Keshet Statement on the Murders of George Floyd and Tony McDade

May 30, 2020

By Keshet

 

We are outraged and heartbroken by the recent murders of George Floyd and Tony McDade. Their deaths, at the hands of police officers, are the latest tragedies in the long history of brutal oppression of Black people in the United States.

For the past two days, the Jewish community observed Shavuot, a holiday rooted in learning and action that commemorates when the Jewish people were given the Torah. The Talmud teaches that anyone who destroys one life has destroyed an entire universe. The systemic racism that allows Black people to be murdered with impunity is destroying our world.

As we work to advance equality and justice for LGBTQ Jews, we take seriously the need to build a world in which people of all races and ethnicities can live in safety; a world in which the bodies of Black, Brown, Trans, and Queer people are treated with dignity and respect. Keshet  stands in solidarity with Black leaders – in the Keshet community and beyond – whose wisdom and insights are instrumental to building a just and equitable future. We vow to voice our outrage and demand justice. #BlackLivesMatter