Rabbi Sandra Lawson | NC Out100 recipient is Black, Jewish, Army Veteran and musician, uses the many hats as her superpower

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Rabbi Sandra Lawson wears many hats as a U.S. Army veteran, activist, musician and executive director of Carolina Jews for Justice. Her unassuming appearance as a Black woman often allows her to educate people.

“There’s racial bias in the Jewish community. The idea that Jews are white is a myth. I can walk into a Jewish space and not be tracked as Jewish or a rabbi. That’s a superpower I have. I can go under the radar in many ways. When people know I am a rabbi, they often don’t believe that or they try to challenge me, which is kind of sad,” she said.

“A lot of Jews in this country still believe that, maybe not intellectually, but in their conscience, think that Jews have a certain look or last name. All those things are from a lineage called Askenazi, which translates to Eastern Europe.”

Rabbi Lawson was ordained in 2018. Her first professional position was as a chaplain for seniors. She then became an Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life on the campus of Elon University. She felt called to do more after the racial reckoning following George Floyd’s death.

“After 2021, that was after Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. The culture was totally different than where we are now. I would say in my 20s and 30s, I was definitely an activist. I think today I might call myself an advocate,” said Rabbi Lawson. “I was doing a lot of public speaking, helping white Jews understand that moment. I had conversations with rabbis and Jewish leaders who thought racism was over. Why are people so angry? Why are they protesting in the street? Or, I’ve always known racism existed and I’ve done nothing. What can we do about it? So, I started having more conversations with Reconstructing Judaism, which is an umbrella organization I was ordained under. We were ordaining more Black and brown rabbis. We had more Black and brown rabbinical students.”