Jewish American heritage and the fight for equality
ood-minded people have to work together to achieve good. That was one of the many takeaways from a wide-ranging conversation on the legacy of Jewish American activism at the intersection of civil rights, labor and education.
The conversation, moderated by NYSUT Board member and history teacher Greg Perles, president of the North Shore Schools Federated Employees, was part of a recent installment of the statewide union’s “Truth Talks” series.
“From the sweatshops of the Lower East Side to the frontlines of our classrooms, Jewish Americans have helped shape the very core of public education and organized labor,” NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham said in his opening remarks. “Their fight for dignity, equity and justice has never been limited to their own communities. It’s been about lifting all working people.”
Speakers in the hourlong conversation included NYSUT Executive Vice President Emeritus Alan Lubin and Arieh Lebowitz, executive director of the Jewish Labor Committee.
On the topic of fighting antisemitism and other acts of hate against marginalized communities in America, Lubin pointed out that it will take coalition building and support from other communities.
When 11 people were murdered at the Tree of Life synagogue, Lubin said, “the very next week, the Muslim community in Pittsburgh sent people over to stand guard to protect the Jews inside. This is not something that we should take lightly,” he said. ”Jewish or non-Jewish, we have to support each other.”
Lebowitz argued that the current crackdown on immigrants as a fight against antisemitism is, in many ways, a distraction and denies the immigrant history of Jewish Americans in helping to build the American labor movement.
“American Jews have been involved with the labor movement primarily out of a commitment to improve their lives and that of their families, as well as their co-workers and communities. This is true from the late 1880s to today,” Lebowitz said. “The American Jews are involved in the entire gamut of unions, from the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of Teachers, to the Writers Guild of America East and West.” This includes the deadly Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire where 146 workers, mostly young Jewish and Italian women, lost their lives.
“Truth Talks,” a dynamic virtual series dedicated to raising historical awareness, seeks to amplify the contributions of diverse communities that have been overlooked in traditional narratives. To watch the full conversation on Jewish Heritage and the fight for equality, and to access resources and previous “Truth Talks” episodes, visit nysut.cc/truthtalks.
“Truth Talks” is an initiative from the NYSUT Members of Color Affinity and Action project and Many Threads, One Fabric. Learn more at nysut.org/socialjustice.