The Open Door Committee has just released brochures outlining our Friday Night and Saturday Morning services to help newcomers and visitors understand our traditions and religious ceremonies. You can find the brochures in the book holders at your seat.  This is another way to make guests feel welcome and comfortable during our worship services.

August 26, 1971: Establishment of Women’s Equality Day

At the behest of Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY), in 1971 and passed in 1973, the U.S.
Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.” The date was selected to
commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution,
granting women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a massive, peaceful civil
rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first
women’s rights convention, in Seneca Falls, New York. The observance of Women’s
Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality. Workplaces, libraries, organizations, and public facilities now participate with Women’s Equality Day
programs, displays, video showings, or other activities.

August 18, 1920: Ratification of the 19th Amendment

On this day, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified,
granting women the right to vote. This monumental achievement was the culmination of
decades of activism and advocacy by suffragists who fought tirelessly for women's
rights. The ratification of the 19th Amendment marked a significant victory in the
struggle for gender equality, paving the way for women to participate fully in the
democratic process.

For further information check out https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/

Established in 2009 JDAIM is observed each February by Jewish communities worldwide. The mission of JDAIM is to raise awareness of Jews with disabilities and those who love them to be included in all aspects of Jewish religious and community life. Our tradition teaches us about our obligation to ensure equal access and help facilitate each individual's own Jewish journey. The road to disability inclusion is to listen and respond to the needs that we hear. February is when we direct attention to understanding, to listening and to learning together about how we as a Jewish community can actively engage in education around disability that we can then put into practice in our daily community life.

At BIC we have started on this journey with the various supports and programming that we offer to encourage the inclusion and participation of all of our members. The Open Door/Diversity & Inclusion committee is planning on encouraging this journey during the coming year with events that will keep us focused on ensuring an open, inclusive and welcoming community for all.

To find out more about JDAIM and Jewish values and disability rights you can go to https://www.respectability.org/JDAIM/

https://rac.org 

https://stage.uscj.org/leadership/ruderman-inclusion-action-community#resources

https://disabilitiesinclusion.org/

Established in 2009 JDAIM is observed each February by Jewish communities worldwide. The mission of JDAIM is to raise awareness of Jews with disabilities and those who love them to be included in all aspects of Jewish religious and community life. Our tradition teaches us about our obligation to ensure equal access and help facilitate each individual's own Jewish journey. The road to disability inclusion is to listen and respond to the needs that we hear. February is when we direct attention to understanding, to listening and to learning together about how we as a Jewish community can actively engage in education around disability that we can then put into practice in our daily community life.

At BIC we have started on this journey with the various supports and programming that we offer to encourage the inclusion and participation of all of our members. The Open Door/Diversity & Inclusion committee is planning on encouraging this journey during the coming year with events that will keep us focused on ensuring an open, inclusive and welcoming community for all. To find out more about JDAIM and Jewish values and disability rights you can go to

https://www.respectability.org/JDAIM/

https://rac.org

https://stage.uscj.org/leadership/ruderman-inclusion-action-community#resources

https://disabilitiesinclusion.org/

Trans Day of Remembrance

World Transgender Remembrance Day is celebrated each year on November 20.  It is a time set aside to remember and memorialize those trans people who have lost their lives to hatred and violence.  As diversity and inclusion in Judaism continues to grow, here are some sites that can offer information and support from a Jewish perspective.

Trans-Generations: Supporting Grandparents of Trans and Gender-Expansive Youth

Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Individuals Archives - Keshet

Made in God's Image: Gender Diversity and Our Communal Role - Keshet

Torah Queeries Archives - Keshet

Allyship As Teshuvah - Keshet

Counting My Genders: A Neo-kabbalistic view of the Omer (Counting the Omer) - Keshet

Gender in Jewish Law and Thought - Keshet

https://www.keshetonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/TDOR-guide-2013-revised-2019.pdf

How to Get Someone's New Name and/or Pronouns Right, Every Time, Sooner than you Think - Keshet

LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH IS HERE!

June marks the start of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a celebration of those who identify as Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer. Pride Month is celebrated in June because that was the month of the Stonewall Uprising in New York in 1969.

Click here for more information on local events in and around Wilmington

Click here for more information on how you can get involved, support and take action.

April is Diversity Month

Did you know April is Diversity Month? Established in 2004, it's designated as a time to help diverse people gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other.  Take time this month to gain a greater appreciation for the diversity that surrounds you.  Our planet is filled with a rainbow of races, spectrum, religions and orientations. It doesn't matter if you don't understand them all or even know they exist.  We are all in this together, and our ignorance of other's beliefs is no excuse for intolerance in any form. As we enter April, take the time to INVOLVE yourself and others in learning about cultures, language and peoples that are not part of your daily life so that we all gain a better understanding of our global family.  There are endless possibilities of how you can do this, but here are a few suggestions: 

• Invite friends and family over for a potluck meal where participants bring in dishes that represent their ethnicity or their favorite ethnics foods.
• Create a craft with your children that represents difference cultures.
• Embark on learning a new language.
• Explore different cultures through art forms, poetry, music, crafts, traditional costumes, language, etc.
• Rent movies that deal with diverse topics and people's experiences. 

