This narrow and malicious view aims to erase the rich and diverse tapestry that makes up the Jewish people. It is essential to counter these attacks by highlighting the vibrant diversity in our community, showcasing how Jews from various backgrounds contribute to the beauty and resilience of our identity, including and especially in our homeland, Israel.
The New Antisemitism: Attacking Israel and Jewish Identity
Antisemitism today is not just about overt hate speech or violence against Jews. It also manifests in more insidious ways, such as efforts to delegitimize Israel’s right to exist and the denial of our diverse identities. One of the most destructive aspects of modern antisemitism is the assertion that all “Jews are white,” thereby ignoring the reality that Jews come from a multitude of racial and ethnic backgrounds. This claim is not only false but also profoundly racist, as it seeks to erase the histories and identities of Jews of color.
The True Diversity of Jewish Identity
Contrary to the antisemitic assertion that all Jews are white, the Jewish community is incredibly diverse. Jews are from around the globe, bringing a rich array of cultures, languages, and traditions. This diversity is most vividly illustrated in the modern State of Israel, where Jews from various backgrounds have found a necessary refuge and a place to call home.
Jews from Arab Countries and Iran: Indigenous Middle Easterners Who Never Left
The Jewish communities from Arab countries and Iran provide a striking example of this diversity. For centuries, Jews lived in these regions, contributing to their societies’ cultural and economic lives. However, close to a million Jews were forced to flee during the twentieth century by majority populations and governments after the founding of Israel. Today, Jews with recent origins in Arab countries and Iran make up nearly half of Israel’s population, enriching the nation with their distinct traditions, languages, and cuisines.
Operation Magic Carpet (1949–50), which airlifted the Jewish population of Yemen to Israel, and Operation Ezra and Nehemiah (1951–52) brought the entire “Babylonian Jewish” community of Iraq to Israel, which had lived in Iraq nearly twice as long as their Muslim neighbors who expelled them. Most of the Iranian Jewish community, which dates back to the time of Queen Esther, fled with the rise of the brutal Islamic Republic; the remaining Jewish community in Iran faced severe persecution.
Black Jews and the Ethiopian Community
Black Jews are a critical part of the Jewish story, with a legacy that, according to the Ethiopian Jewish community, dates back to the days of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. This ancient Jewish community, Beta Israel, represents another facet of Jewish diversity. Beta Israel maintained its unique customs and religious practices in relative isolation for centuries.
Faced with threats and discrimination, Israel undertook significant efforts to bring Ethiopian Jews to safety. Operations Moses (1984) and Solomon (1991) are testaments to these efforts, with Operation Solomon airlifting over 14,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in just 36 hours. Today, about 160,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel, contributing to the nation’s vibrant multicultural society and embodying the spirit of Jewish unity and perseverance.
Latin American Jews and the Legacy of Sepharad
As a proud Mexican American Jewish woman, I am intimately familiar with the vibrant Latin American Jewish community, estimated to number over 750,000, with about half of us living in the United States. For instance, the Jewish community in Mexico dates back to the colonial period, with many Jews arriving as Conversos fleeing the Inquisition, later reinforced by Jewish immigrants from many nations. Up to 25 percent of American Hispanics are thought to be of crypto-Jewish origin.
The Argentinian Jewish community, with about 200,000 members, is the largest in Latin America, and Argentina, too, has a president who identifies with the Jewish community. These diverse backgrounds have created a unique and dynamic Jewish culture in Latin American countries, blending traditions and fostering a deep connection to their Jewish and Latin roots.
Furthermore, the other legacy of Jews expelled from the Spanish and Portuguese Empires during the Inquisition is the Sephardic community, from the Hebrew word for “Spain.” Distinct from the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe, Sephardic traditions became dominant in Jewish communities in much of the Mediterranean and beyond.
Asian Jews
Jewish communities in India, such as the Bene Israel of Mumbai and the Cochin Jews of Kerala, have a rich history spanning two millennia or longer of vibrant life in India, integrating with local cultures and the challenges of the caste system while preserving their Jewish identity. Today, there are an estimated 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel.
The once thriving Jewish communities of Central Asia have mostly migrated to Israel and elsewhere since the fall of communism, with an estimated 70,000 Bukharan Jews in the United States and about 150,000 in Israel. The entire Jewish population of Afghanistan also left the region in the late twentieth century with the rise of war and jihadism, with most of them now living in Israel and a small community in Queens, New York.
Survivors of China’s ancient Silk Road Jewish community persist in their longtime center of Kaifeng, with some descendants seeking new lives in Israel in recent years. In the nineteenthth century, the Baghdadi Jews of Iraq and India, including the famous Sassoon family, established Jewish institutions that persist today as the heart of modern Jewish congregations in cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
Confronting the Modern Antisemitism
Modern antisemitism seeks to undermine the Jewish people’s right to self-determination and erase our diverse identities. It is crucial to confront these challenges head-on by educating others about the true nature and powerful history of Jewish identity and the importance of Israel as an inclusive homeland for a profoundly diverse population of Jews.
The Racism of Denying Jewish Identity
Labeling all Jews as white or demanding that we all “go back” to Poland or Brooklyn, New York, as extremists routinely do, is inherently racist and antisemitic. It erases the rich diversity in our community and ignores the myriad multicultural and multiethnic experiences that shape Jewish identity. This reductionist view not only distorts the reality of who we are but also serves as a tool for modern antisemites to undermine our right to self-identify and our connection to each other.
The Jewish People’s Enduring Identity
Throughout millennia of exile, Jews have clung to our identity due to our shared history, family connections, the Hebrew language, and the ongoing experience of being marginalized and persecuted by majority groups almost everywhere we settled. This collective memory and resilience have been essential in preserving our traditions and ensuring our survival despite numerous attempts to eradicate us.
Jewish identity is not monolithic; it is a dynamic and evolving tapestry that reflects the experiences of Jews across different times and places. This diversity is a source of strength, allowing us to adapt and thrive in various contexts while maintaining our core values and traditions.
Conclusion
The Jewish community is a vibrant and diverse tapestry encompassing a multitude of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. From the Jews of Middle Eastern descent who make up nearly half the Jewish population of modern Israel to Black Jews from Ethiopia, from the historic Jews of Asia to the vibrant Latin American Jews, our collective identity is enriched by our differences. It is essential to recognize and celebrate this diversity, rejecting any attempts to erase our unique heritage and history.
As a proud Mexican American Jewish woman, I am committed to advocating for the recognition and respect of our diverse Jewish identities. Together, we can fight against racism and antisemitism, ensuring a future where all Jews can live openly and proudly as part of our global Jewish family.
Through its efforts to falsely categorize all Jews as white, modern antisemitism, among other injustices, poses a significant threat to our identity and human rights. By taking a stand against antisemitic rhetoric and actions, we can ensure that the Jewish community continues to thrive and contribute to the broader tapestry of humanity.
