Hebrew Union College Commemorates Juneteenth
June 19, 2025
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, and in just a few short years, the world has changed in ways few could have predicted. That year, we asked members of our community to reflect on what Juneteenth means to them. Their powerful responses remain just as meaningful today, offering a sense of comfort and clarity in turbulent times.
As we mark Juneteenth this year, we invite you to use the reflections and music below as meaningful ways to honor the day and deepen your engagement.
Reflections: What Juneteenth Means to Me
Kristin Young
Director of HUC Connect, Special Projects Manager, President’s Office
“It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly when Juneteenth became a more mainstream celebration, but the onset of its popularity seems to have happened rather suddenly. In 2016, the show ‘Atlanta’ on FX had an episode dedicated to the holiday. Two years later, I attended a themed networking event with soul food and performances by Black artists. Shortly thereafter, Juneteenth was recognized by large corporations, and discussions arose about making it a national holiday. However, I never celebrated Juneteenth growing up. In fact, I learned from other family and friends who also grew up in Philadelphia that they didn’t celebrate it either. I understand that the recognition of the holiday is more significant in different regions of this country. But why didn’t I learn about Juneteenth in elementary or high school? Why is it that the world cares to pay attention to Juneteenth now? If I’m honest, I feel some resentment that this early-summer holiday, in honor of my ancestors, wasn’t a bigger part of my life until more recently. Resentful that the significance of this day — an acknowledgement that enslaved people were afterthoughts in being informed of their own freedom — is almost canonical vis-à-vis the erasure of Black history in this country, alongside the Tulsa Riots of 1921 and the original ‘stocks’ traded on Wall Street. That said, as diversity and inclusion efforts are being prioritized nationally, I am grateful for the visibility that Juneteenth offers to Black people, Black culture, and Black history. I am grateful to be learning more about this country’s past, even if it does feel like an afterthought.”
Joshua Holo, Ph.D.
Vice President of Academic Resources; Associate Professor of Jewish History
“In Judaism, the shofar blast wakes the people up to important events, because sometimes we are slow to fulfill our obligations. After the Civil War, some states still resisted Emancipation, so the announcement of General Order No. 3 by the Union Army in Texas, on June 19th, 1865, was America’s shofar blast for freedom.”
Spencer Mandell
Fifth-Year Rabbinical Student
“Juneteenth is a holiday that holds a unique place in my Jewish consciousness. It is a celebration of freedom, and a reminder to continue the fight for justice. Our Jewish tradition commands us to pursue equality for all. In America, our brief history has discriminated against minorities and especially the Black community. Juneteenth celebrates freedom, but reminds me to pursue the higher goals of creating more peace in the world within the lives of people that have been systematically discriminated against. Juneteenth is about justice, not just as a goal, but as an active endeavor.”
Watch
“TOTAL PRAISE”
Performed by Cantor David Fair ’21
The song “Total Praise” was written by Richard Smallwood. He wrote it in a particularly dark time in his life, when both his mother and godbrother were terminally ill. He said that he felt called to write a song about his sorrow, but as he began to write, he felt himself not speaking of his sadness, but of his unfailing faith in God. He wrote, “Praying… when everything is going well and you have so much to praise God for, is easy. But the challenge is learning how to praise God when you are in a dark situation and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.” This song fuses the Christian gospel tradition with Judaism, as it uses words from the Psalms, which are so core to both faith traditions. Smallwood goes on to use the phrase “This too shall pass” as another phrase of inspiration for the song, which is commonly known to be Solomon’s words, and thus, another instance of sharing our faiths with each other. I created this video as the finale of my Cantorial Recital. It was important for me to show the Hebrew Union College community an equal amount of Black faces and White faces for this project. I wanted to show that unity between the races is not only possible, but can create a sound that is holy. Our skin tones may differ, but the music of our souls harmonize between all colors of skins. This is truly a kehillah kedosha — a holy community.
We Shall Overcome
Let freedom ring today. For many Black Americans, Independence Day is eclipsed in significance by Juneteenth. June 19, 1865, commemorates the date on which enslaved people in Texas were informed that slavery had ended, two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Nearly 100 years later, on February 26, 1965, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a sermon at Temple Israel of Hollywood in which he spoke of the Black community’s continued struggle to be free and reach a promised land that existed not only on paper, but in practice. In his sermon that day, Dr. King called for the congregation at Temple Israel to join him, in brotherhood, in the effort to guarantee “collective fulfillment” of a promised land for all.
In honor of Juneteenth and Dr. King’s plea for partnership in this journey towards equality, please enjoy this musical offering by five of our staff members.
Arr. by Renato Tagliabue, sung by Hebrew Union College Staff: Roseanne Ackerley, Ilana Goldberg, Amanda Kelly, Melanie Leinbach and Kristin Young.
Listen
Racial Justice Playlist
In honor of Juneteenth, we created the HUC Connect Racial Justice Playlist, which highlights some of the groundbreaking, critical thinkers who have appeared in our HUC Connect Webinars and College Commons Podcasts.