Kol Or Jews of Color Caucus

Kol Or is JCUA’s Jews of Color Caucus. It was founded in 2018 by Beckee Birger, Jackie Baldwin, Erica Walker, and Cydney Wallace, who sought to create a dedicated space for Jews of Color in JCUA to build community. Kol Or has more than three dozen members and is made up of Jews with diverse backgrounds and identities, including Black Jews, Latinx Jews, Asian Jews and multiracial Jews.

Kol Or hosts monthly meetings, quarterly Shabbat dinners, and special events that celebrate our pluralistic, multiracial Jewish community. These dynamic events bring into focus the spirit of justice and liberation at the foundation of Jewish history and practice. Kol Or’s annual Juneteenth Havdalah — now approaching its sixth year! — commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States and gathers more than 100 participants each year.

Kol Or is a place to continue the work of our ancestors to eradicate racist policies and create community practices that help us heal from the oppression of colonization, white supremacy, and other harmful systems.

Kol Or members provide leadership and direction to the wider JCUA community. Kol Or members are core leaders in JCUA’s organizing campaigns for police accountability, housing justice, and immigration. Members also advise JCUA’s White Racial Justice Working Group and help shape its antiracist curriculum. As JCUA pursues racial justice, we strive to center the perspectives and experiences of our Kol Or members, whose participation and leadership make our organization so much stronger.

To get involved with the Kol Or Jews of Color Caucus, contact our Director of Antiracism & Equity Jackie Baldwin (jackie@jcua.org) or sign up for email updates.

Follow Kol Or on Instagram! The account (@kol.or.chicago) is managed by members and posts regular updates, announcements, and other great content.