In the summer of 2020/5781, the murders of George Floyd and too many others catalyzed a global uprising that we, as American Jews at Abundance Farm, were called to respond to, be changed by, and take action alongside. While the lessons from that summer were in no way new calls to action, the global attention on the Black Lives Matter movement showed what is possible when we collectively cry out against injustice. In the Fall of 2020, we committed to making some organizational changes. We respond to anti-Black racism from our position as a land-based Jewish organization and with the awareness that we farm on land that was stolen from the Pocumtuk and Nipmuc people, and in an economy built from the stolen labor of enslaved people. We know anti-racism work is never done and that our job is to keep seeing these organizational changes through and making sure that they are done well.

Below are links to our original statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and subsequent 6 month updates. We welcome any questions or comments about these documents.

Nissan 2021/5781
Tishrei 2020/5781

Since the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, a Reparations Working Group, under the leadership of Abundance Farm staff, has been studying reparations and engaging with community members about the possibility of Congregation B’nai Israel (CBI) making reparations to the Black community here in Western Massachusetts. As of winter 2022-23, this group is putting together a detailed proposal for CBI to make this institutional commitment.

To learn more or get involved, contact Judi Wisch at jwisch@comcast.net