Charting a new vision forward.

Dear Community,

I’ve spent my life working at the intersection of faith and justice, and I’m deeply moved to be joining an organization that shares my commitment to building a more just, compassionate, and courageous North Carolina.

As I write this, I am wrapping up my first month as the Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice. In the weeks and months ahead, I’ll be meeting with community leaders, organizers, funders, and allies to better understand how CJJ can be the most effective catalyst for change in North Carolina. I’m especially committed to amplifying the voices and leadership of those most affected by systemic inequities, seeking to expand our relationships, and professionalizing our systems to support deeper, more strategic work across the state.

This week, in Jewish time, we are journeying through the Book of Numbers – a book filled with wilderness wanderings, challenges to leadership, and the growing pains of becoming a people. We are also in the Torah portion Korach. 

In Korach, we encounter a rebellion that forces us to reflect on the nature of power and the responsibilities of leadership. Korach reminds us that while all people are holy, leadership rooted in ego rather than responsibility leads to destruction. And when this newsletter reaches your inbox, we’ll be reading Chukat, which introduces the red heifer, a ritual steeped in mystery, paradox, and the sometimes unfathomable path to transformation. 

Chukat reminds us that not all solutions are logical, and not all sacred acts are easily understood. The red heifer is a paradox; it purifies the impure, yet renders the pure impure. It asks us to sit with contradiction and to trust in a tradition that honors mystery. This portion challenges us to acknowledge that transformation often arises not through certainty but through faith, resilience, and the willingness to walk forward even when the path is unclear.

Together, these parshiyot speak to the moment we’re in at CJJ. We are rooted in a powerful legacy of grassroots activism and Jewish moral courage. At the same time, we’re called to keep evolving, to embrace the messy and meaningful work of transformation, and to lead, not for the sake of power, but for the sake of healing our communities and bending the arc toward justice.

My vision for CJJ is bold but grounded: I want us to be a powerful force for equity and justice in North Carolina, anchored in Jewish tradition, accountable to community, and relentless in our pursuit of liberation. As I begin this role, I’m guided by three core priorities:

1. building long-term financial sustainability, 
2. expanding our grassroots organizing power, and 
3. deepening our commitment to intersectional justice. 

These aspirations are ambitious but, like the journey through the wilderness, they’re also about transformation, resilience, and faith. In the years ahead, I envision CJJ as a vibrant hub of Jewish activism in the South – a place where people come together to organize, build relationships, and pursue justice with courage, compassion, and deep Jewish grounding. Please join me in these efforts as we build this future together.

Thank you for welcoming me into this community. I can’t wait to meet you and begin this work together.

With gratitude and determination,
Rabbi Sandra Lawson
Executive Director

GCAE Wins $12.3M Budget Increase for Guilford County Public Schools 

In an era of evaporating funding for public schools, good news is hard to come by if you believe every child deserves a fair opportunity to learn and thrive. Despite the odds, a recent campaign by Guilford County Association of Educators (GCAE), a local public school employees union, delivered the goods. The union helped win a $12.3 million increase to the Guilford County Schools budget for next academic year – with $3 million earmarked for employee raises. 

With a helping hand from Guilford for All and CJJ-Triad, the campaign was able to inspire:  

• ~200 handwritten letters
• ~100 folks marching in the streets and rallying in front of the Old County Courthouse on the night of the Budget Public Hearing
• over an hour of public comments during the Budget Public Hearing
• targeted phone calls to Commissioners from GCS workers between the Public Hearing and the Budget Vote
• delegations of public school supporters showing up to Commission meetings, Budget Town Halls, and work sessions throughout the budget process.

Attention now shifts to the budget reconciliation process following the passage of the state budget. GCAE is planning additional actions to ensure staff pay is prioritized for the upcoming school year.  

NECHAMA Recognized for Prioritizing WNC Relief Efforts

In May, CJJ-West, the Interfaith Action Network (IAN), and Indivisble Asheville partnered with NECHAMA Jewish Response to Disaster to help one Western NC family get a step closer to moving back into their home. In June, NECHAMA returned to the area, this time with its entire Board of Directors.

During a 4-day board retreat hosted by the Asheville JCC, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer proclaimed June 8 as NECHAMA Disaster Relief Recognition Day, lifting up the organization's deep commitment to the region and promotion of interfaith understanding as part of its relief work.

So far, more than 570 NECHAMA volunteers have deployed to Western North Carolina, many on multiple occasions. They have cleaned up brush and debris, mucked and gutted many houses, applied mold abatement, and are now focusing on rebuilding homes.

Previously, Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk had proclaimed May as Jewish Heritage Month in honor of NECHAMA's direct service and role in fostering dialogue and trust with disparate local communities.

US Supreme Court Decimates Transgender Rights During Pride Month

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered several rulings that cut back protections for transgender people, siding with Trump Administration efforts to forcefully regulate the lives of this frequently targeted group. On June 18, the Court upheld a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The Justices also reversed judicial decisions that favored transgender people in cases from North Carolina, West Virginia, Idaho, and Oklahoma, on the last day of the month. 

There are about 300,000 people between the ages of 13 and 17 and 1.3 million adults who identify as transgender in the United States, according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. The impact of these legal decisions is especially poignant, as the rollback of transgender protections and rights took place during Pride Month, a national celebration of the LGBQT+ community.   

NC Democrats Pass Resolution Calling for Arms Embargo on Israel

On June 28, at the State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting in Asheville, the North Carolina Democratic Party adopted a resolution calling on the federal government to end shipments of arms to Israel until concerns over apartheid policies and systemic violence against the Palestinian people are resolved. 

The resolution was endorsed by a broad coalition, which included the African-American, Arab, Interfaith, LGBTQ+, Muslim, Progressive and Jewish Democrats of NCDP caucuses. The measure passed late on Saturday evening, after numerous procedural efforts by members of the North Carolina Democratic Party Jewish Caucus to forestall or delay the vote. 

In a June 24 statement ahead of the SEC meeting, the Jewish Caucus voiced concerns about the resolution and called for “a balanced and inclusive approach to complex international issues.” The group also expressed frustration with the party’s resolutions process.

"Palestinian women are giving birth in tents, often without anesthesia, while children are buried beneath the rubble," said Leslie Carey, Chair of the Jewish Democrats of NCDP. "Israel's blockade of medical supplies and aid to these mothers and children goes against my Jewish values. Passing this resolution is a moral line in the sand, to be able to say 'not in my name.'" 

CJJ-WEST 

• Jul 18 - CJJ-W Shabbat Potluck Gathering 

What better thing is there to do in difficult times than come together in community?! So, let's break bread, talk about how to stay sane, share ways to take action, and enjoy each other's company!  

CJJ-TRIAD

• Chavurah Potluck 

Join a group of Triad Jews and allies aligned around values of anti-racism, peace, and justice in the United States, Israel/Palestine, and the world. Email Anne Parsons for details: [email protected].

CJJ-TRIANGLE

• Community Safety Organizing Team 

The Community Safety Organizing Team works to build a Durham that is safe and healing for both Jews and non-Jews alike. We work with our political allies to build and use power at the municipal and county levels of government to enact policies promoting the safety and well-being of all neighbors, with an emphasis on marginalized communities in Durham.

Your support is the cornerstone of our work. 

It fuels efforts like the Guilford County Schools budget victory, sustains vital relief in communities like Asheville, and powers our commitment to justice across North Carolina.

As we step into this next chapter, your gift is more than a donation; it’s a declaration that justice, compassion, and liberation must guide our state’s future. 

Make your contribution today and stand with us in building that future.

L'tzedek,

Carolina Jews for Justice