2015 RCA resolution condemning racism
The Rabbinical Council of America Challenges Charlottesville Moral Equivalency
An Open Letter to the Charlottesville Jewish Community
Published by RCA at August 22, 2017
A reminder about the 2015 RCA resolution condemning racism. Please share with your communities.
https://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=105832
Oct 30, 2015 — Formally adopted by a direct vote of the RCA membership, the full text of "Torah Proclamation on Racism" states:
1-Whereas the Bible teaches that all humans share one heavenly Father who created us in His Image (cf. Genesis 1:27, 5:1, and Malachi 2:10); and
2-Whereas the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 4:5) teaches that God created Man as one individual human being to promote harmony among people, so that no one can claim that his origins are superior to those of another person; and, that God's Greatness is manifest in the diverse and unique appearances of His creatures; and
3-Whereas the Jewish people began its history as a persecuted, enslaved people, and is repeatedly adjured by God to remember its lowly origins and to be kind to others in similar circumstances; and
4-Whereas the Jewish people has experienced both great acceptance as well as significant discrimination in the United States and, more broadly, has a continuous history as a persecuted minority; and
5-Whereas the centuries-old American problem of white racism against African Americans continues to be a disgraceful, explosive contemporary reality, with both overt and insidious manifestations
Therefore, the Rabbinical Council of America
Reaffirms its absolute condemnation of racist speech and deeds; and Encourages its members to
Protest, in the name of Torah ideals, manifestations of racism in the societies in which they live; and,
Create public events which create, foster, or deepen amity between Jewish and African-American communities; and,
Embrace, proactively and warmly, Jews of all racial backgrounds in their communities; and,
Identify and combat manifestations of racism which may occasionally occur in the communities they lead; and,
Calls upon all people to combat the pernicious scourge of racism in any way they can