JCUA Community Agreements

 

As part of JCUA’s Harm Response System, we have developed Community Agreements that outline how we want to engage with one another in JCUA spaces. These agreements were shaped by input from JCUA members across all areas of our work and refined through discussions at our 2024 Restorative Justice training.

We are currently seeking feedback from members.  Please review the community agreements below and send any feedback or objections to mara@jcua.org and jackie@jcua.org by Friday, March 28th.

In order to do our organizing work effectively, we need to believe that the world can change. Part of this change starts with a commitment to transforming our relationships with one another. We know that these commitments will require active practice to upkeep, and acknowledge that many of these complement and rely on one another. We aim to uphold these agreements as members of the JCUA community with one another, with our coalition partners, and in our organizing work more broadly.

• Openness: We will approach ourselves, one another, and our collective work with curiosity, an open mind, and a belief in everyone’s innate goodness. We know that there is not one monolithic Jewish experience, and will not make assumptions about others’ backgrounds and experiences. We will maintain a culture of both/and thinking, listening to understand, and will remain open to new ideas and questions.
• Growth: We know that we cannot do this work without practice and making mistakes. We will prioritize growth over perfection, and commit to unlearning and relearning in order to best hold one another’s humanity. We recognize that growth can be uncomfortable. We commit to sitting in the discomfort of having our beliefs challenged. We will invest in and celebrate growth in ourselves and others, and will commit to continue growing together as a community.
• Equity & Accessibility: We commit to creating a community that can hold a variety of experiences and identities. We know that every voice is valuable, and will create a community that works for and is accessible to those of many ages, backgrounds, experiences, strengths and skill sets. We recognize that equity is core to achieving accessibility. We will disrupt the marginalization of oppressed communities, and we will center the voices of those directly impacted. We commit to working to make JCUA a place that is accessible to those who are values aligned and not already part of our organization.
• Centering Relationships: We know that relationships are the foundation of all of our organizing work. We will move at the speed of trust, valuing relationships before the task at hand. We will strive to build connections. We will be intentional with our use of urgency and remind each other to slow down when needed.
• Accountability: We will follow through on what we commit to, and will stay accountable to and communicative with one another. We know that staying in community means taking responsibility for harm we have caused without defensiveness or protection of those in power.
• Repair: We know that none of us are disposable and will enter conflict with a desire to repair, move forward, and a commitment to embracing generative conflict and discomfort when necessary. We will remain open to feedback, and will approach one another with openness and transparency when we have feedback to offer or receive. We recognize repair processes can be difficult, and we believe we can recover, repair, and grow. We will engage in the practice of teshuvah – of repairing what was broken and restoring right relationship.
• Self-Awareness: We will do our best to be aware of our impact on the group and the identities we are bringing into the space. We will be mindful of dominating the conversation, as well as stepping into the conversation if we have thoughts, knowledge, or resources to share.
• Communication: When communicating with one another, we will be direct and mindful of our impact, aware of power dynamics, practice active listening skills, and will ask for what we need.
• Transparency: We will practice transparency in service of collaboration and collective decision making. We will name difficult truths, make space for community input and feedback, and disrupt patterns of shame and secrecy. We commit to offering clear explanations of how decisions are made, as well as naming hierarchies explicitly.
• Embracing Joy: As we do the hard work of building the world as it should be, we will make space for joy, play, laughter, and celebration along the way. We know that our collective efforts need to be sustainable, fulfilling, and rooted in love for the work and one another. We believe that joy is not only a personal experience, but a vital tool for organizing, healing, and movement building, and that it can help us build a community that is more connected and more resilient for the fight ahead.