Understanding Jewish identity

- Who are the Jewish people? This may seem like an odd way to start this conversation, but a proper understanding of Jewish identity and history is central to combating antisemitism. Many people think of Jews as a white religious community, however, this isn't how we as Jews understand ourselves. Jews define ourselves as a people encompassing aspects of shared history, culture, nationality, and ethnicity. You may have heard of Judaism, which is the name of the religion of the Jewish people. While many members of the Jewish people also practice Judaism, not all do. In fact, according to Pew Research, "One of the fastest growing segments of the US Jewish population are Jews of no religion." When someone converts to Judaism, they're joining a people, and the process involves both religious and cultural practice. We have to see Jewish people as being broader than only a religious community. Jews have many intersecting identities. Most of the world's Jews either live in the US or Israel. Many have European backgrounds, and many do not. Our best data indicate that 15% to 20% of Jews in the United States identify as Jews of color. In countries with different racial dynamics, many Jews wouldn't be racialized as white. The majority of the Jewish population in Israel, for example, are descended from Jewish refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. If we assume that all Jews are white, we're erasing the lived experiences of people like me, my family, and other Jews of color around the world. And we have to remember that most people in the Middle East, and globally, would not use these US racial frameworks to define differences in their communities. Jewish people are often miscategorized because they don't fit neatly into frameworks offered by the societies in which they live. Because Jews are a minority everywhere except for Israel, they don't have the ability to define social categories. Instead, Jews are often forced to try to blend into categories that don't fit them appropriately. As an example, in the US, our standards for race and religion are typically based on whiteness and Christianity, but the Jewish people aren't all white, and a purely religious framework can't capture all of the Jewish people. Jews should be able to define ourselves and our experiences just like any other group. Jews understand ourselves as an ethnically and culturally diverse people, and not only as a religion. All Jews definitely can't be defined as having the same skin color. As you navigate concerns about antisemitism, it's important to remember, the Jewish community is diverse. Don't assume that all Jews share the same background, or that any individual represents the entire Jewish community because they fit your preexisting ideas about who and what Jews are. With this grounding in Jewish identity, understanding Jews as a people with a collective national identity, you'll be better equipped to identify and disrupt anti-Jewish ideas.