Open Door Project Holds First Educational Awareness Event (March 23, 2023)

The Open Door/Diversity Committee held a get-to-know you luncheon on 3/26/23 with a video presentation of Rabbi Lauren Tuchman delivering a talk entitled "We Were All At Sinai: The Power of Inclusive Torah". Rabbi Tuchman is the only blind, ordained Conservative Rabbi in the United States.

She shared her interpretation of how Jews are mandated by Torah to be inclusive of others, with or without disabilities, as all Jews received Torah at Mt. Sinai, regardless of their physical situation. It was a powerful message about the "othering" we may do to people who are different from us and a reminder to see them as part of the "us" in our BIC community. There was a lively discussion of Rabbi Tuchman's message and how this applies to our congregation.

The Committee thanks all who attended and showed their generous support of our efforts. We hope to be able to hold more programming that brings members together to learn and talk about the issues of diversity and inclusion to ensure that we continue to grow our community and contribute to ensuring a strong Conservative Judaism movement for the future.

March is our Month Ladies

Women’s History Month (March 1-31, 2023) is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987. Here are links to articles on two Jewish women who have made history. Read about them and "kvell"!
Judith Heumann, founder of Disability Rights Movement
Lily Brasch, Modern Orthodox Jew & Model, with Muscular Dystrophy

Black History Month: Black Jews You Should Know

February is Black History Month. The Jewish community has had a long history of interactions with Black Americans and important contributions to the advancement of civil rights in America. This month, let's focus on Jewish members of the Black community in this country who have made significant contributions to that history. Check them out at Black Jews You Should Know.

February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month (JDAIM)

Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) is a unified effort among Jewish organizations and communities worldwide to raise awareness and foster inclusion of people with disabilities and those who love them. JDAIM is a call to action to each one of us in accordance with our Jewish values, honoring the gifts and strengths that we each possess. Established in 2009 by the Jewish Special Education International Consortium, JDAIM is observed each February. For more info check out
https://jewishlearningventure.org/what-we-do/whole-community-inclusion/jewish-disability-awareness-inclusion-month/

The December Dilemma: Hanukkah and Christmas

Thanksgiving is the gateway to another time for celebration... the December Holiday Season! The Open Door Project knows that for interfaith families this can be a difficult time to navigate and so we are suggesting three live webinar events in December that might be helpful. They are sponsored by 18Doors.Org and feature speakers and a chance to talk with other Jewish and non Jewish folks to hear about their experiences and gain some helpful advice. Each live Q&A event is moderated and targeted to a particular group: Grandparents, Parents and Couples. Dates are December 6, 7 and 8; attendance is free but registration is required. Check it out at https://18doors.org/18doors-events/

The holidays are coming and for interfaith/multicultural families this can be an exciting and troublesome time all at once. The Open Door Project at Bnai Israel wants everyone to know that there are resources available to help you learn about and understand the Hanukkah religious, cultural and food traditions, that explain the history and meaning of the holiday, and that provide good advice and suggestions to help your unique family celebrate the season with good will -- and good food food too! Check out the links below.
Guide to Hanukkah
The Guide: Hanukkah, Christmas and your Interfaith Family
Hanukkah & Christmas

What to do in December: The Grandparents Edition

Grandparents Network   Monday, November 28 2022  8:00 PM

The Open Doors Project at Bnai Israel is all about encouraging inclusion and diversity and supporting our community members. One such area concerns those grandparents among us who are faced with some unique situations when interacting with their grandchildren who are being raised in families where one parent is not Jewish, especially at holiday times. 18Doors.org is an organization that works to provide information, resources and support for interfaith couples, families and relatives about the many unique situations that can exist when dealing with different faith and cultural backgrounds in a family setting. The group has created a dedicated Grandparents Network section with its own email sign up page and schedules regular events where grandparents of interfaith families can exchange stories and experiences (go to https://18doors.org and find the Grandparents section). Right now they are featuring Hanukkah/Christmas suggestions on baking and cooking with kids during the holiday, as well as information on other holiday focused activities. There is also an upcoming Virtual Meetup scheduled for Monday, 11/28 at 8pm, where you'll get to meet grandparents of interfaith families, hear stories from others and have the opportunity to share your own experiences. The event is free but you must register at https://18doors.org/national-2022-11-grandparents-of-interfaith-families-virtual-meetup/.

