For the past 31 years a bill has annually been introduced to congress calling for a study of slavery and its lingering effects as well as recommendations for appropriate remedies. That bill, H.R. 40, has never made it to the House floor for discussion. In this class, we will employ a Reconstructionist approach to explore classical Jewish texts to see what a Jewish case for reparations might look like, and what our role as American Jews can be in the struggle for racial justice at this unprecedented moment in American history. 

Congregations Ner Shalom And Or Zarua are proud to co-sponsor Rabbi Micah Weiss.

Rabbi Micah Geurin Weiss is the Assistant Director of Thriving Communities and Tikkun Olam Specialist at Reconstructing Judaism in Philadelphia. In his professional role, Rabbi Micah works to support the day in and day out needs of synagogues in the Reconstructionist movement, specializing in congregation-based social justice work.  He is most passionate about supporting racial justice work in the Jewish community and beyond. Micah holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University in Religious Studies and African American studies and was a fellow at Yeshivat Hadar for two years. Rabbi Micah chairs both the Tikkun Olam Committee and the Jews of Color and Allies Advisory Group for the movement.

Suggested Reading:

1.           "Slavery and its Atonement: On the Impact of Slavery and the White Jewish Obligations to Respond," by Rabbi Toba Spitzer:

              http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/slavery-and-its-atonement

 2.           "The  Case for Reparations," By Ta-Nehisi Coates

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/

 3. "The Torah Case for Reparations: A Jewish View," By Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/torahcaseforreparations