Learn. Discuss. Act.
Racial Justice and Equity
We’re committed to providing guidance, training, and opportunities for discussion on topics of race, power, and privilege.
Many people in the United States remain in a state of substantial pain, turmoil, and fear; particularly our Black, Indigenous, Asian-American, and Latinx friends and colleagues. With increased visibility and attention on racial justice issues in our country, we recognize that some in our community are encountering issues of identity in a new way, while many know and feel the pain of racism, bias, and injustice all too well.
Advocacy work starts at home. You have to correct yourself before you can go out and change the world. The first step for our students was to take a look at what they could do in their own communities.
Rebekah Adelson, Director of Hillel of Greater MetroWest New Jersey
As we continue to move forward with our commitment to racial justice, we must continue learning how best to be allies, to take responsibility for our own learning, to support our staff and students in meaningful and sensitive ways, and ultimately to be a positive force in repairing what’s broken and continuing to break in our world.
Now is the moment for action; standing idly by will not suffice. There’s much work to do. Here are some of the ways we’re making progress to pursue racial equity at Hillel International:
- Committing ourselves to do our part in building an anti-racist Jewish community, and doing so in partnership with Black Jews and Jews of Color within and outside of our Hillel movement
- Providing ongoing educational content, training, and learning for staff, students, and community members on issues of racial justice, implicit bias, power, and privilege
- Developing a multi-year plan for diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism, integrating these into the fabric of our organizational values, practices, and operations
- Creating short- and long-term measurable goals and strategies to combat racism, diversify our leadership, and support diversity across the Hillel movement
- Establishing a Hillel International Board of Directors Task Force to guide our efforts at addressing issues of diversity and racial equity
Resource Library
Learn about the existence and consequences of race, power, and privilege.
Racial Justice ResourcesHillel’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Hillel International believes in the inherent worth and dignity of all people, for as the Jewish tradition teaches us, we are all created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. To that end, Hillel International is committed to pluralistic Jewish life on campus, a diverse workforce, and the values of inclusivity. We appreciate all the identities, experiences, and backgrounds each person brings. We welcome students, professionals, and community members with respect for all abilities, races, ethnicities, socio-economic statuses, gender identities, sexual orientations, and interfaith backgrounds or observances. We are invested in making our gatherings, resources, and workplaces accessible for all and will work together with individuals to meet their needs so that they can experience the richness of Jewish life and community. For support around incidents of identity-related bias or discrimination, or questions around Hillel International’s DEI work, please contact [email protected].