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Dear Friends,

I know you join me in the sense of horror over the murders in Atlanta that left 8 people dead, 6 of whom were of Asian descent.  If you have read about this tragedy, you have also read how this incident reflects an alarming rise against Asian-Americans generally.

According to Stop AAPI Hate, there have been nearly 3800 incidents against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the past year.  As with the rise in acts of anti-Semitism, advocates view President Trump’s remarks linking Asians to the Coronavirus as having fueled these incidents.

To remind us of Eric Ward’s insights that he shared with us just before Rosh Hashanah, we are all affected by and connected through the targeting of specific groups.  To paraphrase our Talmudic tradition, kol Yisrael arevin zeh ba’zeh, we are all bound up with each other.  To that end, I encourage you to visit the website of Stop AAPI Hate to learn about violence against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, see potential action steps and make a contribution.

Finally, I want to encourage us as a Jewish community, as part of our ongoing anti-racism and tikkun olam commitments, to find ways to show our solidarity with people of Asian descent.  I must admit that I am not familiar with local networks or advocacy organizations, which makes me all the more hungry for information that may lead to building new relationships and taking action.

Thank you for your concern and attention.  As we head more deeply into Nisan toward Passover, let us take this opportunity to stand up as allies for dignity and justice.

B’Shalom,

Rabbi Justin David