Jewish Social Workers and Therapists
for Social Justice
Tikkun Olam: Repair the World
STATEMENT
As social workers and therapists, our orientation is informed by an
understanding of intersectionality, anti-racism, anti-oppression, settler
colonialism and solidarity across liberation movements. Our work is trauma-informed and
integrates compassion with accountability and responsibility for social
justice.
We acknowledge that social work and therapy have a long history of
enabling and participating in complicity, state violence, colonization,
and white supremacy. This is not the legacy we want for the future.
Intrinsic to our values as social workers/therapists and Jews is our
commitment to social justice and human rights for all beings.
We are a coalition of Jewish social workers and therapists who are
deeply concerned and moved by what is happening in Israel-
Palestine. Over 1200 Israelis were killed in the horrific violations and
attack by Hamas on October 7 and over 100 hostages remain in
captivity. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli
military, at least a third of them children and more than 75,000 injured.
Starvation, dehydration, massive dislocation, and destruction of
homes, hospitals, schools, and universities have been ongoing for
over 6 months. We cannot turn away from these atrocities.
Our hearts are heavy and we cannot and will
not be silent. We have come together in solidarity and with a
commitment to recognize and affirm the Palestinian people’s right to
freedom, human rights, and self-determination. We recognize that
Palestinian sovereignty and safety are bound up in Israeli-Jewish
safety. We support Palestinian liberation and belonging and peace for all,
Palestinians and Israelis.
As Diasporic Jews, we grieve all lives lost and harmed. Our grief must
fuel our hope, love, and activism for a better world.
We are part of a worldwide community, including tens of thousands of
Jewish people, who are calling for an immediate permanent ceasefire
in Gaza, an end to the Occupation, and an end to genocide. As social
workers, therapists and human beings we feel the need to speak out.
And as Jews, we are saying: NOT IN OUR NAME.
This community of Jewish social workers and therapists is a brave
space to share our concerns, our fears, our grief, and our questions.
How do we witness and stand up in this crisis in a way that connects
us in our shared humanity, rather than separating us? How do we
honor, heal, and address our intergenerational trauma? How do we
explore our own histories and not fall into dehumanizing narratives?
How do we address the rise in antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism in
our communities while naming the occupation and genocide
happening?
We encourage you to stay connected, read our principles, check out
our resource page, sign the petitions and get involved.
01
We Stand for a Permanent Ceasefire
With every passing minute, more Palestinians are being killed. We are demanding a permanent ceasefire.
“We ask you to join our calls for a complete ceasefire now. Ceasefire means no more bombing. Ceasefire means no ground war. Ceasefire means all Israeli hostages must be released now. Ceasefire means immediate engagement by the international community toward a just and lasting peace in Israel-Palestine. Ceasefire is the only way to prevent more death and destruction.” - From Rabbis 4 Palestine’s statement
02
Commitment to Social Justice
We are Jewish social workers and therapists who share a strong commitment to social justice. Many of our families and personal histories have been shaped by the Holocaust, histories and experiences of suffering, as well as varied Jewish histories and relationships with Israel-Palestine. In the legacy of our ancestors, and intrinsic to our values, we believe that ‘NEVER AGAIN’ means NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE. We will not allow the genocide taking place in Gaza to happen in our names.
03
All Oppression is Connected
We are committed to dismantling all forms of antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia, all of which are on the rise. We understand all anti-racist struggles and oppression are interconnected.
04
Repression and Silencing
We actively resist the notion that critiquing the government of Israel, especially in these times, is antisemitic. For many, the more the Israeli government bombs and displaces the people of Gaza, the less safe we feel as diasporic Jews. We oppose the repression and silencing of everyone who is calling for a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation. We understand that the most potent forms of antisemitism today comes from the Christian right, a group rarely targeted by prominent Jewish groups fighting antisemitism
05
No Community is Homogenous
We understand that no culture or religious group is homogenous, including Jewish people and Judaism. This group is made up of and welcomes people with diverse political views and with various relationships with Israel-Palestine. That said, we challenge the equating of Judaism with the state of Israel and its policies. This erases generations of debate and identities within Jewish communities and goes against our Jewish and social work values of standing up for justice and the full human rights, freedom, sovereignty, safety, and dignity of the Palestinian people.
06
Protecting and Promoting Palestinian Sovereignty and Human Rights for All Beings
We demand the release of all Israeli hostages as well as all Palestinian political prisoners. As Jewish social workers and therapists, we know that many Jewish people in the diaspora were traumatized by the sudden attack on October 7th. Many of us share these feelings and a deep compassion for this suffering. As social workers and therapists, we can care for the grief, rage, betrayal, shame, and all that arises. We also know that the crisis in Israel-Palestine did not begin on October 7th and that Palestinian people have been under brutal oppression for over 75 years. The current Israeli government (the most right-wing in its history), is extremely dangerous and is not representative of Israeli or Jewish people as a whole. We know many Israeli organizations and citizens have resisted this oppression and we aim to amplify and support those voices that want a lasting and just peace and human rights for all. (See our ACTIONS page for strategic visions supporting Palestinian and Israeli sovereignty).
07
Ancestral and Spiritual Connection
We acknowledge that both Jewish and Palestinian people have historical, spiritual, and lived connections to the land of Israel-Palestine. We support sovereignty, safety, and the right of self-determination for each people.
08
Honoring our History and Situating Ourselves
We know that many of our ancestors were often turned away when seeking refuge, including after the Holocaust when countries such as Canada and the United States refused many of our refugee families. We encourage settlers who are justifiably critiquing Israel to also reflect and seek solutions to how we/they are complicit in ongoing colonialism in the places we/they reside. There are greater forces at play that sometimes go unnamed: global imperialism and white supremacy, British colonialism and its legacy here in Canada, and racial capitalism. If you are pro-Palestine and committed to decolonization, we urge you to also look inwards and commit to Landback here in ‘Canada’.
09
Trauma Stewards and Our Legacy
As social workers and therapists, we see our role as being ‘trauma stewards’ for all of those impacted by suffering and oppression. We are proud Jews, and we do not value Jewish life over any other life. We prioritize Ceasefire NOW with the understanding that our liberation is bound up with each other. We seek to encourage learning and unlearning with love, wisdom, and compassion. We open our hearts to facing our Jewish trauma, intergenerational and historical, and to fostering brave conversations for a better and just world.
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
We acknowledge with humility and respect that we are uninvited guests/settlers on the land in which we live and work; the territory of the Anishinaabe, Mississauga and Haudenosaunee peoples. We acknowledge the current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. This territory is the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region.
As a settler, we are committed to following the calls for action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.