GKCIC Joins Community Leaders Denouncing Antisemitic Violence and Rhetoric

The chair of the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council, Cindy McDavitt, joined 20 other area community leaders on June 3 to offer support to the local Jewish community and denounce a recent spate of antisemitic attacks and rhetoric in the United States. Here is a copy of the media release of the event.

The gathering at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park came in the wake of some 220 reported instances of antisemitic attacks in the United States over the preceding month.

The Kansas City Star, citing the Anti-Defamation League, an antihate group, reported three instances of antisemitism in Missouri over the last few months, including two in Kansas City. One of those was a swastika found on a student’s desk at Pembroke Hill School.

“We are saddened by the environment of hate-filled rhetoric and violence that has become so prevalent. Anti-Semitism — or ANTI any faith tradition — has no place in our society,” McDavitt said at the gathering.

“It is the responsibility of good people everywhere to speak out and stand up for each other’s rights to worship and live peacefully, and for each of us to build the most welcoming community for all people in the greater Kansas City area,” she said.

McDavitt joined a score of elected officials and faith leaders from the community. These included U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, Kansas Assistant Secretary of State Catherine Gunsalus, Kansas State Sen. Ethan Corson, the Rev. Bob Hill of Community Christian Church and the Rev. Vernon Howard, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City.

Gavriela Geller, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau-American Jewish Committee, welcomed the show of support. “Our allies must be willing to call out this poison from every source unequivocally. We can see today that we are not alone,” she said.

Inas Younis, leader of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, which organizes social and education events for Jewish and Muslim women, also spoke at the event.

“As a Muslim I’m going to state something obvious: Muslims stand against all forms of bigotry and we will speak out against it whether it’s coming from white supremacy or any other source,” she said. “It is bigoted to treat people as less American, or in this case less human, because of their ties to foreign countries, because of their ethnicity or their religious affiliation.”

Others gathered at the event included the Rev. Wendy Chrostek, lead pastor at Church of the Resurrection, Helene Lotman, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, and Rabbi Doug Alpert of Congregation Kol Ami. Following is the full statement that McDavitt read at the event:

 The Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council stands in unity with our Jewish brothers and sisters during these difficult times. We are saddened by the environment of hate-filled rhetoric and violence that has become so prevalent. Anti-Semitism… or ANTI any faith tradition…has no place in our society.  When the security and religious freedom of our Jewish brothers and sisters is violated, we all suffer. An attack against one faith tradition is an attack against all AND the values that we hold dear. In the face of discrimination or violence based on faith, life philosophy, race, national origin, or ethnicity, we remain committed to helping our community understand the intrinsic value of our diverse faith communities.

We invite you to join us in focusing your prayers, thoughts or actions on promoting peace, inclusion, and acceptance… even going beyond that…to honor the sacred in each person, and to celebrate the rich diversity of faiths in our community, our nation, and our world.

It is the responsibility of good people everywhere to speak out and stand up for each other’s rights to worship and live peacefully… and for each of us to build the most welcoming community for all people in the greater Kansas City area.

The Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization comprised of Faith Directors and At-Large Directors who belong to 22 distinct faith traditions and philosophies represented in the Kansas City Metro community. The Council strives to provide engaging and educational programs about the many diverse faiths and traditions represented in Greater Kansas City by joining religion, spirit and community.