.Would you welcome a place to learn why some people are talking about reparations for African-Americans? A 5-session class will be held via Zoom this spring, called The Stolen Beam Series.* The series was developed by members of the Reparations Committee of the Jewish Community of Amherst and will be co-facilitated by Rabbi Devorah JACOBSON and Mary FRIEDMAN.
The goal of the series is educational engagement with a narrative of US racial history that is different from what many of us learned in school. The class will focus on the legacy of African enslavement, what was stolen, what may be owed, and historical examples of reparations. The class offers an opportunity, especially for those relatively new to the topic, to study and reflect on writings of prominent thought leaders on reparations for African Americans as a path to restorative justice. Each class offers readings as well as videos or audio recordings. Suggested study questions are included for each class.
This is not a lecture format. We urge all participants to plan on reading and/or viewing all the materials for each session and come prepared for thoughtful discussion. Registration indicates the intent to attend and participate in all five sessions - Please register by February 10!
The class will meet via Zoom. There is no charge for this program. Most reading/video materials will be provided via the internet. Some of the materials may be available at the library.
PLEASE NOTE: This course requires reading, viewing, active participation, and a commitment to attend each session, except for extenuating circumstances. Thank you!
PLEASE REGISTER BY FEBRUARY 10!
*The name "Stolen Beam" is a reference to a Talmudic debate about the right thing to do when we discover that the house in which we live was built with stolen materials, "a stolen beam." One rabbi argues that the entire house must be torn down and the beam returned. Another argues that it makes no sense to destroy the home, yet some form of acknowledgment and compensation is owed to the owners of the beam. We therefore use the metaphor, The Stolen Beam, in recognition of the fact that much of our country was built on stolen land, with stolen lives and stolen labor.