Tikvah Womack was preparing for a Shabbaton at her synagogue when Rina Goloskov reached out to her with an idea she wanted to discuss about making their community stronger.
Both women live in Northwest Baltimore, in diverse neighborhoods of African American, Jewish and Latinx families. Both are Orthodox Jews, while Womack is also a Woman of Color.
Rina, said Womack, was concerned about the fact that many of the community members had little relationship with neighbors who were not similar to them.
“We both felt that we wanted to build bridges and create understanding. Yet we knew we had to begin by breaking down the barriers,” recalls Womack.
Together, with the support of CHAI, The Associated agency that focuses on strengthening Northwest Baltimore neighborhoods, they created a four-part dialogue series that engaged Orthodox and African American women living in CHAI’s five city neighborhoods. The “CHAI Community Conversations Creating a Diverse Mosaic” program was facilitated by Sharlimar Douglass who is a Diversity, Racial Equity and Inclusion (DREI) expert and also lives in one of CHAI’s neighborhoods.
“We knew we wanted to start a cohort of women who were open to this idea of learning about the ‘other,’” recalls Womack. “So, we engaged women who were willing to become ambassadors and further the conversation with their neighbors and friends afterward in order to break down the stereotypes.”
Over the next five months, 20 women journeyed together. They talked about their identities as Jews and Women of Color, delving into the biases and preconceptions they often had about the other.
They discussed the groups’ shared commonalities and prejudices while looking at their different experiences through the lens of slavery and the Holocaust. And, they even discussed the history of Baltimore neighborhoods and how where one lived shaped perceptions.
“Through programs like these, The Associated, through its agencies, is seeking to foster mutual respect across ethnic, racial and religious lines,” says Howard Feldman, co-chair of The Associated’s Baltimore City Partnerships Commission, along with Michael Saxon and Sarah David. “By connecting with those who may have different experiences and ways of thinking, by listening and understanding diverse perspectives, we are creating opportunities to build a stronger and more just community.”
For years, The Associated, through the Baltimore Jewish Council, has invested in programs that spark dialogue and strengthen relationships between communities.
One of those is an annual Trialogue series, facilitated by Jewish, Muslim and Christian faith leaders. The program includes discussions about faith through a social justice lens. The most recent series focused on sacred texts as a jumping-off point for deeper conversations about how the three religions overlap.
In addition, the BJC’s Social Justice Fellowship brings Jewish teens together with African American teens from the Elijah Cummings Youth Program. And its popular volunteer project of creating blessing bags for individuals facing homelessness fosters dialogue between individuals of all faiths, ages and backgrounds.
“We have developed low barrier events that anyone can participate in and many people tell me that it’s a chance to hear perspectives that further their understanding of other faith communities,” says Noah Mitchel, assistant director of community relations for the BJC.
All these programs are a starting point to break down barriers and build bridges. For the women in the CHAI dialogue series—who have met socially outside of the sessions— there is an excitement about what is going on.
“One of the women has lived in this community for 40 years,” says Womack. “She told us this was the first time she held conversations with the other. She was heartbroken that it took so long, yet joyous that she was finally connecting and developing friendships.”
“We have a lot of commonalities. We’d be such a force if we worked together.”
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