The Jews of Color Initiative has commissioned a study to be conducted by researchers at Stanford University. This study will go beyond assessing the population counts of Jews of Color, learning about and documenting the diverse and varied experiences and identities of Jews of Color living in the U.S.
Research
As Gorsky pointed out, this is far more common among Jews of Color. “I think there are so many people that don’t even know it’s possible to be not white and be Jewish,” they said with comedic bafflement.
Pettis and Webster are focused on understanding how Jews of Color experience identity not only through internal understandings of oneself but in relation to other people.
As the Jewish community continues to learn from and engage with Beyond the Count: Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Jews of Color, communal leaders are sharing their reflections, wonders, and hopes for what comes next. Adapted from two dynamic panel conversations with Jewish leaders of color, this article shares the voices of Dr. Analucía Lopezrevoredo, Janu Mendel, Ginna Green, Paula Pretlow, Tiffany Harris, and Gamal Palmer.
Built on data from 1,118 survey respondents and 61 interview participants, our study Beyond the Count is painting an unprecedented picture of Jews of Color. Here are the top five teachings we see emerging from this new study.
I hope the findings empower our community. We have to collectively commit to the path of anti-racism and racial justice. We have to accept that the Jewish community is not sustainable if racism exists among us, especially as our community becomes more and more diverse. I hope there is a chorus of “I’ve had enough” from every person in the Jewish community.
The more that we learn about the Jews of Color community, the more we are able to demonstrate the nuanced and varied experiences within it, or the “mosaic nature of the Jewish community,” as Dr. Lopezrevoredo said. Because Beyond the Count researchers used surveys and interviews, the findings from the study will share real experiences and perspectives of Jews of Color. "We’re anything but a monolith.”
There are at least one million Jews of Color in the United States. That’s what the Jews of Color Initiative’s study, Counting Inconsistencies, found. From social media users to other Jewish population researchers, this number has been restructuring perceptions about Jews of Color.
Without having the number of Jews of Color in the U.S., we would continue to face that recurring question, continue to be dismissed as just a tiny fraction of the community. Establishing a data-driven analysis of the number of Jews of Color also helps direct resources toward the community.