As we mark Juneteenth, I am thinking about the difference between being declared free and being fully recognized.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free. Its advent as a federal holiday in 2021 reminds us that freedom has always required more than declarations. It requires people and communities willing to ask who is still standing outside the promise.

That is one reason “belonging” work matters, in communities including ours in the Jewish world. When people see themselves reflected in our communities — in classrooms, sanctuaries, camps, justice work, stories, and decision-making — they are more likely to believe Jewish life has room for their gifts. They are more likely to step forward. They are more likely to lead.

Too often, American Jewish institutions overlook key members of our community here because they do not match our inherited picture of leadership: Jews of Color, multiracial and multiethnic Jews, LGBTQ Jews, disabled Jews, Jews by choice, interfaith families, younger and older adults, and those whose Jewish journeys did not begin in the institutions many of us take for granted.

In 2017, I was invited to be a member of one of the first Jews of Color leadership cohorts called JewV’Nation, a fellowship created by the Union for Reform Judaism. The cohort brought 17 Jews of Color together from around the country to learn and grow together.

I had never been in the company of so many Jews of Color and immediately felt a true sense of belonging. I saw people who looked like me, who had similar experiences, and could share stories about their identities and experiences and not feel like they would be constantly questioned or asked to leave any part of themselves at the door.

Today, many members of the 2017 cohort are prominent leaders in the Jewish community, leading non-profit organizations, serving as clergy, and showing up in lay leadership roles.  A small amount of investment in members of our community who have felt most marginalized and othered can make huge contributions to........

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