What if we weren’t afraid to ask the hard questions? You know, the ones that compel those of us with privilege to reflect honestly about our own status. To ask the kind of questions that might force us to get uncomfortable and acknowledge when we may have made people feel like outsiders, even inside our own Jewish community. Within Klal Yisrael, where diverse races, ethnicities, sexualities, genders, and socio-economic statuses always have thrived, what if we all dedicated ourselves to making those most marginalized among us feel elevated? To building a community where those with non-Ashkenazi heritage never have to face the question, “Are you sure you’re in the right place?” To fostering congregations where those with darker skin aren’t asked, “Well, so when did you choose to become Jewish?” To creating spaces where people do not have to hear, “Yes, but where are you really from?” I would submit that we would find our community a more vibrant and nourishing one if we embraced the full breadth of our multi-racial, multi-ethnic background, including Jews of all different colors, traditions, families, and cultures. We appropriately spend a lot of time fighting our external adversaries, those who would wish us harm, and who threaten our safety. However, our status also might be strengthened and our communities more secure if we could allocate some energy to focus internally, to work on ourselves and our own biases, so that we allow our Jewish brothers and sisters to show up as their full selves, safeguarded not just from anti-Semitism, but also the racism, xenophobia, sexism and homophobia that sometimes is manifest in our community. If we could start with our own questions, probing the biases we unintentionally carry and choosing to act intentionally to address those misperceptions and the prejudices that underlie them, I believe the answers would help us to make powerful strides in the journey towards creating a more just and equitable world.
