The Face of Judaism in 20 Years?
Says Gary Tobin, president of the San Francisco-based Institute for Jewish & Community Research,
“We fully expect over the next 20 years for the face of Judaism (in the United States) to change dramatically from largely a white, Eastern or Central European group to include many more Asians, Latinos and blacks.”
I just don’t see this one happening, sorry Gary.
haha yea, i have met some Jews that resulted in our little simmerin melting pot – for example, a large black man who grew up in a Jewish/Maoist household in Brooklyn. If that happens further, amen.
Well,
the traditional sefaradi Jews are still reproducing unlike their ‘impotent’ assimilated ashkenazi folk (who are satisfied with 2 kids adn a dog) so I think that the white Jew image is becoming a bit passe for the whole tribe. On top of that, sefaradi Jews are still a bit proud of their heritage unlike the ‘assimilated heebs’.
Josh – bit of an unfair statement to say that “sefaradi Jews are still a bit proud of their heritage unlike the ‘assimilated heebs’.”
Sounds like you have an issue for Askenazi Jews?
I can only speak from personal experience. Being the child of an Ashkenazi father and a Sefardi mother, it seems that the sefardi side is much more /proud/ of their “sefardi” heritage. Ashkenazi Jews are more proud to be Jews than they are to be specifically Ashkenazi. Whereas the gentile world has ability to cast Ashkenazim as archetypical Jewish victims, sefardi pride arises out of the attempt to distinguish between being jewish and being a victim. Not to mention sefardi judaism can play off all the exoticizing that American culture does to ethnic groups that fall outside of Europe.
my sister in law is a black lubavitcher.. (part asian and part sioux indian)
Not to mention sefardi judaism can play off all the exoticizing that American culture does to ethnic groups that fall outside of Europe. Indeed — there’s a lot of that these days. Orientalism: fun for the whole family!
I think I agree with Eli on that one, I have an Ashkenazi mother and Sephardic father, and I also feel that Sephards tend to be a bit prouder of the national origins. As for exotic origins? I guess being half Iraqi now possesses some interesting connotations at the moment.
“Latino†Jews? Well, there are the Sefaradis, and then there are Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Ashkenase of South America, who get to be Sefaradis Honoris Causa.
Among the Sefaradis, Iraqis, Yemenites, etc. the aspiration to assimilate within Euro-Christian civilisation was never all that big a thing to begin with, although we manage to integrate rather well in it. Which might explain we have less complexes about it.
Given that Israel is where Jewish population is growing, and given that in Israel, even Ashkes are “going nativeâ€, that is: shedding diaspora habits and retrieving (you might say “reclaimingâ€) local colour, they are adapting to the scenary becoming more like the Levantines.
As for Black Jews, well there are Afro-Caribbean Ashkenases who spread form the Dutch West-Indies, and then there are a few (even fewer remain today) who lived for centuries in Central and Eastern Europe, but they aren’t distinct communities.
Anyway.
In the XXIst century, Jewdom is getting darker, so we might as well enjoy it.
Gam zo l’tova.
er, get out of new york and try a synagogue in california. there are more colorful jews out here than you ever dreamed. i am talking asian, black, latino jews by choice, i am talking transracially adopted children, i am talking children of interracial marriages…it’s not so white out here. think again.
Why the heck are we so frascinated about who is a Jew. Askenazi or Sephardi, it doesn’t really matter, what matters is how they act as Jews.
After all, a certain Mr Hitler didn’t give a f@@k if you were Askenazi or Sephardi and we shouldn’t be insulting one over the other.
Just wanted to Note, that we shouldn’t hate each other, if someone from the out side will see, and obviously they do see and read what we say, will see how much hate there is among us, that will cause a disaster.
Start loving one another, do not go to the path of “Sinaat Hinam”, I love you all, ashkenazi, sefardi, Yamini, all.
By the way I am Just a Jew, 12 generations in Israel,
Probably Sepharadic origins, but who cares, I am glad to be born in our free land, and hope you will all be free of the ” Galot”
Peace and Love among US,
An Israeli Soldier fighting for our freedome.