unBIASed message
Dear Friends,
Like many of you, I read with great interest Rabbi Barras’s column in the August Commentator. I was excited to know that he was involved in convening a summit in Atlanta with Rabbis and Black pastors from major cities around the country. The goal, as Rabbi Barras wrote, was “to get to know each other and the issues that confront both (our) communities.” Toward this goal, Rabbi emphasized his hope that the summit would lead to comfort in sitting with one another at the same table in fellowship and partnership. This is the best way to face and work toward ending antisemitism.
I was particularly excited because unBIASed has been working quietly toward the very same goals for the past few years. We have formed partnerships and enjoyed fellowship with many different churches and places of worship. As I have written previously in this column, these partnerships result from quiet, ongoing work to get to know ourselves and our neighbors in this diverse Miami-Dade community. Indeed, we have sat together at tables with those who pray differently from us and may have different backgrounds and customs, shared our food and stories, and sampled their traditional dishes.
In fact, we will be continuing this important work as we move into fall, winter, and spring. Our third annual Breaking Bread Breaking Bias interfaith service and community potluck welcomed 250 people last year, and we are planning the fourth annual gathering for this year. Our MLK Shabbat is planned for January. Our ongoing small group dialogues with diverse members of our community will continue throughout the year, and we are excited to plan our first multi-faith freedom Seder for April. We do these projects to educate ourselves, learn from others, and build allies and friends.
L’shalom,
Joanne Harvest Koren
Chair, unBIASed