Stand Against Religious Bias and Bigotry - ICJS (original) (raw)
At ICJS, we believe in equipping everyone with the tools to tackle prejudice in our workplaces, classrooms, friend groups, and families. Conversations with loved ones can be challenging, but they are essential. We are committed to confronting religious prejudice in the U.S. using the resources at our disposal.
One powerful tool at your disposal is your voice. You might wonder how your words can make a difference, but every voice matters. Silence in the face of prejudice is harmful.
Susannah Heschel shared a profound insight from her father, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a revered 20th-century Jewish leader and Holocaust survivor:
Words, my father often wrote, are themselves sacred, God’s tool for creating the universe and our tools for bringing holiness or evil into the world. He used to remind us that the Holocaust did not begin with the building of the crematoria and Hitler did not come to power with tanks and guns. It all began with uttering evil words, with defamation, with language and propaganda. Words create worlds, he used to tell me when I was a child. They must be used very carefully.
Recognize the power of your voice in combating antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias. Your words are powerful; they still create worlds.