JFS Board President Joe Volman and JFS CEO Lino Covarrubias announce the establishment of the Committee on Anti-Racism and Fighting Antisemitism at JFS.
The purpose of this committee will be to develop long term strategies to address hate, discrimination and bigotry in our community in order to accelerate social equity and inclusion in our neighborhoods and across organizations.
In the JFS Statement of Commitment, June 4, 2020, Standing Together in the Struggle for Justice, Covarrubias laid the foundation for this important work and the establishment of this community-wide initiative will enable diverse forces to take a united stand against acts of hate and violence when they occur.
“Never before has it been more important for JFS to stand up for the injustice and suffering caused by racism and antisemitism in our Metrowest community,” said Covarrubias. “We are witnessing a revolution and JFS must be a community leader in this struggle. As Max Michelson (z”l) would say, do not stay silent, do not be a bystander. Act! And that is exactly what JFS will do. We announce a great committee that will do very important work throughout the year.”
This committee brings together thought leaders from across industry sectors, including the following board members, community faith leaders and partner representatives:
BOARD MEMBERS
Chair: Fernando Castro
– JFS Board Member, serves on the Immigrant Services committee
Mr. Castro is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the Brazilian community in Massachusetts. He is the owner of Income Tax Plus and other businesses, and a philanthropist who has helped many organizations in the area, such as the Brazilian Women’s Group and the Brazilian Immigrant Center. He is also a co-founder of the “Digaai Space” in Boston, an organization that aims to aggregate and curate Brazilian cultural manifestations abroad, serving as a bridge for Brazilian immigrant communities across the world.
Co-Chair: Robin Welch
– Former JFS Board Member
Mr. Welch is a retired Elementary School Principal who spent 36 years as an educator in school systems across Eastern Massachusetts. In the wake and aftermath of the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, JFS held a virtual staff meeting dedicated solely to a conversation around racial injustice, and to allow space for staff reflection and dialogue. The conversation was facilitated by Mr. Welch who offered his perspective as an educator and community member. Recently, we sat down with Mr. Welch to discuss Massachusetts’s new genocide education bill. Click here to read the interview.
Elana Margolis
– JFS Board Member
Ms. Margolis is Senior Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Ms. Margolis’ earlier work was as a professional leader at JCRC, and also was Chief of Staff at Executive Office of Elder Affairs. She has long term ties to JFS and has been a strong advocate. Ms. Margolis brings vast knowledge and strategic insight and she has deep Jewish communal and governmental connections.
FAITH LEADERS
Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd
– Greater Framingham Community Church
Rev. Dr. Lloyd serves as the pastor of the Greater Framingham Community Church. Rev. Dr. Lloyd graduated from Houghton College in Houghton, NY, with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in ministry. In 1982, he received a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary of Hamilton, MA. At Gordon-Conwell, he was a recipient of the Benjamin E. Mays Fellowship for ministry, and Dr. Martin Luther King Award for outstanding leadership. In 1996 he received his Doctor of Ministry degree in the area of Preaching for Social Change from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH. Rev. Dr. Lloyd served as the Assistant and Associate Dean of Students at Gordon College, Wenham, MA for twenty years and continues to serves as adjunct faculty member at the Center for Urban Ministerial Education, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Boston, MA. Rev. Dr. Lloyd has traveled and ministered in the Virgin Islands, Mexico, England, Israel, Canada, Europe, East, West, and South Africa, in addition to the Caribbean.
Rabbi Alli
son Poirier
– Temple Beth Sholom
Rabbi Poirier joined the Temple Beth Sholom community in July 2019, and is TBS’s first female rabbi. She has dual undergraduate degrees from Barnard College and the Albert A. List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary. She received her Rabbinical Ordination and Master’s of Jewish Education from Hebrew College in Newton.
Rev. Deborah Clark
– Edwards Church, Saxonville, MA
(Debbie) has been the pastor of Edwards Church since 1996. A graduate of Amherst College and Harvard Divinity School, she was ordained in 1989 and has served churches in Malden and Winthrop. In 2001, she completed her Doctor of Ministry degree in creative writing. Debbie lives in Framingham with her spouse Fran, who is also an ordained UCC minister, and their dog Jeannie, who is a trained service dog for the ministry. They love to travel, and over the last few decades have gone to India, China, Japan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, the Galapagos, and Costa Rica. As part of her ministry and as an expression of her passion for learning about other religions and spiritual paths, Debbie is Multi-Faith Coordinator for Open Spirit: A Place of Hope, Health & Harmony. She is a Certified Yoga Instructor and teaches Gentle Yoga and Veterans Yoga at Open Spirit. Debbie recently published her first book, Ice Cream at the Ashram: Holy Journey, Holy River, Holy Week.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Dr. Lynn Moore
– MassBay Community College
Dr. Lynn S. Moore, Chief Diversity Officer for MassBay Community College, provides leadership in the development and implementation of a wide range of diversity and inclusion initiatives for community understanding and acceptance of ethnic, cultural, religious, and racial diversity. He collaborates with members of the executive team and administrative offices to enhance campus-wide diversity initiatives. He is also Director of the Students of Color Program at MassBay. Dr. Moore completed his undergraduate education at North Carolina Central University, having majored in Business Administration, before going on to Cambridge College where he obtained a master’s in management, and later a Ph.D. from Capella University in Post-Secondary and Adult Education. He is a longtime member of the Greater Framingham Community Church and serves as a Deacon and the Director of the Vacation Bible School program.
Joseph Corazzini
– Framingham Resident
Mr. Corazzini serves as the VP of Government Affairs at Clark University. The former FPS Assistant Superintendent of Equity, Diversity and Community Engagement earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Master of Science degree in Nonprofit Management from Worcester State University. He is also a graduate of the AASA/Howard University Urban Superintendents Program. Mr. Corazzini has served as the Director of Community Resource Development for the Framingham Public Schools since 2012, and in this time he has expanded the Out of School Time programs and community partnerships in the district. Prior to his work in Framingham, he worked for a number of youth development organizations, including Citizen Schools, Dynamy, the Worcester Education Collaborative and the United Way of Central Massachusetts. At the United Way, he served on the senior leadership team that developed one of the first nationally recognized Promise Neighborhoods, a student-centered wraparound support initiative developed under the Obama Administration. He has extensive experience supporting non-profit organizations in strategic planning, organizational development and diversity initiatives.
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