Synagogues and Jewish organizations throughout the MetroWest community launched an initiative called Clean Speech NJ on May 1.
The 30-day education and awareness campaign is designed to “inspire the whole community to speak more mindfully and positively,” Alexandra Feingold said. Ms. Feingold is the project manager for Clean Speech at Aish, a global organization that offers educational and religious programming for Jews of all backgrounds.
We rarely have the opportunity to hold a mirror up to ourselves and see how our own actions matter. This past February, “Clean Speech Nebraska” allowed all who participated to do this every day for 30 days. Clean Speech Nebraska, an initiative of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), was nominated for the annual Jewish Federation of Omaha Community Service Award. Clean Speech Nebraska was a community-wide, month-long campaign to clean up our conversations, one word at a time. By encouraging mindfulness and personal awareness, we can create a more peaceful and respectful world, where our communities are united and connected.
In major cities across North America and amid stark and persistent political divisions, a new movement is catching on, bent on toning down the vitriol that saturates social media, divides communities, disrupts friendships and even upends family get-togethers. The goal: to turn even political disagreements into respectful, constructive interactions.
In today’s political climate, some conversations with friends and family can be tough, especially around the holidays. The organization, Clean Speech, wants to help. It offers month-long courses that help New Yorkers change their conversations for the better.
Alexandra Feingold, campaign manager for Clean Speech NYC joined “News All Day” to talk more on this work.
DENVER – This week, Rabbi Raphael Leban, executive director of The Jewish Experience in Denver, is launching his fourth annual Clean Speech Colorado Campaign, aimed at bringing together community members with different opinions.
“Clean Speech Colorado is a 30-day educational and awareness campaign designed to bring the timeless lessons of Jewish mindful speech to our community to bring us together, build a more loving, respectful, unified community one word at a time,” Leban said.
He said this year’s campaign is happening during a spike in anti-Semitic rhetoric and other hateful speech.
Hate speech online has been increasing so rapidly worldwide that the United Nations commissioned a special study on the subject last year. The study concluded that “Efforts in the fight against ‘the tsunami’ of hate and xenophobia in social media appear to be largely failing because hate is increasing, not diminishing.”
One program that has proven successful in stemming the tide in several cities across the United States is the Clean Speech campaign, initiated in Denver in 2019, and created by The Jewish Experience. Aish New York is now bringing the program to the Big Apple through dozens of participating Jewish organizations from across the spectrum to participate in a 30-day “Clean Speech NYC” challenge.
DENVER, CO (October 27, 2022) — Words of loving-kindness (Ahavas Chesed) will be the focus for Clean Speech Colorado starting November 1st. In its 4th year, the campaign continues to grow not only statewide but nationally and internationally. Guided by the Colorado Clean Speech team, New York City, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Illinois and Ottawa will also run 30-day campaigns in November, making this an unprecedented month of awareness and education of Jewish mindful speech. (Continue Reading)
Kanye West was once the biggest hip-hop artist on the planet, with over 160 million records sold and 24 Grammy Awards. But West has been headlining the news recently for his blatant antisemitism. His string of antisemitic comments is not the first for the mega influential artist. Back in November 2013, West stated in a radio interview, “Black people don’t have the same level of connections as Jewish people… We ain’t Jewish. We don’t get family that got money like that.”
West has taken his Jew-hatred to another level of vitriol. He suggested in an Instagram post that rapper Diddy is controlled by Jews. The next day, after being criticized for the post, he tweeted “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew [sic] also … You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
Disagreements over politics have divided Americans’ homes, strained marriages, ruined friendships, and infiltrated the workplace. In a few days, we begin the 365-day countdown to the 2020 election, sure to become even more contentious and divisive.
The entire Jewish community in Colorado is seeking to change this harmful dynamic in the way they communicate with each other. Starting this Friday, the community will embark on a month-long campaign to clean up a different kind of environment — words that harm and divide.
On November 1, the Jewish Experience, a Denver-based educational outreach organization will launch Clean Speech Colorado (cleanspeechcolorado.org ), a Colorado community-wide awareness month centered on how individuals and communities, speak to and about one another. This campaign is the only statewide effort of its kind and could serve as a role model to states across the country, and communities worldwide.
Spearheaded by Rabbi Raphael Leban, head of the Jewish Experience, Clean Speech Colorado is a unique initiative that has brought together an unprecedented number of Jewish organizations (almost 60!) throughout the State for this education and awareness initiative. “The unprecedented broad reach of organizations wanting to partner on this effort is a tribute to the timeliness of this important initiative,” says Leban.
“Perhaps now more than ever, the growing divisiveness and disunity in society at large and within the Jewish community seriously undermines our regard for one another and our ability to remain respectful, united, and connected.”
“Our mission is to improve the way Jewish people in Colorado speak to and about one another through a community awareness month of the time-honored Jewish value of Guarding One’s Tongue, in an approachable, relevant way, to engender Shalom (peace) throughout the broader community,” said Rabbi Leban.
Arizona Jewish Life feature for Clean Speech Colorado in 2019. Click here to continue reading the article in full.
Clean Speech Colorado on Colorado and Company