 

Trans Awareness Week  November 13 - 20, 2022

Trans Awareness Week (11/13 thru 11/20) is a time to honor those transgender people who have lost their lives to acts of transgender violence during the past year and to advocate for a world in which trans people are no longer targets for hate. Trans Awareness Week leads into Trans Day of Remembrance which was initially founded by Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman that was murdered in 1998. Trans Day of Remembrance this year was marked on Sunday 11/20. It has become a world wide observance with vigils held in many countries and cities throughout the United States.
The Human Rights Campaign, a non profit advocacy group, estimates that there are more than 2 million transgender people across the United States, representing a diverse community of all racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. A 2021 Gallup Poll reported that as many as 50% of Americans under the age of 30 say they know someone who is trans, either in their community or family. As more and more transgender folks disclose their identities publicly, the pace of anti transgender violence, misinformation and legal challenges has increased.
It is important for people to become educated and aware of the facts surrounding the transgender community. Resources from such sources as Keshet, an organization founded for LGBTQ equality in Jewish life, can provide this information, especially for families and individuals who may be dealing with this issue in real time in their lives.

https://www.keshetonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Anti-trans-misconceptions-v4.pdf

Another source of information and resources can be found at https://www.hrc.org/resources/trans-awareness-week which is sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign. This site provides information on misconceptions and facts about transgender people, who they are and who they are not, to help combat the discrimination and violence that is directed at this community.
Transgender people are a part of the diverse community in which we all live and they deserve the respect that we should show to all people, no matter their background.

The Jewish High Holidays

Need a little help understanding why we do what we do during the Jewish High Holy Days?

The Bnai Israel Open Door/Diversity Committee wants you to be prepared with information about this time of Awe and Remembrance. This is such an important part of Jewish yearly religious life and many of us can be a little short on facts or unaware of why we do what we do. For those with family members of different faith backgrounds, this can also be a confusing time, trying to explain centuries old religious and cultural activities and events to folks without Jewish backgrounds. The Open Door Committee is offering you the following websites to check out, to give you information and ideas on how to celebrate the High Holidays in addition to our beautiful synagogue services at Bnai Israel!

The Meaning of Rosh Hashana

Yom Kippur Cheat Sheet

For grandparents and parents, check out Unlocking High Holy Days with Kids Cheat Sheet

L'Shana Tova from all of us to all of you.

B'rukhim Haba'm: Stories of Welcome Exhibit

Open Door Project: An exhibit on the power of a "welcome" BIC's Open Door Project is dedicated to supporting the welcoming traditions of our synagogue and wants you to know about a new multi media exhibit at The City of Raleigh Museum entitled B'rukhim Haba'm: Stories of Welcome. The phrase is Hebrew fro blessed are those who come, or simply welcome. It features the "stories" of 20 local Raleigh Jews, ages 65 and up, who talk about how they felt welcomed or welcomed someone else. The story tellers include local natives and immigrants from as far away as Russia. The exhibit runs through August 31. For more information, go to www.visitraleigh.com and click on events.

"Defending LGBTQ+ Rights"

Wednesday, June 29, 2022   Zoom Meeting

Zoom Meeting Click here to register

The Open Doors Project wants to give a shout out "yasher koach!!" to everyone who participated in the WONDERFUL Pride Shabbat BIC shared with Temple Of Israel on June 17th. Folks from both congregations gathered at the Reibman Center for a moving service co-officiated by both Rabbis. June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month to honor the contributions of LGBTQ+ folks and highlight efforts to support equal justice and opportunity. The ODP committee was formed to support diversity and inclusion in our BIC community and the beautiful service was just one of the ways our congregation supports these goals. Keshetonline.org, which supports LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life, is sponsoring a zoom meeting on June 29 "Defending LGBTQ+ Rights" to discuss legislation being passed in the US, the importance of a Jewish response, and how to take action in response. Check it out on  Defending LGBTQ+ Rights across the Country - Keshet (keshetonline.org)

Juneteenth 5782 & Racial Justice through a Jewish Lens

Juneteenth, the new Federal holiday, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The holiday celebrates June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers brought word of slavery’s end to Galveston, Texas, freeing the last enslaved people after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The new Racial Justice Specialist at United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), Gulienne Rollins-Rishon, has written a very interesting article on Juneteenth and racial justice through a Conservative Jewish lens which is featured on the Exploring Judaism website.

Rollins-Rishon is a biracial Ashkenazi and Black American speaker, facilitator and writer. As the granddaughter of German Holocaust survivors and Southern Black Americans, Gulienne uses her own identity to encourage others to explore their relationship with race, religion and culture. In addition to her duties at USCJ, Rollins-Rishon is also Social Justice Project Manager at Rabbinical Assembly and the founder of her own consulting firm specializing in fostering racial dialogue at diverse organizations.

Click here to check out the information about the new Racial Justice Specialist and the resources offered.

You Want To Do WHAT At My Funeral?

Tuesday, May 24, 2022   12:30PM  ET

Join My Jewish Learning for a unique Zoom presentation on Tuesday, May 24 at 12:30PM ET.   "You Want to Do WHAT at my Funeral?" presents Jewish perspectives on end of life planning for families of all faiths. The discussion is aimed at helping families navigate the tricky waters of funeral planning when not everyone is Jewish. Whether you're helping someone through end of life decisions, or you are curious about how families handles these issues, the panel of experts across Jewish denominations will provide you with information that can help.

Go to www.myjewishlearning.com to find out more and register for the May 24th event.