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Jews Of Color

C

However, existing with these labels can
onverting to Judaism is the best
at times lead to feeling unheard or isolated,
decision I’ve made in my entire
even unintentionally, by the broader Jewish
life. It has given me the chance to
community. Recently, Rabbi Alana Alpert
connect to my Jewish heritage that was
(rabbi at Congregation T’chiyah in Oak
unfortunately quelled due to American
Park and director of Detroit Jews for
Christian hegemony. It has
Justice) invited me and other Jews of
provided me with a path of
color into her home for dinner and
righteous love, a rich and
conversation, facilitated by Aurora
endless depth of wisdom
Levins Morales, a brilliant indigenous
and insight, and a beautiful,
Puerto Rican Jewish storyteller. The
diverse culture that I get to
evening was validating and warm
claim as my own.
and just what my black Jewish soul
As a Jew who is also African
needed.
American, I wear my back-
Chris Harrison
Throughout the night, as wine
ground with pride. I have
poured and we savored grape leaves
no reason to segregate my
and lentils and rice, we became uni-
identities; I recognize their
fied through telling our stories. We
respective complexities but
realized that even though we may
relish in every way how they
come from different backgrounds and
intersect and enrich me. I even had the
nationalities and levels of observance, our
recent honor of being accepted into the
story as Jews of color is one.
JewV’Nation Fellowship, a leadership
As Aurora told me, “There’s this wonder-
cohort through the Union for Reform
Judaism. This has allowed me to connect ful mutual affirmation and recognition that
with brilliant Jewish professionals of color happens even when our stories are differ-
across North America and develop projects ent; there are pieces of the story that every-
body recognizes. It’s very joyful for me to
to enrich the Jewish experience for indi-
experience that because I get affirmation
viduals of color and their communities.

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8

May 31 • 2018

jn

from it ... and it just reinforces my deep-
rooted belief in the power of storytelling.”
As we each talked about our experiences
as individuals of color in the Jewish com-
munity, I loved the instant identification
with our stories from everybody in the
room. The low, warm sounds of the vari-
ous “mmhmms,” the snapping of fingers in
agreement, the nods of empathy that could
only be that deeply understood by others
who have experienced what we have.
In some way, we’ve all been outsiders
within a group of outsiders. We’ve been
told that you can’t be both Jewish and
black/Latinx/Indigenous/Asian/etc. We’ve
had our identities questioned because they
don’t fit into the “white Ashkenormative”
model of Jewish existence. We’ve had to
take extra steps to “act” or “look” Jewish
to prove our identities in ways that white-
passing Jews rarely have to. We’ve had to
smile and nod when faced with microag-
gressions from well-meaning individuals
so as not to disrupt their comfort or, even
worse, conform to whatever subconscious
stereotypes they may have about us.
Despite the challenges that we as Jews
of color face and the work that still needs
to be done to repair and include us, it is
important to note that progress is being
made. Speaking from my own experience,
I feel fully welcomed as a Jew of color at
Congregation T’chiyah. I feel accepted and
loved because of my identity, not in spite
of it, and yet I also never feel tokenized. I
relate to what Aurora said about her expe-
rience with her synagogue, that “[the con-
gregation is] warm to all of me, not the idea
of me that’s comfortable.”
Aurora stated that her congregation’s
journey to inclusivity was not without its
obstacles, particularly the task of sitting in
discomfort and analyzing the ways they
may be indirectly contributing to exclud-
ing its members of color. However, she
mentioned that a lot of good has come
from that intense self-reflection; that over
time, “people have become more aware of
the need to just see something deeper and
more intentional and looking inward at our
own community, not just outward.”
When I look at the future of Judaism,
I acknowledge all the challenges that
lay ahead to amplify its voices of color.
Regardless, I am nonetheless hopeful and
excited to be an architect of change along-
side my fellow Jews of color and our incred-
ible allies.
Judaism has never once been a path of
least resistance; it is a beautiful struggle
based in hard work and deep love, and
those values are our tools to foster a
Judaism of inclusivity and acceptance. •

The Power Of
Jewish Unity

I can’t remember when Jews
were as polarized as they are
today. The May 17 issue of the
Jewish News shows this schism,
displaying some of the intense
disagreements regarding Trump’s
withdrawal from the Iran deal
(the JCPOA) as well as the con-
troversial installation of the new
U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
Thankfully, the stories cel-
ebrating Israel in the Jewish News
highlighted unity rather than
division, especially the power-
ful, stunning essay by IDF Lone
Soldier from Southfield, Zach
Herschfus (“Our Secret Weapon,”
page 22.) It is virtually impossi-
ble to feel animosity toward any
Jew when reading about Zach
standing at Raphael Mordechai’s
grave at the National Memorial
Ceremony on Israel’s Memorial
Day, next to Raphael’s father and
family.
Mordechai’s father, 45 years
after his son died in the 1973
Yom Kippur War, grabbed and
squeezed Zach’s hand during
the 11 a.m. siren, accompanied
by “pure silence,” tears stream-
ing down both of their faces. “In
that powerful moment in time,
I understood the meaning of my
mission,” Zach wrote.
One begins to feel faith again
in our fractured Jewish com-
munity when 20-year-old Zach
explains that he and Raphael’s
dad “were sharing the pain
of loss and at the same time
the pride in what Raphael
Mordechai had given for the
country … as everyone across
the country set aside their dif-
ferences and came together
(on Yom Hazikaron and Yom
HaAtzmaut) in sorrow and tran-
sitioned into pure joy.”
How can we not feel a strong
sense of hopefulness with
Herschfus’ inspirational conclu-
sion that “unity is the strongest
weapon the Jewish people have,
our super power?”
Zach believed that this sig-
nificant moment was his “most
meaningful and important
mission yet,” taking his part in
“activating the super power of
our nation as we stood together
in unity.”
Amen.

Arnie Goldman
Farmington Hills