Jewish-Sikh kinship
It was refreshing to see Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s kinship with the Jewish community expressed so eloquently (“NJ attorney general, a Sikh, feels kinship with Jewish community,” May 3). The Jewish and Sikh communities have long shared the celebration of core values like selfless service and acts of kindness as a way of life in our faiths. We also proudly wear articles of our faith and actively exercise our rights to religious freedom.
And sadly, we have both suffered generations of persecution and continue to fight daily against hate crimes, discrimination, and the perpetuation of hurtful stereotypes. As director of a global United Nations-affiliated humanitarian organization based in New Jersey, UNITED SIKHS, I have been proud to take part first-hand in the fight against these injustices. My colleagues and I have heard numerous heartbreaking stories like the one Grewal shared with his daughter at the tender age of 8.
As historic targets of intolerance, our children, too, have had to endure public interactions and conversations about race and basic human differences. Like Grewal, we have had to use unacceptable public moments of bullying as life lessons about love, respect, forgiveness, and peace. Sikhs recognize the human race as one and are proud to stand with the Jewish community against any acts of bullying or injustice in our home state or elsewhere.
That is why we proudly offer a number of global interfaith humanitarian aid and human rights projects, events, reports, legal defense, and workshops. It is the cornerstone of why our organization was founded. Our mission is to transform, alleviate, educate, and protect the lives of underprivileged individuals and minority communities impacted by disasters and suffering from hunger, illiteracy, diseases, or from violation of civil and human rights into informed and vibrant members of society by fostering sustainable programs regardless of color, race, religion, or creed.
We encourage further collaboration with the Jewish community from your readers, both local and abroad, who are always welcome to send their thoughts and ideas about potential partnerships to us at contact@unitedsikhs.org or via social media on Twitter (@UNITEDSIKHS). We look forward to furthering our work together towards creating a more just and equal world.
Jatinder Singh
Global director of Sikh aid programs
UNITED SIKHS
Carteret
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