Jewish
Covid Resilience Network
Envisioning an equitable, sustainable, hopeful future for our communities, based in Jewish values.
About Us
Our Principles
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Klal means all. The Jewish community, or "klal," cannot be whole when anyone is left behind. As we navigate covid, we must prioritize the needs of the most impacted.
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Adaptation is possible. Disabled people have immense wisdom to share about adapting to unexpected realities. Change truly is hard, but life with covid can be safe and equitable and joyous.
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Resilience benefits everyone. No one is truly "low-risk" when it comes to covid. And the skills we need for this pandemic are the same ones we will need to address climate crisis. Let's build our future together.
Our Goals
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Educating Jewish organizations on why covid action matters, including sharing the latest research on covid risks, impacts, and mitigations.
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Supporting organizations in planning equitable gatherings and implementing creative covid safety solutions.
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Networking people who are advocating for covid protections in their communities.
Click here to read more about the Jewish texts and values that underpin our Principles and Goals.
Click here for more information why covid safety still matters and how to do it well, as well as some responses to what you might be feeling as you read this page.
Learn More
We want to acknowledge a few things:
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Reliable information has been hard to come by in this pandemic.
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It's hard when you feel like you’re taking a precaution that has a significant effect on your life, and you don't really understand why.
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Many people don't have time, energy, or experience to do lots of research and problem-solving to find the best ways to adapt their routines to the realities of covid.
We believe that everyone deserves to know the reasons why they are doing what they're doing. And everyone deserves access to the best problem-solving resources.
That's why we put together this page of Frequently Asked Questions about the (advanced!) whys and hows of living both responsibly and joyously in the era of covid. The page includes special attention to how our emotional needs influence how we are able to respond to covid.
Hear Our Voices
The haftarah portion that we read in synagogue on Yom Kippur morning is from the book of Isaiah, chapter 58. It challenges us to consider the true meaning of this foundational day of fasting and teshuva, as well as the relationship between religious ritual and social justice.
Isaiah brings God's words to the Israelites:
"Is this the fast that I desire, a day for people to afflict their bodies? ... Surely this is the fast that I desire ... to not turn away from your own flesh and blood."
In our virtual choir video, high-risk, disabled, and chronically ill Jews bring the words of Isaiah to life as they speak out about how lack of covid equity in Jewish communities impacts them.
Click here to read more testimonials from our community.
Action Steps
There's so much that our communities can do to become equitable, safe, welcoming spaces in the era of covid. Below, we've listed six main action steps.
Click here to learn more about the hows, whys, and problem-solving aspects of these action steps -- including a word on access conflicts (that's the disability community term for multiple access needs that intersect in challenging ways).
Click here for more background information on why these steps matter.
Click here for a list of things that YOU can do, right now, to help build the bright future that we envision.
Donate
Unsurprisingly, it costs money to get the word out about covid equity, share the experiences of high-risk and disabled Jews, and network people working to build the future that we envision.
Donate here to support our work (including helping us to recoup the costs of producing the video presented on this page).
Get Connected
Whether you are...
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A high-risk, disabled, or chronically ill person looking to advocate for covid equity in your community
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A friend, family member, or ally looking for the same
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A Jewish organizational leader or board member looking to learn more
We want to connect with you! Please click here to join our network.
If you are interested in community and learning around Jewish disability justice, you may also want to check out the Disability Justice Torah Circle, hosted at SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva; you can sign up at the same link.
At this time, we have some availability for trainings and consulting on covid problem-solving and covid advocacy. You can reach out by filling out this contact form, or by emailing info@covidresilience.org.