Women’s Philanthropy gathered around one of the living heroes during their Civil Rights journey through the south
Submitted by The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
“This experience cracked my heart open and touched me in a way I will carry with me, always.”
The weight of history pressed on Anna Sarembock’s shoulders as she walked alongside 30 other women across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in late October. This was not a casual stroll, but part of a journey deep into America’s racial past, organized by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati with Etgar 36, a non-profit focused on civil rights education. Etgar in Hebrew means “the journey,” and for three days, the Women’s Philanthropy group’s journey included visceral confrontations with the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the civil rights movement across Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham.
Each woman said better understanding of black history and racial injustice motivated them to join the trip, even if it meant confronting the ugliness of history with open eyes, including walking among monuments of thousands of lynching victims at the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The maze of steel holds your gaze in a way that positions your neck as if being readied for a noose.
“I know they are totally different, but this trip reminded me at times of my mission to Poland,” said Evelyn Fisher. Julien Teitelbaum likened the experience to being at Yad Vashem in Israel.
“Walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma and processing history through a lens of Jewish learning and meaning,” was essential to fulfilling the goals of Women’s Philanthropy, Teitelbaum said. “Understanding the arc and depth of history might help inform where we go from here to push the movement for equality forward.”
Pushing that movement forward means, as Jewish women, recognizing the feeling of being marginalized and using it as a catalyst to stand up for those experiencing the same thing – especially given the complicated history of Black and Jewish relations. “I was always taught that the Jewish community ardently stood by the Black community during (and after) the civil rights movement of the 1960s,” explained Teitelbaum. “The truth isn’t as straightforward as that story.”
Textbooks and documentaries had sketched the outlines, but walking in the footsteps of civil rights heroes filled in the agonizing details.
Through Etgar 36 and a local Birmingham connection, the group met with several individuals who participated in the civil rights movement, including Carolyn McKinstry, a minister, activist, author, and survivor of the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Hearing a firsthand account of McKinstry’s four childhood friends being killed in a racist church bombing while she was just upstairs in the church, profoundly impacted each woman, including Suzy Marcus.
Raised in Birmingham, Marcus recalled, “I was in Sunday school when the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed, killing those four young girls.” Despite bearing witness to such tragedy, Marcus felt an undeniable urge to return in search of understanding. “I wanted to try to comprehend the racial injustice that I couldn’t grasp as a child,” she shared.
For Betsy Levick, the journey revealed a personal connection buried for decades. Her mother’s family grew up near Selma. Levick knew her great-great grandparents were buried in historic Live Oak Cemetery, but with no map and no Jewish markers to follow, she knew finding them would be a major challenge. Teamwork prevailed when part of the group discovered the large headstones following a dedicated search.
Working together to help each other and others is at the heart of Women’s Philanthropy. “The women that went on the trip were incredible,” said Evelyn Fisher. “That definitely added to a positive experience — whether uncovering hidden family history or exploring challenging perspectives — into something truly meaningful.”
Women’s Philanthropy is one of the most active and largest groups within Federation, welcoming all women who are part of our Jewish community. Whether through performing mitzvot, volunteering, or connecting with others, the group provides meaningful opportunities to make an impact. In addition to their ongoing volunteer activities, the group intends to turn this experience into meaningful action and engagement.
And for a group dedicated to giving back, this was a chance to fill in the cracks of their own hearts with renewed purpose.
“We were able to finally get it done with the Women’s Philanthropy group,” said Fisher. “And I’m so glad we did.”
