• Jewish Life
  • Building Partnerships for Social Justice

In August 2016, the Black Lives Matter movement called for divestment from Israel and referred to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as genocide. This caused a backlash in the Jewish community. Some organizations disavowed Black Lives Matter. Others continued to support the movement’s goals but expressed sadness and frustration about such distorted criticism. For many Jews of Color, this schism was particularly painful. Visions, Inc. a national diversity and inclusion organization that provides training to non-profits, was asked to facilitate a conversation between Black Lives Matter and Jewish community representatives. This grant helped offset the costs of one such meeting and conversation in New York.