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    Over 40% of Jewish students report anti-Semitism on their campus, a third say anti-israel protests target Jews. Sally kohn: for Jewish students, accusations of racism can negatively impact their college experience. She says young Jews are committed to an expansive and inclusive vision of the 21st century.

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    Over 40% of Jewish students report anti-Semitism on their campus, a third say anti-israel protests target Jews. Sally kohn: for Jewish students, accusations of racism can negatively impact their college experience. She says young Jews are committed to an expansive and inclusive vision of the 21st century.

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    23 views3 pages

    Facing Racism Op

    Uploaded by

    JewishResearch
    Over 40% of Jewish students report anti-Semitism on their campus, a third say anti-israel protests target Jews. Sally kohn: for Jewish students, accusations of racism can negatively impact their college experience. She says young Jews are committed to an expansive and inclusive vision of the 21st century.

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    FA CI NG T HE CHAR GE O F R ACI SM : NEW RE SE AR CH ON JE WIS H S TU DE NT I D ENTI T Y

    A RY E H WE IN B ERG IN S TI TU TE F OR J EW I SH & C OMMUNI T Y RES E ARC H


    ewishstudentstodayfacemanychallengeson Americancollegecampuses.Ontopofthedif ficultiescommontoallstudents,Jewishstu dentsarethrustintothemiddleofanemotionally chargedandoftenvitriolicIsraeldebatethat demonizesIsraelanditssupporters.Over40%of JewishstudentsreportantiSemitismontheir campusandnearlyonethirdassertthatanti IsraelproteststargetJews.1 Jewishstudentsbear thebruntofsweepingchargesofgenocide, apartheid,colonizationandracismleveledagainst theJewishstate. WhethertheyareactivesupportersofIsraelor not,Jewishstudentsinternalizeagreatdealof thevilificationaimedatIsrael.Perhapsnoneof theaccusationsagainstIsrael,andbyextension Jews,isashurtfulandfrustratingasthechargeof racism.Accusationsofracismhavebecomeasta pleofantiIsraelprotestoncampusand,for Jewishstudents,thesechargescannegatively impacttheircollegeexperienceandraiseimpor tantquestionsabouttheirJewishidentity. Examplesarewideranging,andvalidatedbyfac ultywhoframeIsraelandZionismasadiseased ideologyofethnocentricnationalismandracism thatwearefamiliarwithfromSouthAfrican apartheidandEuropeanfascism,asstatedby

    YaleUniversityprofessorMazinQumsiyeh2 orthat Zionismisaracistmovement...Israelisaracist state,asstatedbyColumbiaUniversityprofessor JosephMassad.3 Theironyoftheracismaccusationisthatyoung Jewsarefirmlycommittedtotheglobalworldin whichtheylive.Theyembraceaworldwithper meableboundariesandmultipleidentitiesthat celebrateandvalidatediversity,asdomostyoung Americans.4 Itshouldcomeasnosurprisethat Jewishstudentsarecommittedtoanexpansive andinclusivevisionoftheworld.Manyareraised inhomesthatreflectthechangingdemographics ofthe21stcentury.

    1.AryehWeinberg,AloneontheQuad:UnderstandingJewishStudentIsolationonCampus,IJCR 2.MazinQumsiyah,lettertotheeditor,Commentary,March2005. 3.JosephMassad,PostOsloSolidarity,AlAhramWeeklyOnline,February26,2003. 4.PewreportsthatMillennialsaremoreraciallydiversethanpreviousgenerations.http://pewresearch.org

    2012Allrightsreserved.InstututeforJewish&CommunityResearch.

    I NS T IT U T E FOR J EW I S H & COM M UN IT Y R E S EA RC H W W W . J EW IS H R ES E AR CH .OR G

    diverserangeashighas20%ofthetotalUnited StatesJewishpopulation5 and,abroad,Jewish communitiesfromtheMiddleEast,India,Africa, AsiaandLatinAmericabeliethenotionofJews assolelyaEuropeanpeople.Unfortunately,this aspectofJewishidentityreceiveslessattention thanitshould,notonlyoutsidetheJewishcom munity,butalsowithin. Asaresult,Jewishstudentsfindthemselvesleft inthelurch.Themosteffectivedefenseagainst chargesofracismistoembraceandcelebrate thefullspectrumofJewishidentity.Moreover, thisisexactlywhatyoungJewswantfromthe Jewishcommunity.Theywanttoreconciletheir globalidentitywithaJewishcommunitythatthey oftenseeasinsular.

    TwentypercentofallJewishstudentswereraised infamiliesthatincludeatleastonememberwho isSephardicorMizrahi.Fortypercentgrewupin familieswithatleastonefamilymemberwhois Black,Asian,HispanicorothernonCaucasian. Combined,nearlyhalf(45%)ofJewishcollege studentsarrivedoncampushavingbeenraisedin afamilywithsomelevelofdiversity. Ifthisissurprising,itshouldnotbe.Historically, Jewsareoneofthemostdiverseandglobalpeo pleintheworld.Estimatesofthepercentof AmericanJewswhoareethnicallyandracially

    Nearlyhalf(46%)ofJewishstudentsresponded thatJudaismwouldbemoreappealingtothemif itwasmoreethnicallyandraciallyinclusive.An additional20%wereunsure.Onlyonethirdof Jewishstudentsfeelsatisfiedwiththelevelof inclusivenessintheJewishcommunity.


    5.http://bechollashon.org/population/counting_color/counting_color.php IN ST I T UT E FO R J EW I S H & CO MM UN IT Y RE S EA R CH W W W . J EW I S HR ES E AR CH .OR G

    Globalizationandtechnologyexpandtherangeof choicesandwaysofidentifyingforyoungergen erationsofJews.Theyrelatetoamoreinterna tionalvisionoftheJewishpeoplethatcontrasts sharplywiththedepictionofIsraelandthe Jewishpeopleoncampustoday.TheJewishcom munityshouldmakeeveryefforttodemonstrate howfarthisdepictiondeviatesfromreality. Highlightingandcelebratingthemultiplicityof Jewishidentityisessentialnotonlytocountering themisrepresentationofIsraelandJewsoncam pus,butalsotothegoalofensuringtheengage mentofyoungJewsinJewishlife.Thesituationis serendipitous.Twoofthemostpressingconcerns facingtheJewishcommunity,continuityandthe reputationofIsrael,canbemeaningfullyimpact edsimplybyrecognizingandembracingafunda mentalaspectoftheJewishpeople:Itsdiversity.

    IN S TI T UTE F OR J EW I SH & C OMMUNI T Y RES E AR CH


    TheInstituteforJewish&Community Research(IJCR)isanindependent, nonpartisanthinktankthatprovides innovativeresearchandpragmaticpol icyanalysisonabroadrangeofissues includingracialandreligiousidentity, philanthropy,andantiSemitism. Formoreinformationcontact: AryehWeinberg ResearchDirector InstituteforJewish& CommunityResearch 415.386.2604 www.JewishResearch.org

    IN ST I T UT E FO R J EW I S H & CO MM UN IT Y RE S EA R CH W W W . J EW I S HR ES E AR CH .OR G

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