Building an Inclusive Jewish Future in a “Both/And” Moment

Last summer, my 16 year old had her first Jewish camping experience working at Camp Ramah. She didn’t read or speak Hebrew, but over the course of the summer, she began to recognize the Hebrew words on the daily schedule. She developed friendships with Israeli teens who were working there. In October, she decided to learn Hebrew.

As this summer approaches, my daughter is struggling to maintain her sense of communal belonging as a Jew of Color in a multiracial family. And I am struggling to help her understand the world around her through our Jewish values.

Four years ago, George Floyd’s murder seemed to signal a racial reckoning. And for the first time, the Jewish community was not only tolerating my JOC family, but actively embracing us and investing in programs that reflect the multiracial diversity of the Jewish community today. With gratitude to the JOCI Counting Inconsistencies report and the funders who made it possible, we were finally able to hear that the Jewish communal tapestry is diverse and beautiful and that while we were investing time, talent, and treasure trying to keep young Jews engaged in Jewish life, 12-15% of our community was feeling invisible and craving connection and belonging. What an incredible opportunity to widen the tent and strengthen our community. And what a true testament to the meaning of b’tzelem elohim — the idea that every human is created in the Divine image and is worthy of inherent dignity.

In my work engaging young Jewish philanthropists, I see firsthand every day how Jews in their 20s and 30s take seriously the work of DEI in their philanthropic priorities. These Jews are poised for leadership in the Jewish community and are deeply invested in building a robust and inclusive Jewish future.

But since October 7th, some leaders have criticized the DEI movement for excluding Jews, minimizing Jewish pain, or for perpetuating antisemitism on college campuses. Many of the young people who were once actively engaged in DEI work are now feeling lost and there seems to be no room for the ‘both/ands’ that this challenging moment requires. I worry about our young people. And I worry about my daughter’s take on all of this. How long until she wonders why the very movement that welcomed her is now being blamed for the sharp rise in antisemitism? And how long before she and others begin to wonder whether there really is a place for them in organized Jewish life?

“Moving Through the Wilderness: Recommitting to Equity After 10/7” is a collection of brief essays born out of Elevate: An Executive Leadership Equity Accelerator. Elevate launched in May 2023 and its first cohort consisted of eleven CEOs of influential Jewish institutions, who are committed to the Jewish value and responsibility of equity within our community. The idea for this project emerged in Montgomery, Alabama during one of Elevate’s in-person convenings in early 2024. To learn more about Elevate and the program’s co-founders and leaders, Gamal J. Palmer and Catherine Bell, click here .

Moving Through the Wilderness is presented in partnership with the Forward, the leading voice in Jewish journalism. Read more essays in the collection.