General Order No. 3 in 1865, which delivered the news of the Emancipation Proclamation to some of the most remote parts of Texas. There, some enslaved people learned of their freedom nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
American Jews are taking a hard look at racism in their midst
The challenge for white American Jews is to understand that they can be both targets of white supremacy and also accomplices. Rabbi Sandra Lawson, right, dances with others during Reconstructing Judaism s 2018 Convention in Philadelphia in Nov. 2018 the year she was ordained. Photo by Jordan Cassway
February 12, 2021
The boards of both synagogues were enthusiastic about hiring her.
But when they presented Lawson to the entire congregation, the membership backed down, acknowledging that while she was obviously qualified, they were not ready for a Black rabbi.
Lawson now wants to make sure other Black rabbis, and Jews of color generally, don’t have the same painful experience.