We, the undersigned members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, are deeply troubled by the rising antisemitism in our country and in our community.
Jews have faced, endured and suffered from antisemitism for over two thousand years, based in part on the desire of some Christians to marginalize Judaism, and manipulated in modern times by political movements of every sort in order to divide people from one another and to gain followers or advantage. It consists of several different stereotypes, generalizations, and stories about Jews, including malicious conspiracy theories that have been used and re-used at different times in history.
Antisemitism is part of the machinery of division and fear used by some politicians and by those who seek to create a country that is only for themselves or others like them, as we witnessed in our town in 2017. But whether they manufacture fear based on our religion, our skin color, our culture, or how long we’ve been here in this country, their goal is to keep us from working together to win the unified common humanity we all need to thrive.
The Charlottesville Clergy Collective is an interfaith community of prayer, solidarity and impact that seeks to establish and promote justice and equity in the Charlottesville/Albemarle region. We are aware that anti-Semitic speech and ideas can quickly lead to anti-Semitic violence. We invite people in our community to look inward at our own implicit and explicit biases against Jews and Judaism and to learn how antisemitic tropes are expressed and circulated in our communities. In order to resist and speak out against this hate, we must speak up for the respect and dignity for our Jewish sisters and brothers.
For those who want to learn more, we refer you to the following:
https://truah.org/antisemitism
https://files.integrityfirstforamerica.org/14228/1611248500-832-1-expert-report-of-d-lipstadt.pdf
Signed:
Apostle Sarah A. Kelley - Faith, Hope and Love Int’l Healing and Deliverance Center
B. Cass Bailey - Trinity Episcopal Church
Carol Sims - Trinity Episcopal Church
Cynthia Power - Charlottesville Friends Meeting
Derrick Stone - Bahá'ís of Albemarle County
Dr. David K. Garth - Retired Presbyterian Minister
Gary Hatter - Meadows Presbyterian Church
Karen Lewis Foley - Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Karen Mann - Sojourners UCC
Laura DeVault - Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Michael Cheuk - Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Mildred Best - Mount Zion First African Baptist Church
Pam Marraccini - Cloud Floating Free Sangha
Pastor Brenda Brown-Grooms - New Beginnings Christian Community
Rabia Povich - Charlottesville Inayatiyya Community
Rev. Alex Joyner - First United Methodist & Hinton Ave. United Methodist
Rev. Carol C. Sims - Trinity Episcopal Church
Rev. Don Lansky - Unity of Charlottesville
Rev. Dorothy Piatt-Esguerra - Westminster Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. Alvin Edwards - Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Emrey - New Beginnings Christian Community
Rev. Ellen Longmoore - Universalist Unitarian Association
Rev. Eugene T. Locke, D.Min. - Westminster Presbyterian Church
Rev. Hillary West - Episcopal Church
Rev. Liz Hulme Adam - Tabor Presbyterian Church
Rev. Sandra Wisco - Lutheran, ELCA
Rev. Seth Lovell - Olivet Presbyterian Church
Rev. Tim Temerson - Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Richard Lord - Activists’ Guide
Sharon Beckman-Brindley - Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Susan Kaufman - Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Susan Steinberg - Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Will Brown - Baptist
Adam Slate - Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Gayle Jessup White - Non-affiliated
Jews have faced, endured and suffered from antisemitism for over two thousand years, based in part on the desire of some Christians to marginalize Judaism, and manipulated in modern times by political movements of every sort in order to divide people from one another and to gain followers or advantage. It consists of several different stereotypes, generalizations, and stories about Jews, including malicious conspiracy theories that have been used and re-used at different times in history.
Antisemitism is part of the machinery of division and fear used by some politicians and by those who seek to create a country that is only for themselves or others like them, as we witnessed in our town in 2017. But whether they manufacture fear based on our religion, our skin color, our culture, or how long we’ve been here in this country, their goal is to keep us from working together to win the unified common humanity we all need to thrive.
The Charlottesville Clergy Collective is an interfaith community of prayer, solidarity and impact that seeks to establish and promote justice and equity in the Charlottesville/Albemarle region. We are aware that anti-Semitic speech and ideas can quickly lead to anti-Semitic violence. We invite people in our community to look inward at our own implicit and explicit biases against Jews and Judaism and to learn how antisemitic tropes are expressed and circulated in our communities. In order to resist and speak out against this hate, we must speak up for the respect and dignity for our Jewish sisters and brothers.
For those who want to learn more, we refer you to the following:
https://truah.org/antisemitism
https://files.integrityfirstforamerica.org/14228/1611248500-832-1-expert-report-of-d-lipstadt.pdf
Signed:
Apostle Sarah A. Kelley - Faith, Hope and Love Int’l Healing and Deliverance Center
B. Cass Bailey - Trinity Episcopal Church
Carol Sims - Trinity Episcopal Church
Cynthia Power - Charlottesville Friends Meeting
Derrick Stone - Bahá'ís of Albemarle County
Dr. David K. Garth - Retired Presbyterian Minister
Gary Hatter - Meadows Presbyterian Church
Karen Lewis Foley - Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Karen Mann - Sojourners UCC
Laura DeVault - Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Michael Cheuk - Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Mildred Best - Mount Zion First African Baptist Church
Pam Marraccini - Cloud Floating Free Sangha
Pastor Brenda Brown-Grooms - New Beginnings Christian Community
Rabia Povich - Charlottesville Inayatiyya Community
Rev. Alex Joyner - First United Methodist & Hinton Ave. United Methodist
Rev. Carol C. Sims - Trinity Episcopal Church
Rev. Don Lansky - Unity of Charlottesville
Rev. Dorothy Piatt-Esguerra - Westminster Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. Alvin Edwards - Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Emrey - New Beginnings Christian Community
Rev. Ellen Longmoore - Universalist Unitarian Association
Rev. Eugene T. Locke, D.Min. - Westminster Presbyterian Church
Rev. Hillary West - Episcopal Church
Rev. Liz Hulme Adam - Tabor Presbyterian Church
Rev. Sandra Wisco - Lutheran, ELCA
Rev. Seth Lovell - Olivet Presbyterian Church
Rev. Tim Temerson - Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Richard Lord - Activists’ Guide
Sharon Beckman-Brindley - Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Susan Kaufman - Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Susan Steinberg - Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Will Brown - Baptist
Adam Slate - Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Gayle Jessup White - Non-affiliated
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