“Serving all People” is More Than Just a Tagline
When you see the JFS logo, there is usually a small amount of text underneath. Not a lot, just a few words. But those few words describe JFS perfectly.
The first short sentence is “Based on Jewish Values.” Jewish values are the foundation of our work. We are always guided by chesed (kindness), tzedakah (justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world). The second sentence is “Serving all people.” This means everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, religion, national origin, gender, disability or sexual identification or orientation.
For nearly 110 years, we have been serving anyone who needs our help. When the agency began, we helped Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Europe. Today, we support our community by providing an array of human services to help people age in place, provide spiritual comfort, support caregivers, address mental health issues, avert crisis and steady their lives.
We have watched our community endure enormous sadness these past two weeks. In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, we grieve with our community. But through our sorrow, we also see the outpouring of love and commitment to change not just here, but around the world.
As an organization that welcomes and serves all people, we believe in the intrinsic value and beauty of every human being. For nearly 110 years, we have committed our organization to helping ALL people build on their strengths to gain the skills and confidence they need to meet life’s challenges with dignity.
We will continue to help through our mental health services, our advocacy of vulnerable populations and our culture of respecting and valuing all people. We will also help by supporting the work of our community partners, TCJewFolk and JCRC.
The TCJewFolk website has an entire section devoted to anti-racist resources for Jews.. Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) supports the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus (POCI) Caucus Package that includes police and criminal justice reform. Click here to read the article that includes the legislation included in the package. The article also contains volunteer and fundraising opportunities to help rebuilding efforts and expose structural racism.
Through love, respect and determination, we will find new ways of cultivating equality and justice in the world.