Overview
The Germantown Jewish Centre (GJC) has been the heart of the Jewish community in Northwest Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs for 75 years. A complex, vibrant, 700 member pluralistic and egalitarian synagogue located in Mount Airy, GJC is committed to sustaining and strengthening Jewish life in greater Philadelphia.
Dr. Portia Hunt and her team were invited by GJC to unpack several issues related to the commitment of its congregation around social and restorative justice.
Some members wanted to discuss racism issues through an intellectual/political lens, while others wanted to examine the socio-political context for racism. Through the use of focus groups and the tools of “inner work” and “outer work,” Hunt offered a process for congregants to recognize how racism lives both at the personal and institutional levels in the GJC community.
Ultimately, GJC learned that restorative justice may not be a shared value among all congregants and that the synagogue was not united on the usefulness of deconstructing the effects of white supremacy culture on the Center or on the larger educational community.
Outcomes:
- Initially, congregant participants had a difficult time accepting the idea of their white privilege.
- After meeting in small breakout groups, and working on assignments between sessions related to racism, the participants started to acknowledge how Jews benefit from white supremacy culture, while simultaneously being discriminated against as a minority group.
- This realization motivated them to request further training.
Going Forward
- Overview
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Overview
Since colonial days, Jews were among the earliest residents of historic Germantown. In the 1930s there was a major influx of young professional and business families who were attracted to the suburban beauty of the area. They came mainly from Strawberry Mansion, Wynnefield, and South Philadelphia. Some had synagogue affiliations in their old neighborhoods, but they were far away. Some had drifted away from active religious practices and felt a strong need to return, particularly when their children arrived. They wanted their children to know the rich heritage and traditions of the Jewish faith. However, they wanted more than just a religious institution.The Germantown Jewish Centre (GJC) has been the heart of the Jewish community in Northwest Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs for 75 years. A complex, vibrant, 700 member pluralistic and egalitarian synagogue located in Mount Airy, GJC is committed to sustaining and strengthening Jewish life in greater Philadelphia.
Dr. Portia Hunt and her team were invited by GJC to unpack several issues related to the commitment of its congregation around social and restorative justice.
Some members wanted to discuss racism issues through an intellectual/political lens, while others wanted to examine the socio-political context for racism. Through the use of focus groups and the tools of “inner work” and “outer work,” Hunt offered a process for congregants to recognize how racism lives both at the personal and institutional levels in the GJC community.
Ultimately, GJC learned that restorative justice may not be a shared value among all congregants and that the synagogue was not united on the usefulness of deconstructing the effects of white supremacy culture on the Center or on the larger educational community.
- Outcomes
-
Outcomes:
- Initially, congregant participants had a difficult time accepting the idea of their white privilege.
- After meeting in small breakout groups, and working on assignments between sessions related to racism, the participants started to acknowledge how Jews benefit from white supremacy culture, while simultaneously being discriminated against as a minority group.
- This realization motivated them to request further training.
- Going Forward
-
Going Forward
Leadership is examining its priorities around restorative justice.
