The Board of TBH is requesting comments from the congregation on the Board of Governors of Reconstructing Judaism’s proposal regarding a resolution of support for reparations. The resolution was developed by the Reconstructionist movements Tikkun Olam committee. The TBH Board has been asked to vote for supporting the resolution or against it.
As per TBH bylaws, our Board is requesting your comments before deciding on TBH support. The TBH Board would appreciate receiving comments from the congregation by December 4th.
The Resolution itself is attached to this email along with the following tips to help your review.
#1 - Start with the final sections labeled “Resolved” and then work your way back to the “Whereas” clauses
· The “Resolved” section (#13-18) is the heart of the resolution and contains the entirety of the commitments we are making together as a movement. At this point, we suggest starting any discussion or study of the resolution with the “Resolved” sections so community members concretely understand from the get-go what they are actually being asked to consider. The “Whereas” sections are important, but we don’t want them to distract from the core commitments the TOC is asking the Plenum to vote on.
#2 - Read the Report on the Reparations Resolution
· The TOC submitted a 16-page report on the reparations resolution to the Reconstructing Judaism Board of Governors and Plenum Steering Committee in July. It contains answers to many of the most frequently asked questions about the origins, process, and intent of the resolution. This is the most helpful place to find all the background information you might need.
#3 - Share Selections of the Reparations Report with those considering the resolution
· We recognize that many folks will be uninterested in reading a 16-page report, in addition to a four-page resolution. Consider sharing the selections that you think will most speak to your community members’ questions and potential concerns.
#4 - Paint the larger picture
· While the Reconstructionist movement is a movement of many “firsts,” the Reform Movement already passed a reparations resolution in 2019. This isn’t even the first Reconstructionist reparations resolution - the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association passed a reparations resolution in 2021.
· The purpose of a resolution is not to set policy, but to establish a moral position that will help guide our collective tikkun olam work together. The resolution does not commit congregations to any specific actions around reparations beyond study and does not require congregations to take energy or resources away from any other important tikkun olam work they are currently engaged in.
#5 - The resolution is a starting point, not a final destination
· The resolution establishes a moral position of support for reparations and commits us as a movement to ongoing study and engagement with the issue. The very nature of the commitments of the resolution acknowledges that this may only be the starting point in a journey of study. We are asking folks to make a collective commitment from wherever they begin without expecting prior expertise on the topic under consideration before voting on the resolution.
#6 - Watch the TOC panel from the Board of Governors meeting on 10/30
· A panel of TOC commissioners spoke to the Board of Governors on 10/30, addressing questions that the board raised in the course of their study of the resolution. The 37-minute recording is a compelling discussion that speaks to the heart of the matters at hand. Consider sharing this with your community as a resource to help inform your congregation’s vote.
#7 - Trust the Process
· The TOC is composed of leaders from all across the Reconstructionist movement, with lay leaders nominated by their congregations and approved by the Plenum and Board of Governors. These are the folks in the movement who are, “vested with responsibility for formulating and vetting positions for the Reconstructionist movement, for consideration by the board of governors and the plenum.”
· The TOC has been working on this resolution for years now and has exhaustively included as many voices as possible from across the movement in developing this position. It has been a commendably Reconstructionist process and nothing short of thorough.
#8- The TOC has heard you and wants to continue to be in conversation
· The TOC is recommending that no further changes be made to the text of the resolution at this point in the process. The TOC carefully read and incorporated feedback from March-October from our congregations and movement leadership into the current form of resolution. That being said, the feedback has been and will continue to be immensely helpful as the TOC turns its attention to the question of how to best support congregations with reparations engagement after the vote and how to help us all grow more adept in this work. Please continue to use the feedback form that has been open all summer so the TOC learn from what is happening in your community.
#9 - A Vote should be a bracha, not a burden
· Democracy is a sacred value of Reconstructionists. We value the voices of all our communities when staking out the evolution of our collective positions. And, we don’t want this to be a burden to your community. If you have the capacity to put some energy towards congregation-wide considering of this vote - wonderful. If not, please make the decision at whatever level of governance with whatever amount of consideration you have the bandwidth for. There will be plenty of opportunities for ongoing learning together in the years to come.
Temple Beth Hatfiloh
201 8th Ave SE
Olympia, WA 98501
