Still Wandering: The Exclusion of Jews From Issues of Social Justice and Multicultural Thought

Abstract

Anti-Semitism, prejudice, and discrimination against Jewish people are still largely absent from the study of social justice issues and multicultural education at the university level. Although often seen as being White, Jews are still discriminated against, with current reports showing that acts of anti-Semitism have been at their highest levels since World War II. There has also been a resurgence of anti-Semitic incidents at American universities, yet Jewish oppression is still neglected in multicultural/diversity classroom discussions. This must change in order to create the next generation of social justice educators who can continue to deconstruct anti-Semitism.

Whiter Shade of Pale: Making the Case for Jewish Presence in the Multicultural Classroom

“…Becoming financially stable and passing for White in this country does not equate to a positive perception of Jewish beliefs and customs. According to Rubin (2013):…”

Inside/Outside/In-between: Understanding how Jewish Identity Impacts the Lives and Narratives of Ashkenazi Female Public School Educators

“…Although "Whites will often think of their Scottishness, Irishness, or Jewishness, and so on, before they think of their Whiteness" (McLaren, 1995, p. 52;as cited in Rubin, 2013, p. 215), Jews have a long history of oppression and victimization by Whites, even though they are now categorized the same as their tormentors (Rubin, 2013). Jews who do not deconstruct their own religious, racial, and ethnic identities may not be aware of the complexities surrounding their membership into the White group:…”

“…If the literature is not African-, Asian-, Hispanic-, or Native-American or another literature designated as produced by "people of color," that has been marginalized, it is excluded or excised from the anthologies, and therefore absent from the multicultural classroom. (Kremer, 2001, p. 318;as cited in Rubin, 2013, p. 216) Moreover, "when the word 'multicultural' is used, it is often used to mean 'people of color'", yet Jews are not allowed admittance into the restricted multicultural group because they are seen as White (Altman et al, 2010;Galchinsky, 1994, p. 363;Rubin, 2013): "Jews must be included under the multicultural umbrella because however few in number and whether by choice or assignment by others, we remain a distinct ethic and religious group in American life" (Cummins, 2001, p. 6;as cited in Rubin, 2013, p. 218).…”

“…Furthermore, due to Jews being seen as a "model minority" who have been accepted into the dominant culture, anti-Semitism, though itself a form of discrimination, is often left out of multicultural education in favor of issues dealing with race, sex, class, and gender (Freedman, 2005;MacDonald-Dennis, 2005;Rubin, 2013). Even though current reports indicate anti-Semitic acts are at their highest levels since World War II, along with a resurgence of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses in the United States, "it is likely that Jewish issues have been previously ignored because being Jewish is largely an invisible minority status" (Schlosser, 2006, p. 425): "[The] fact that Jews are a minority is not widely acknowledged.…”