Being Better Neighbors: The Tzedek Committee
Responding to the Murder of George Floyd
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis Police. The tragedy reverberated globally, and protests against racism and police brutality soon erupted across Minneapolis and in other cities around the world. For the following year, protests and trials related to his murder have been the subject of national, global and most importantly local politics and life.
Building upon a legacy of social advocacy, Mount Zion Temple was one of many religious institutions in Minnesota to demand justice for George Floyd and his family and engage with issues of contemporary racial injustice and police brutality.
"The Tzedek Committee has prioritized racial justice for many years and has felt a renewed sense of urgency in this work since the murder of George Floyd last year."1 -Mount Zion Tzedek Committee
Mount Zion's response to the recent murder of George Floyd draws on a legacy of interfaith coalition building between Jews and the Black community of the Twin Cities along with the temple's commitment to solidarity with all peoples and the concept of tikkun olam. Mount Zion remains firmly dedicated to this mission, and continues to follow these principles today.
"We act through our communities and congregations, with partners from across lines of difference, to bring about a world in which all people experience wholeness, justice, and compassion."2 - Brit Olam, 2017 (Mount Zion Temple)
