Building black and JewishBeloved Community

A Partnership in Economic Opportunity

Action

The Nehemiah Initiative

A Partnership in Economic Opportunity

Action

The Nehemiah Initiative

Black leaders have identified housing discrimination as a key source of the wealth gap between Blacks and Whites in America.

Economic equality means reversing the impact of that discrimination. Over the past 40 years, gentrification has reduced the Black population in Seattle’s Central District from 85% to 15%. The Nehemiah Initiative is a collaboration between Black churches in the CD and the University of Washington School of Architecture. It aims to stabilize the Black population in the CD through the creation of affordable housing and opportunities for home ownership. Through its connection with BJBBC, The Nehemiah Initiative is seeking the support and partnership of the Jewish community in this venture.

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Participating in the Bible studies group allows me to be in community with neighbors I’ve never before known and to open my eyes and heart to their experiences of struggle, vulnerability, hope and strength. I’ve studied these stories all my life, but I’ve never encountered them with such relevance and presence.
Diane Douglas
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Each month, learning Torah with my colleagues in this Black and Jewish Beloved Community is a revelation.
Rabbi Burt Visotzky
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To be in communion with people from Islam, Jewish, and Christian faiths has the potential to step into our brave space to unravel, expose and embrace our contradictions, as we bring committed people together, to create a better understanding of justice , and provide an opportunity to develop coalitions across significant differences in order to imagine , practice and create change together especially for restorative and transformative justice. This is the stuff necessary to build a beloved community across faiths.
Gilda Sheppard
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I have found great joy in the Blacks and Jews Building Beloved Community project through participation in discussion groups and Bible studies. Two years ago I participated in the first Bible study, which transitioned to a "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" program. The new program was designed to help build relationships between Black and Jewish communities over the long term and the person I was paired with has become a dear friend. We have met consistently once a week for the past two year and the experience has been transformational in my learning more about the Jewish culture and her learning more about the Black culture. We have supported each other through the various traumatic experiences of racism and antisemitism over the past few years. We have also celebrated with each other through joyful life transitions and accomplishments of aspirational goals. Through my service on the advisory board, I have the opportunity to share my vision on how we can create more experiences for Blacks and Jews to Build Beloved Community.
Dr. Angela Griffin
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