Jews for Urban Justice (JUJ) was a Jewish-American left-wing

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

organization based in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and its

suburbs A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

. The organization was founded to oppose anti-black racism within the predominantly white Jewish community of Washington, D.C.

History

Jews for Urban Justice was created by young Jewish intellectuals in the Summer of 1966 to oppose anti-black racism from white Jewish landlords and businesspeople, which they felt fueled

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

in the African-American community. Alleging that white Jews and predominantly white Jewish institutions were "part of the power structure" and that white Jews "gyp and rob" African-Americans in the ghetto, JUJ urged rabbis and other Jewish community leaders to address the problems of racism and classism within the Jewish community. Jews for Justice fought for equal access to housing for African-Americans at a time when white Jewish land developers in the DC metropolitan area used racially restrictive covenants that excluded African-Americans and other people of color from buying homes in white Jewish neighborhoods. JUJ was involved in Martin Luther King Jr.'s

Poor People's Campaign The Poor People's Campaign, or Poor People's March on Washington, was a 1968 effort to gain economic justice for poor people in the United States. It was organized by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCL ...

, the Mothers Day Welfare Rights March, and the

Delano grape strike The Delano grape strike was a labor strike organized by the United Farm Workers, Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), a predominantly Filipino and AFL-CIO-sponsored labor organization, against table grape growers in Delano, Califo ...

. In solidarity with the United Farm Workers strike, JUJ urged synagogues and rabbis in the DC area to forgo using California grapes in their

sukkah A or succah (; he, סוכה ; plural, ' or ''sukkos'' or ''sukkoth'', often translated as "booth") is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated w ...

s. JUJ succeeded in convincing Joseph Danzansky to stop carrying California grapes at Giant Food grocery store locations. JUJ helped organize the Freedom Seder on the third night of

Pesach Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or ...

, April 4, 1969, the anniversary of the

assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7 ...

Arthur Waskow Arthur Ocean Waskow (born Arthur I. Waskow; 1933) is an American author, political activist, and rabbi associated with the Jewish Renewal movement. Education and early career Waskow was born in Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland. He receiv ...

, a JUJ member and

Jewish Renewal Jewish Renewal () is a recent movement in Judaism which endeavors to reinvigorate modern Judaism with Kabbalistic, Hasidic, and musical practices. Specifically, it seeks to reintroduce the "ancient Judaic traditions of mysticism and meditation, ...

rabbi, was instrumental in creating the Freedom Seder. Waskow created a new Haggadah for the seder, saying "I wove the story of the liberation of ancient Hebrews from Pharaoh with the liberation struggles of black America, of the Vietnamese people, passages from Dr. King, from Gandhi." 800 people gathered for the Freedom Seder at the Lincoln Temple, an historically black Protestant church in Washington, D.C., bringing together blacks, whites, Christians, and Jews. The seder was attended by prominent black civil rights leaders, including Reverend Channing E. Phillips and

Topper Carew Colin Anthony "Topper" Carew (born July 16, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for such films as ''Talkin' Dirty After Dark'' and ''D.C. Cab''. He is also the creator of such television series as ''M ...

. In 1970, JUJ released a manifesto titled "The Oppression and Liberation of the Jewish People in America", outlining their ideology as an anti-racist, anti-war,

Jewish socialist Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

organization that was critical of the mainstream Jewish establishment. The manifesto calls for white Jewish solidarity with

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, Native American, Chicano, Italian-American, and Appalachian communities. The JUJ manifesto is critical of Israeli policy towards Palestinians and supports Palestinian self-determination, but is not explicitly

anti-Zionist Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionism. Although anti-Zionism is a heterogeneous phenomenon, all its proponents agree that the creation of the modern State of Israel, and the movement to create a sovereign Jewish state in the region of Palestine ...

. JUJ's manifesto critiqued conflating Zionism with Jewishness and objected to

antisemitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

expressions of anti-Zionism.

References

External links

Guide to the Jews for Urban Justice (Washington, D.C.) Records, 1967–1971
processed by Nicole Greenhouse for the American Jewish Historical Society Center for Jewish History
The Oppression and Liberation of the Jewish People in America
the JUJ Manifesto on the Marxist Internet Archive {{Organized Jewish Life in the United States 1966 establishments in Washington, D.C. 1971 disestablishments in Washington, D.C. African-American history of Montgomery County, Maryland African-American history of Washington, D.C. African American–Jewish relations African Americans' rights organizations Allies (social justice) Anti-black racism in the United States Anti-imperialist organizations Anti-racist organizations in the United States Anti–Vietnam War groups Defunct democratic socialist organizations in the United States Defunct organizations based in Washington, D.C. History of racism in Maryland Human rights organizations based in the United States Jewish-American political organizations Jewish anti-occupation groups Jewish anti-racism Jewish socialism Jews and Judaism in Montgomery County, Maryland Jews and Judaism in Washington, D.C. Libertarian socialist organizations Opposition to antisemitism in the United States Religious organizations based in Washington, D.C. Socialism in Maryland Socialism in Washington, D.C. White American culture in Maryland White American culture in Washington, D.C.

History

See also

References

External links