In the common childhood game of telephone, a phrase is whispered from one person to the next until the last person repeats what is inevitably a distorted version of the original. A version of this game played out over the weekend, albeit unintentionally, when reports came out of a new policy instituted by the City University of New York (CUNY) to augment their racial categorization by adding a White/Jewish category for faculty applicants. As it turns out, while CUNY had held focus groups of Jewish faculty to discuss diversity, and labeled it White/Jewish, the idea of an official check box seemingly came out of the blue. But it didn't. Just like in telephone, where the final distorted phrase often reflects the thoughts, concerns and humor of those who pass the message along, the flawed report of CUNY's misstep reflects a conversation about Jewish identity that is bubbling up and seeping through the cracks of what it means to be Jewish in America.
The Chronicle of Higher Education's Peter Wood, arguing the predominantly conservative objection to any focus upon racial diversity as a way to improve education, notes that identity group labels "can have the unintended consequence of stigmatizing members of the designated groups." He does not, however explain who might feel stigmatized and why. The problem with a category designated for "White/Jewish," but no other Jewish/racial combination rests on the assumption that Jewish identity is restricted to or only an identity of import for white people. This assumption is widely held both outside and inside the Jewish community and the inaccuracy of it is what sparked the game of "telephone" and is fueling the continuing backlash.
I affectionately call this limited understanding of diversity, race and Judaism the "Woody Allen Syndrome." In other words, a well meaning person might think to him or herself, "Well, I don't know much about Jews, but I know Woody Allen is Jewish, and Woody Allen is white, so all Jews must be white." Absurd, right? As funny and emblematic of a certain kind of neurotic Jewish mindset as Woody Allen is, what could be more ridiculous than assuming that he represents all Jews.
Except this sort of "Woody Allen" thinking happens all the time when it comes to equating Jewish with white, even among Jews. Twenty percent of Jews in the United States are racially, ethnically or culturally diverse. Yet, each year when my organization, Be'chol Lashon, seeks to find children's books with Jewish themes that highlight or at least include Jews of Asian, African or Middle Eastern heritage, we are often left scrambling for appropriate offerings. Most students go through Hebrew school, Jewish camp or Jewish studies classes without learning about the history, food or culture of Greek, Yemenite, Iraqi or Ugandan Jews. Almost daily we hear from individuals who are grateful that there is a Jewish group somewhere that understands the complexity of Jewish identity and does not first ask if they are "really" Jewish. The "Woody Allen" mindset leaves 20 percent of Jews underrepresented and unduly scrutinized.
Diversity among Jews is not a new or a specifically American phenomenon. From ancient times through today, Jews have been a global people, spanning a range of cultural identity and skin colors. The Babylonian Talmud that is the foundation of Jewish law and lore was written not by men with white complexions in long black coats, but by men whose skin color reflected the region in which they lived. One of the greatest Jewish thinkers of all time, Rabbi Solomon ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides, knew nothing of central and eastern Europe or the Ashkenazi Jews who lived there but was well familiar with the Moorish culture of the Iberian Peninsula where he lived. The assumption that Jews are white is a relatively new phenomenon and has to do with the success of Jewish assimilation and the history of privileging whiteness. Moreover, in the shadow of the Holocaust, racializing Jewishness has highly problematic overtones.
If the CUNY flap tells us anything, it tells us that it is time we engage in an honest discussion about racial and ethnic diversity in the Jewish community, as well as the broader issue of multi-layered identities among all peoples. A broad look at both Jewish history and the Jewish people today tells you that racial and ethnic diversity is a defining aspect of Jewish identity rather than an anomaly to be overlooked. How we address multiple identities, whether as part of Jewish identity or not, is unclear. Do we add an infinite number of boxes one can check to fully express one's personal identity choices? Do we eliminate them altogether? No one knows, yet. But we do know that we cannot avoid this issue. Humanity is becoming more and more integrated, and the Jewish people in the past and present exemplify the blending of national, ethnic and racial identity that makes singular identification obsolete. The concerns over how one of the largest institutions in one of the most diverse, and Jewish, cities on earth perceives Jewish racial identity reveals an underlying need to address this uncomfortable issue. Despite the reluctance to have this discussion willingly and candidly, it will happen. It is happening. And it makes sense that it is beginning in New York, where Be'chol Lashon works with leaders of Jewish communities originating from Colombia to Syria to India. But it will not stay there. Yes, Woody Allen is Jewish and he is white. But that is only one part of the story.
Diane Tobin is the Founder and Director of Be'chol Lashon.org, an organization that celebrates the historical and contemporary diversity of the Jewish people. Follow us on Twitter
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up. That all who believe in him should be saved. Some will mock but some will see, believe and be saved.,
My best friends to this day, randomly because there were not many of them where I lived, have been Iraqi Jews
Is it because Jews are culturally alike? They aren't. Woody Allen doesn't equal Mill Maher doesn't equal Avigdor Lieberman.
So somehow they're a "race" without sharing (1) Any ethnicity (2) Any religion (3) Any language (4) Any culture
I don't see why a label of "human" doesn't suffice as a "race".
I am sure the Kennedys are not losing too much sleep over this once accepted "knowledge".
This watershed moment in Jewish history was when Moses Mendelshon and some forward looking rabbis had had enough of the obscurantism, bigotry and tribalist separatism of Rabbinism or Talmudism (still visible among the Haredim today). Henceforth, it was determined that enlightened (Reform) Judaism would be the Jewish counterpart to Unitarianism in the Christian world, i.e., a minimalist creedal system centered around an ethical monotheism. This movement was instrumental in the drive for assimilation into Western European society, particularly German society, and led to the many contributions which Jewish individuals made to Western European culture.
In the article, the statement: "Humanity is becoming more and more integrated, and the Jewish people in the past and present exemplify the blending of national, ethnic and racial identity that makes singular identification obsolete." --comes close to addressing the issue, but not close enough.
Singular identification is historically divisive, even when people are 'proud' of what and who they are.
Self-identified ethnic representation can be culturally rich, but I'm most happy when checking the box for 'OTHER.'
As for "divisiveness", the same argument (fallacious at best) can and sometimes is made with regard to "gender", but I don't see that of most BASIC of human distinctions going away anytime soon because a hermaphrodyte in Kansas City, MO wishes it so.
In the States, especially in the public arena (as opposed to private disclosures on a form or between people), the concept of race is abused deliberately to gain political profit or mileage.
People should identify as who they are and not have to explain themselves to anyone, ESPECIALLY political charlatans who only want to exploit race for their own benefit.
Ethnic (self) identification seems at least more likely to capture the demographics of a place, should one need to capture it for, as you say, various, often suspect reasons. Race just seems to be the worst of the categories as far as it sounding, somehow, scientific.
As for gender, I'm sure there are numbers of non-hermaphrodites who see the question as complicated for them.