Race Remixed

A recent series in the NY Times called "Race Remixed" talks about the changing nature of race in America.  I would add that the nature of race in the Jewish community has changed significantly as well.  Some people assume that almost all American Jews are white, of European (mostly Eastern European) descent.  While this may have been true historically, it is not necessarily true today (particularly in the Bay Area!).  If you come to Temple Isaiah, you will find children and adults of many different racial backgrounds.  At times I get questions from parents who are thinking about joining Temple Isaiah, but they have children who are mixed race or some other race besides Caucasian... the parents are concerned that their child/ren will be 'the only one' and will somehow feel left out or different due to their looks.  Luckily, we can reassure those parents that their children will be among a wide variety of children in our community, of all different 'colors' and races.  That being said, I think it's time for an image 'update' of Jewish families in America.

For a couple of visual images, below is a picture of Ganeinu (the "Parenting My Jewish Baby" program at Temple Isaiah) from last winter, followed by a silly picture of our Religious School students at Consecration last year...

In addition to pointing out that our community is more racially mixed than many people would assume, I also want to note that there are new organizations devoted to representing the 'rainbow' of Jewish families out there.  One in particular, Be'chol Lashon, advocates for "the growth and diversity of the Jewish people," and received press earlier this year for its new summer camp for "Jews of Color."

If you are thinking about joining a synagogue but are concerned that it's going to feel 'too white,' worry not!  The Jewish community is (and is becoming) more diverse than you might think!