Justice Through Sacred Solidarity
Background
We live in a time of crisis – dehumanization, stark inequality, rampant injustice, and attacks on democracy. For many Jewish Americans, the situation is especially alarming. Carrying the lessons of Jewish history and the teachings of Jewish tradition, they’re attuned to the dangers of authoritarianism, acutely aware that when one group suffers dehumanization and injustice, all people and the foundations of our society are at risk.
The Collaborative for Jewish Organizing, the largest formation of its kind, is a powerful network made up of nine organizations that together organize on the ground in 16 states plus D.C., building community, engaging thousands of volunteer leaders and taking sustained action grounded in Jewish wisdom. Together, these member organizations are in partnership with more than 1,000 multifaith and multiracial organizations.
The Collaborative members and their partners advance social, racial, and economic justice, working toward a just society that honors human dignity and the value of “b’tzelem elohim,” the biblical message that every human is made in the divine image. The Collaborative is a powerful vehicle for strengthening the work of its member organizations, including connecting to multifaith and secular movement-building formations in the United States.
Susan Lubeck, director of the Collaborative, speaks to the Collaborative’s focus on solidarity in these fraught times. “Today we see democracy, free speech, protest, and dissent under attack — sometimes in the very name of ‘fighting antisemitism,’ with antisemitism a pretext for attacks on our people and society. That distortion harms everyone,” she observes.
“Jewish communities and our allies in the broader struggle for justice are working to cut through this confusion and hold fast to a vision of freedom that includes dismantling antisemitism and advancing democracy and justice for us all. Our strength is in solidarity. Every act of injustice calls us deeper into our collective moral responsibility.”
Initiative Overview
The Collaborative’s members’ work consists of three distinct elements. Braided together, these strands reinforce each other to create significant impact:
- Building vibrant Jewish communities that create meaning and belonging and enable people to draw inspiration from Jewish wisdom and Jewish community and show up for justice.
- Winning real policy victories that materially improve the lives of millions of people affected by inequality and oppression.
- Contributing to multiracial ecosystems that build trust, solidarity, and shared purpose — countering antisemitism and other forms of bigotry, holding partners together in times of fracture, and laying the groundwork for lasting policy victories.
The work involves building the structures, relationships, and imagination that can empower organizations to bring spirit-driven sensibilities and moral depth into their justice work. Fundamentally and courageously, it’s connecting heart, history, and strategy in ways that support Jewish Americans to work shoulder to shoulder with partners across differences of race, faith, and background, all committed to the fundamentals of a just society and strong democracy.
Key Components
Networking nine independent organizations collectively connected to more than 1,000 entities to strengthen the work of each, building power and making structural changes to benefit millions of people.
Advancing strategic “Block and Build” initiatives that simultaneously interrupt antidemocratic measures while proactively establishing visionary, equitable policies.
Supporting members’ direct organizing and leadership training, mobilizing tens of thousands in campaigns around immigrant justice, democracy protection, civil rights, and combating antisemitism, racism, and dehumanization.
Sharing insights and guidance for effective resource and strategy development, such as the “Dismantling Antisemitism Messaging Guide,” widely adopted for policy and community advocacy.
Working to combat antisemitism and white supremacy as part of the work toward a true multi-racial democracy.
Impact
“The Exodus teaches us that liberation is possible, and that liberation is a collective act. No one gets free alone. That story continues to shape how we organize — by building power together and staying the course, even when the path forward is uncertain.”
— Susan Lubeck, director of the Collaborative for Jewish Organizing
Strengthened the field of Jewish organizing for justice by raising over $6.5 million in new funding over six years, regranted over $3.5 million, and invested $700,000 more in direct capacity-building, supporting the effectiveness and sustainability of executives and dozens of staff.
A sampling of the results of member organization campaign victories and coalition work:
- Secured paid family and medical leave for 12 million people in Maryland.
- Expanded voting rights in Minnesota to formerly incarcerated citizens.
- Helped win the Massachusetts’ millionaire’s tax, which generates over $1 billion per year, funding education and transit.
- Co-anchored campaign that dramatically increased salaries for childcare workers in Washington, D.C.
Conclusion
How Spirituality Makes This Work Different
The Collaborative for Jewish Organizing embodies the spiritual imperative of justice by building communities where Jewish values animate action towards a society of justice, equity, and belonging for all.
Defining aspects of Jewish wisdom include mutual responsibility, interdependence, the sacredness of each person, and the imperative to work for justice. This wisdom, combined with the oppression that Jewish people have experienced throughout recorded history, informs Jewish understanding of the ways in which democracy forms the basis for human thriving.
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