TTTI book discussion part of ongoing racial justice initiative | Local News

As part of The Temple-Tifereth Israel’s racial justice initiative, the temple will host a free virtual book discussion on “Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race” by Derald Wing Sue on April 20.

“Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence” touches on the myths about talking about race using evidence, easy-to-understand examples and practical tools, which is one of the main reasons TTTI chose this book as one of its discussion subjects, racial justice task force chair Irwin Lowenstein told the Cleveland Jewish News.

“We found that these are really difficult materials and topics,” he said. “This particular book is about having difficult conversations about race. That is what attracted us to it, and that is what we’re doing. These are tough issues and it’s hard for a predominantly white congregation to have a conversation about race.”

To facilitate these conversations, Lowenstein said they have persons of color participate in the discussions.

“We want to continue to learn,” he said. “We’re a work in progress, and we want to continue the conversation. This seemed like the perfect book to read and discuss in that vein.”

The racial justice task force has facilitated several book discussions, already reading 12 to 15 books as a group. The task force is made up of 18 members of the congregation, with the clergy team engaging in the programming and discussion. Lowenstein said TTTI Rabbi Jonathan Cohen made racial justice a priority of his when he joined the congregation in 2019, but those interests became “more urgent” during the racial justice movement in the summer of 2020.

That’s when the racial justice task force really came together, Lowenstein said, adding that learning happens in four different areas for the group: general learning, which includes the book discussions, film screenings, panels and lectures; advocacy, which focuses on policy issues that are related to structural racism; reciprocal relationships with other organizations; and action, like hosting events where the whole congregation can be included.

Cohen told the CJN that a focus on racial justice goes back three generations at TTTI, including efforts led by Rabbis Abba Hillel Silver, Daniel Jeremy Silver and Moses Gries.

“So, the commitment to racial justice goes back approximately three generations,” he said. “Historically, we have a legacy and tradition to uphold here at the Temple. What we’re doing, in certain ways, is not new.”

Cohen said the issues of justice and Judaism are tied and anchored together “very deeply,” saying he “could not imagine our practice of Judaism without reference to racial justice.”

“This work also represents hope – hope that things can get better and improve,” he said. “That our world can be repaired, redeemed. That we can make a difference in our personal relationships and our understanding of our roles within society. Our engagement with racial justice is not just one that relates to history and legacy, or one part-and-parcel with our Judaism, but an engagement that is deeply and profoundly hopeful and forward-looking.”

Lowenstein said he hopes participants learn more about race and racism, and to be able to talk more empathetically and honestly about race.

“But, overall, our goal is for our congregation to become like others in the Reform movement – congregations that endeavor to become anti-racist as opposed to just non-racist,” he said. “These are the kinds of things we need to learn to become an anti-racist congregation.”