Tzedek / justice is one of CJC’s core values. We are committed to a Judaism rooted in the inherent worth and collective liberation of all people.
We approach tzedek through a movement ecology perspective, whereby different groups and individuals play different roles in the justice ecosystem. While many of our members and our rabbi are involved in direct action, we understand CJC’s primary roles to be:
- Community Care – we show up for each other in ways both spiritual/emotional and material, through various kinds of ritual and mutual aid. We create spaces that help us access joy, find reprieve, and honor our grief. We believe that rest, spiritual nourishment, and a sense of belonging are critical antidotes to activist burnout.
- Culture building and cultural resistance – Our very existence as a community defies narratives of what it means to be Jewish or in Jewish community. We reject a hierarchy that pits Jews above non-Jews or some Jews above other Jews. We believe that our intersectional identities create a rich and vibrant cultural tapestry that is liberatory for the whole community. We affirm that our safety and liberation are intertwined with that of our neighbors; seek safety through solidarity not armed security; and reject the narrative that pits Jewish safety and Palestinian liberation against each other. Our religious practice is non-Zionist, meaning that we do not display any flags on the bimah, never say a prayer for any state or military, and orient our spiritual life toward the natural cycles and people of the place we live.
Different aspects of our justice work are held by different teams:
- The Gatherings Team plans Shabbat and holiday gatherings with these values in mind
- The Community Team facilitates community care and mutual aid
- The Access Team is dedicated to improving the accessibility of CJC gatherings
- The Justice Team facilitates CJC’s role in the wider justice ecosystem of northeast Ohio, and organizes gatherings related to cultural resistance and learning
We have held film screenings (Israelism) and book talks (Safety Through Solidarity, For Times Such As These); have a joint Book Group with Jewish Voice for Peace – Cleveland (JVP-Cle); and co-organize our annual solidarity Mimouna at the end of Pesach with JVP-Cle, InterReligious Task Force (IRTF), and Cleveland Palestine Advocacy Community (CPAC).
Art by Emma Reed