I am Clarissa Cohen. Some of you know me as the mother of Miles (the kid drummer on the Shir Hadash davening team) and Ellis (the kid who runs around shul looking for decaf coffee, extra sugar and creamer). Some of you know me as the wife of Blake, the talkative bearded guy who loves when Jews get together and kibbitz about life. And some of you know me as the chair of the Warm & Welcoming Initiative (formerly the DEI Committee, more on that below). I'm writing to update you on the progress our group has made thus far and the work that lies ahead to ensure that HEA is an inviting and inclusive community.
In his Kol Nidre sermon this year, Rabbi Gruenwald spoke about the many different paths that bring people to the Hebrew Educational Alliance, and he reminded us that, as Jews, we bear a responsibility to work for a more just world by confronting hatred of all kinds. Personally, for my family and me, the rise in hate crimes, specifically targeting Asians and Jews, has been deeply distressing. Rabbi Gruenwald's message inspired me to accept the invitation to lead this effort, and I have the privilege of working with an amazing group of smart, thoughtful HEA members who themselves represent a broad swath of our community.
Our working group was tasked with three initial responsibilities accomplished in phases. The first two phases have been completed, and we just began the third phase this week! They are:
- Articulate a statement of values to guide our efforts.
- Learn more about our congregation and the experiences of our members with regard to diversity and inclusion.
- Identify specific areas of opportunity for how we can improve our warm and welcoming culture.
After much work, revision and reflection, I am proud to share the following Warm & Welcoming statement:
The Hebrew Educational Alliance practices the value of b'tzelem elohim, seeing humanity and dignity in all. We honor the unique and layered identities, and experiences each and every individual brings to our community. We endeavor to ensure everyone feels valued, respected and supported on their Jewish journey.
Congregation HEA opens its doors to anyone seeking a spiritual and communal home in an authentic and dynamic Jewish setting. We are a pluralistic and diverse community grounded by our commitment to Conservative Judaism. We are connected to one another and the synagogue through a shared observance of Jewish law and ritual.
We travel many different paths. We are one Alliance.
Guided by this statement, we carried out our second task – a survey of the community to learn more about the experiences of our diverse members. As Maya Angelou said, "You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been." We received over 280 responses. The feedback was illuminating, and I have attached a few of our findings to the end of this letter.
With the survey complete, we have moved to our third task – collaborating with staff and HEA's Board of Directors to examine how HEA can be more inclusive. Based on survey data and much discussion, we have chosen to focus our initial efforts in two areas:
- Serving multicultural households and families that include people who are not Jewish.
- Meeting the needs of people with diverse abilities, including those who are neurodivergent or otherwise need additional resources to access Jewish life.
Over the coming months, the Warm & Welcoming team will examine how HEA can better serve these populations in every area of synagogue operations. Next, we will shift our focus to ensuring the implementation of those action steps and continue to develop recommendations.
Additionally, through our survey and one-on-one conversations we learned that for some people, use of the term "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" (DEI) evokes political rhetoric in the larger culture. I want to emphasize that the Warm & Welcoming Initiative does not represent a change in objective for our congregation. This initiative is not about dividing our congregation into disparate groups based on identity. Rather, this initiative is about continuing the long HEA tradition of striving to provide warm, engaging and nurturing Jewish communal experiences for all people seeking a spiritual home in our authentic and dynamic Conservative Jewish congregation.
As we delve into details of organizational policy, I don't want to lose sight of the power of small actions by individuals in sustaining a warm and welcoming environment. In that vein, I invite you to come sit next to me and my family next time you are at HEA. Thank you for reading our update and if you feel moved to participate in this initiative, please reach out to me. I welcome your ideas and questions wholeheartedly!
Shabbat Shalom,
Clarissa Cohen
Warm & Welcoming Initiative Chair
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Here are just a few interesting findings from our survey:
- 9% of respondents identify as a person with a disability and nearly 11% have a member of their households besides themselves that identifies as a person with a disability.
- 8% of respondents identify as neurodivergent, and 24% have a family member, besides themselves that identifies as neurodivergent.
- Of married/partnered respondents, 9% have partners/spouses that are Jewish by conversion, and 8% have partners/spouses that are not Jewish.
- 9% of respondents were born outside the United States, and 26% are the children of immigrants.
- 5% of respondents identify as gay, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, or queer and over 11% have a member of their household besides themselves that identifies as LGBTQ.
- HEA's members have diverse Hebrew skills, and a lack of Hebrew proficiency has been a barrier to congregational engagement for many respondents.
- Some of the areas in which HEA received the least favorable inclusivity ratings from survey respondents related to welcoming multicultural/multifaith families, welcoming people who are neurodivergent, welcoming people who do not speak English as their first language, and welcoming people of all income levels.
- Some HEA families feel that they have been treated unfairly in congregational life based on their political views, religious practices, or religious background.
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