In his State of the Union address, President Biden said, “We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police. It’s to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them.”

For years, Black Jews have advocated that instead of funding police, we should fund alternatives to policing. They believe that money spent on police doesn’t bring safety to their neighborhoods and often leads to more police brutality and over-policing of Black people. White Jews need to talk to their rabbis and spiritual leaders about how we can have a conversation about anti-Black racism. They should ensure that every Jewish organization pays attention to this issue and works to find solutions. As white Jews, they must stand up to injustice in this country because it is the right thing to do, but also because history tells us what happens when people stay silent.

It’s essential for us to understand and talk about how anti-Black racism impacts our lives because those conversations are the first step in dismantling a system built on white supremacy and privilege. We should advocate for change through our organizations and communities and work on ending police brutality. Together, we can help create an inclusive society that has no place for racism, anti-Semitism, or any other form of bigotry.

White Jews must come together across racial differences to address this issue and push for real solutions. Here are some ideas on how you can take the conversation forward that I think could be impactful.

1. Write letters and attend meetings to demand that your representatives fund alternative solutions to policing, such as mental health services; job training and education programs; youth programs; restorative justice programs emphasizing mediation and peace circles; drug rehabilitation; early childhood education; and affordable housing policies.
2. Support organizations that work with Black communities, such as Black Lives Matter, Movement for Black Lives, United for Police Reform, The National Coalition for Police Accountability, Campaign Zero, or the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. These organizations are working hard to combat anti-Black violence, from police brutality to structural racism in our judicial system. And they need your help! Don’t just give money — volunteer your time and energy, too!
3. Challenge how institutions historically involved in policing black bodies (like schools) operate. We can teach our children how to speak up when they see injustice — whether it’s a racist teacher or school police officers harassing someone. It’s up to them to ask questions and demand answers about why things are the way they are, but most importantly, it’s up to us parents and other adults to provide them with the tools they need to do this effectively.

Together, we can work to create a klal yisrael (community of all Jews) by advocating for change. Policing practices in the United States today contribute to racial inequality and injustice. As Jews, they have a collective memory of how as a minority, they were persecuted and violently oppressed. We also must recognize that if you’re Black or brown, you could also be Jewish — and this could happen in your own community. For Jews, who have seen so much injustice in the world, this is a teachable moment. To prevent violence in our country — and eventually across the globe — we all need to take the lead in finding creative solutions. As white Jews living in America today and tomorrow, they have a duty to build a better future as citizens of all faiths.