Heritage & Awareness: A Journey of Judaism and Justice

Pride in my heritage is a very special thing to celebrate. Jewish American Heritage Month gives me the opportunity to reflect on the rich history of my family, my ancestors, my people. Judaism is an ancient religion that makes the U.S. seem young by comparison, so this month provides a useful focus on how Jews have shaped the country, and how the country has shaped us. One theme I often return to is the Jewish notion of tikkun olam, which roughly translates to “repairing the world:” since this world is not perfect, we must build the world we want to see.

At times like these, I see tikkun olam lift off the page and into the real world when Jews organize around their faith to oppose oppression in the United States. We call upon our heritage when we act together against environmental racism, systemic poverty, police brutality, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and other injustices. My heart glows when I seek justice alongside other Jews in solidarity with all peoples.

Looking to our past, there is a rich history of Jewish-American movements to take inspiration from. In the mid-1800s to early 1900s, Jewish organizing was concentrated around class. Poor immigrant workers asked themselves why they were forced to live in cramped, unhealthy housing; why their working conditions were so exploitative; why groceries were so expensive; and how they could fight collectively to improve their situation. It was in this time that workers’ movements proliferated, many organized by or reliant upon Jewish women whose names are not well known but whose contributions to society still resonate today.

Emma Lazarus, a writer and activist, is best known for her poem that is inscribed in the Statue of Liberty. June Croll Gordon fought for economic and racial justice, continuing the work of labor leader Rose Schneiderman, and suffragist Ernestine Rose. The organizer and activist Emma Goldman is one of my personal heroes. She fought for workers; advocated for reproductive healthcare; and advocated against authoritarianism, political imprisonment, and deportation.

Sharing that same passion is another hero of mine, historian Howard Zinn. He too produced transformative work in the service of repairing the world. One of his major bestsellers, A People’s History of the United States, traces the history of the United States from the perspective of disempowered people, those who faced oppression and fought back in big and small ways. He is one of the original mentors of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), an and now-legendary arm of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Though Zinn did not explicitly link his Jewishness and his dedication to the movement, many of his peers did.

Those years saw SNCC thrive as a Black-led organization. Many of the white allies who joined the cause did so because of their personal experiences as Jews. While reading Going South: Jewish Women in the Civil Rights Movement by Debra L. Schultz, I resonated with the stories of women who wove their Jewish faith and heritage into their pursuit of racial justice. One of those women, Faith Holsaert, traces her activism to her upbringing by two women, one white and Jewish and the other Black; since their very existence as a family sparked controversy, she couldn’t stay away from the movement. I saw myself in her family, and felt inspired to carry on her legacy. As long as people look upon my own queer, interracial relationship with disdain, I will fight for a world without racism, homophobia, and transphobia.

I love celebrating the richness that Judaism brings to my life. Unfortunately, we as a Jewish people must also bear witness to antisemitism. I grew up in a Jewish household, where we were publicly and proudly practiced our faith. While I did not experience personal instances of antisemitism, I know it exists here in this country. I fear for the safety of Jews and other marginalized people as we see a rise in white nationalist extremism. I am also deeply hurt by the sweeping misuse of the term anti-Semitism to justify the silencing of free speech. Any movement meant to defend human rights or make the world a better, more equitable place falls in line with my belief system as a Jew; therefore, what frightens me most is the complete opposite. Calling upon my resilient ancestors, I feel most threatened and unsafe when the people around me are threatened and unsafe.

Now, in our current moment of unprecedented political change, it is more important than ever to come together and support each other. Safety comes through solidarity, inalienable civil rights, and justice. I center my Judaism in the practice of tikkun olam in order to build a world in which we are all safe. I feel proud to be Jewish when I gather and act with anti-racist Jews, feminist Jews, and antiwar Jews. I feel proud to be Jewish when we turn to faith to guide us in these journeys.

Each of these aspects of my Jewish-American heritage is important to me. Heritage means celebrating who we are, honoring where we came from, and seeking tikkun olam in whatever ways we can. It means reckoning with anti-Semitism while using that experience to fight against all oppression. It means sitting around the Shabbat dinner table and being thankful for my existence. Most of all, Jewish-American heritage guides me as I grow into being a citizen of the world.

About Jewish American Heritage Month:

This May, Yale SOM honors Jewish Americans and the ways their rich and diverse heritage is woven throughout American history. Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is a national recognition of the history of the Jewish American community; all month, we will meaningfully celebrate their achievements together by lifting up the indelible contributions American Jews continue to make to our history, culture, and society.

As part of our celebration, SOM’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID) hosted a speaker event with Edieal Pinker, deputy dean for strategy and BearingPoint Professor of Operations Research. Professor Pinker presented an exploration of the many dimensions of the Holocaust through personal experiences of his own family in Slovakia, including primary documents from that time and personal testimonies. Pinker said he hoped the event would “illustrate the ways Jews were actively trying to find ways to survive throughout the war, what it looks like when the society you live in and your government turn on you, and how some people managed to maintain their humanity even in incredibly dark and difficult situations.” To stay up to date on SOM’s events, follow us on Instagram.

OID hosts multiple cultural immersions throughout the academic year to encourage the SOM community to deeply engage with and experience different cultures through sound, taste, touch, and thought in support of our mission to foster understanding, empathy, and inclusivity. We invite you to learn more about our commitment to celebrating diversity and fostering inclusion at SOM.

Happy Jewish American Heritage Month!