Qualitative interviews not only provide more detail but reveal the lived experiences of identities. “Our interviewees tell us not just what they experienced, but how they experienced it—how it made them feel, how it shaped how they relate to the space they experienced it in.”
Research
We believed Jews of Color across the U.S. would be ready to share their experiences and perspectives to help make an equitable future for the entire community of Jews of Color. They were.
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.
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.