T’ruah stands with the people of Baltimore. As rabbis, cantors, and members of the Jewish community, we weep with the family and friends of Freddie Gray. We support the communities of color in Baltimore and around the country in the struggle for police accountability and an end to the systems that allow police violence to continue. We pray for all of the citizens of Baltimore who fear for their physical safety. We applaud the rabbis and Jewish community members who have been on the street demanding police accountability, caring for the children whose schools are closed, and creating deep partnerships with their neighbors, for all of our benefit.
It is a tragedy and a travesty that we once again must stand up and declare that black lives matter. But it is our Jewish obligation to do so. The Torah’s first message about humanity is that all lives matter, for every single human being is created in the divine image. The biblical insistence that we are all created b’tzelem elohim–in the divine image–teaches that any injury to a human being lessens the divine presence. We stand in solidarity with people of color who are demanding that police and prosecutors view their lives as equally deserving of protection and dignity.
“One who sheds blood is regarded as though he had diminished the image of God.” Midrash Genesis Rabbah 34:14
“One who destroys a single soul is considered as having destroyed an entire world.” Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5
Some today are focusing on the violence and looting carried out by a small number of protesters. We deplore violence, but commit to focusing on the bigger picture: Most residents of Baltimore want what everyone wants: good schools, safe and affordable housing, jobs that pay a living wage, and the assurance that their children will not be killed on the streets for the crime of being black or brown. We stand with the people of Baltimore in insisting that the tragic death of Freddie Gray will not be in vain.
Updates from Jews United For Justice (Baltimore and DC) about their efforts and ways to get involved