DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) – Rabbi Sandra Lawson wears many hats as a U.S. Army veteran, activist, musician, and executive director of Carolina Jews for Justice. Her unassuming appearance as a Black woman often allows her to educate people in unexpected ways.
“There’s racial bias in the Jewish community. The idea that Jews are white is a myth,” Rabbi Lawson explained. “I can walk into a Jewish space and not be tracked as Jewish or a rabbi. That’s a superpower I have. I can go under the radar in many ways. When people know I am a rabbi, they often don’t believe that or try to challenge me, which is kind of sad.”
She added, “A lot of Jews in this country still believe that, maybe not intellectually, but in their conscience, Jews have a certain look or last name. All those things come from a lineage called Ashkenazi, which translates to Eastern Europe.”
Rabbi Lawson was ordained in 2018. Her first professional position was as a chaplain for seniors, followed by a role as Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life at Elon University. The racial reckoning that followed George Floyd’s death motivated her to do even more.
“After 2021, following the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, the culture was totally different than where we are now,” she said. “In my 20s and 30s, I was definitely an activist. Today, I might call myself an advocate.”
During that time, Rabbi Lawson engaged in public speaking to help white Jews understand the moment. “I had conversations with rabbis and Jewish leaders who thought racism was over. They asked, ‘Why are people so angry? Why are they protesting in the streets?’ Others said, ‘I’ve always known racism existed and I’ve done nothing. What can we do about it?’”
She began deeper conversations with Reconstructing Judaism, the umbrella organization under which she was ordained. “We were ordaining more Black and brown rabbis. We had more Black and brown rabbinical students,” Rabbi Lawson noted.
Receiving the Out100 honor is especially meaningful to her as she continues to use her platform and lead within the LGBTQ+ community.
“We need more rabbis who aren’t white bearded men. There are more women rabbis now, more queer rabbis,” she said. “I am Jewish, but everything is filtered through a lens that’s also Black and queer. That’s how I see the world.”
https://abc11.com/post/rabbi-sandra-lawson-nc-out100-recipient-is-black-jewish-army-veteran-musician-uses-many-hats-superpower/18067556/