Last week, I had a conversation with a dear friend about what it would look like for the Jewish community to show up in support of the Asian community here in America. While in Memphis we haven’t seen overt, violent racist attacks towards the AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) community, for the past year hatred and racism towards their community has skyrocketed. With rhetoric like “Chinese Virus” or “Kung Flu,” dangerous racism seeps into the consciousness of our nation towards those that clearly had no role in this tragic virus. They are victims just the same as the rest of us, yet they bear the judgement and burden of others’ racism.
I struggled with what form that presence would take. I sat on it for a few days, often looking over my notes from that conversation with my friend. But it just wasn’t coming to me. And then I woke up on Wednesday to the horrific news of 8 murders in Atlanta, 6 of the victims Asian. I didn’t feel like we had a choice. Silence cannot be an option when people are killed, families are broken, and communities are attacked. I wrote to the AAPI community this week, but in all honesty, written words aren’t enough.
This Shabbat we begin reading the book of Vayikra (Leviticus), the book which outlines the ways to be holy. Through the various descriptions of sacrifices and the inclusion of the moral and ethical mitzvot, Vayikra implores us to transform our relationships with people, with time, and with space into the realm of holiness. This isn’t just an ancient law to the Biblical Israelites; it is an injunction to each of us to live our lives in a way that elevates people, time, and space. It’s a reminder to us that we can’t just say something is holy, we must carry out some action, just like the sacrifices did, that transform the mundane to the holy.
When we seek to combat the hatred spewed at the AAPI community, our presence matters. Living our lives in a way that demonstrates the holiness in each person is crucial to who we are as Jews. Here’s what it can look like: When you hear people speaking in derogatory ways or posting memes about the AAPI community, tell them it’s simply not OK. It won’t be tolerated. When you encounter people you know of AAPI descent, tell them that what happened was wrong and you stand in solidarity with their community. Ask what you can do to help protect them. When you’re considering eating at a restaurant or buying from a specialty store, consider frequenting those businesses that have suffered tremendously because of this racism.
Too often we as Jews have known this type of pain. And too often we’ve seen the mistakes of other communities not standing up for what’s right. Let’s not make that mistake. Let’s model for others what solidarity can truly look like. We have the power to transform the ugly to the beautiful, the mundane to the holy. Join me in that work.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Sarit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As I write this, an event is being planned for Sunday evening in solidarity with the AAPI community. I hope you’ll consider attending. Information will be updated to this Facebook event.
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