All articles filed in Holidays

On today, Yom Kippur, we are meant to atone for our sins. But it’s about more than that. We should also actively be doing better. That should be no more evident than now, as we look back on the last year, a year in which our disservice to minorities, particularly the Black community, has come into extreme focus. To be clear, the disservice has existed for centuries; it’s the focus that’s new. I’m reminded of the mantra “it’s about impact, not intention.” We can want to treat people better. We can want to be allies. But our desires mean nothing if we don’t back them up with action. That’s why I wanted to highlight Jeremy Frisch, an Asian Jewish 21-year-old who stood his ground on a Zoom call with the Los Angeles Police Department and demanded change.

Today, I am atoning for the fact that I didn’t do more (because we can always do more, right?) and vowing to be better.