As Jewish leaders, every conversation we have these days relies on ‘both/and’ thinking — elu v’elu , meaning that multiple, conflicting stories can be true at the same time. We all need to practice elu v’elu even — especially — when it might feel challenging or impossible to see beyond our pain. Practicing elu v’elu was hard before October 7th. Now it can sometimes feel impossible, leading some Jews to wonder: What is my role within equity work? To deepen our thinking, Leili talked to Jewish leaders of Color who live and breathe this work: Jackie Baldwin, Director of Anti Racism and Equity , Jewish Council on Urban Affairs ; kristen kendrick, VP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Racial Justice, American Jewish World Service ; and Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Director of Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Reconstructing Judaism . We talked through equal parts tears and laughter and sometimes both at once. In a time of intense polarization, when we are often faced with...
