In recent weeks, more than a few community members have asked whether the Welcoming and Inclusion Initiative would remain at Federation, essentially implying that certain colleagues might be out of a job due to the recent Executive Order eliminating diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI) mandates and programs at the federal level.
While much has changed in our federal government in the past two months, Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ is as committed as ever to the work of our Welcoming and Inclusion Initiative or that of Greater MetroWest ABLE (Access, Belonging, and Life Enrichment for People with Disabilities and their Families).
The work of Inclusion and Belonging at Federation is and has always been about the people of this community. Our goal is to create opportunities for every member of our community to meaningfully engage with Jewish life, in whatever way works for them.
Our work is about celebrating the diversity of Jewish life here in GMW through our initiatives, but it goes beyond that. It is about creating a space where people feel they belong, and they can access all aspects of the community. Communities of inclusion and belonging recognize that everyone has something to contribute, honoring and valuing their differences.
We recently observed Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month (JDAIM), formally acknowledging what makes us different, while embracing those things and pushing people to see every individual as a valued member of our community. We recognize that this is a reciprocal relationship in which each person can gain from and give back to community, whether through our synagogues, schools, partner agencies, summer camps, and elsewhere—reinforcing our values in Jewish life. Learn more about opportunities available for individuals with disabilities and their families on our Greater MetroWest ABLE page or our Greater MetroWest ABLE Facebook page.
We are looking forward to elevating and celebrating our Jewish LGBTQ+ community in June as part of the larger national LGBTQ+ Pride month. Throughout the month, we’ll be out and about at Pride celebrations and Pride Shabbat programs. We recently celebrated a year of work with a Keshet Shivyon Cohort program, supporting 10 partner agencies and synagogues as they worked to increase LGBTQ+ inclusion in their own spaces. We are currently connecting a cohort of Jewish grandparents who are committed to supporting their interfaith/mixed heritage families. Our interfaith webpage is full of PJ Library books, websites, and other resources highlighting and elevating interfaith and mixed heritage families in our community.
If you haven’t checked out our resources recently, take a look. We’ve got experts on our professional staff who can point you in the right direction when you’re seeking summer camps, day schools, synagogues, and more, all with an eye toward your individual needs. Because each person is unique, we want to ensure that our diversity shines through and that we’re able to share resources that fit each community member.
DEI isn’t a “buzzword” in Greater MetroWest. We celebrate diversity, want people to feel equal to one another, and look to increase inclusion and accessibility in all of our spaces. These are the values that we strive to live by each and every day.