FOR JEWISH FAMILIES OF COLOR
Vision:
To build a community where Jews of Color and culturally and ethnically diverse Jews experience a sense of belonging, membership, equity, and affirmation.
Mission:
Building on our jkidphilly experience in family engagement, jkid4all strives to bring together families who identify as Jewish Families of Color and culturally and ethnically diverse Jews through social gatherings and Jewish educational programming. These gatherings offer families the opportunity to build relationships with others who similarly identify, enabling people of all ages to see themselves in others while in Jewish spaces.
Program Description:
jkid4all, in its second year, is currently designing and delivering family-oriented, multi-age programming, virtually and in-person as well as developing and delivering professional development to education directors and teachers to help work toward making all Jewish spaces inclusive and welcoming. jkid4all programs are intended to serve the broadest demographic – any family who self-identifies as a Jewish Family of Color or as a culturally or ethnically diverse Jewish family. Programming is currently focused on bringing families together, in-person and/or via Zoom, for fun and educational Jewish experiences while also being intentional about re-centering Jewish representation away from white Ashkenazi to racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse representation. jkid4all has created a Parent Advisory Committee that is helping to guide the direction of the program.
Future Plans:
As we gain a better understanding of who our stakeholders are, we will be able to design programming specific to the various needs of a truly diverse population. We may choose to create programming that serves specific age groups; racial, ethnic, or cultural groups; or family make-up.
Meet Julia, jkid4all Director
Julia Weekes is an educational management leader, educator, and artist. Julia has over thirty years of experience in leadership and management, professional development, arts education, integrated curriculum development, early childhood education, project-based learning, cooperative learning, and progressive education practices. She also has decades of experience in family engagement through her various roles in school, institutional, and community-based education.
Julia is a Philadelphia-area native and resides in the Mt. Airy section. She is the mother of two Black biracial teenage sons, Judah and Isaiah. Julia has been a congregational school teacher at Mishkan Shalom for over ten years. She has integrated her secular education knowledge and training into her congregational education role, creating classroom communities that focus on kindness, creativity, and collaboration.