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Let's address the noise this week around ethnic studies. A thread —>
We're in the 11th hour of the CA Ethnic Studies fight. Eighteen months in, the national Jewish community is taking notice (as they should, this is a national trend).
We're in the 11th hour of the CA Ethnic Studies fight. Eighteen months in, the national Jewish community is taking notice (as they should, this is a national trend).
The public debate on this is so reminiscent of progressive/Israel/antisemitism issues of recent years' past, like Black Lives Matter, the Women's March, the LGBTQ movement, etc.
The fact is, ethnic studies is justice in our classrooms.
Equating the construct of ethnic studies at large, with bad actors within it who seek to undermine Jewish identity and inclusion, is like blasting the idea of women's rights because of Linda Sarsour,
Equating the construct of ethnic studies at large, with bad actors within it who seek to undermine Jewish identity and inclusion, is like blasting the idea of women's rights because of Linda Sarsour,
blasting racial justice because of Farrakhan and the "movement for black lives" organization, or blasting LGBTQ rights because of QUIT "Queers United against Israeli Terrorism."
In each of these movements for justice, the Jewish community has made progress around our concerns not when we reject these movements outright, which positions ourselves in opposition to these movements, but by having a seat at the table.
@AWiderBridge does in the LGBTQ movement, @NCJW and @ZionessMovement the women's movement, and yes, @SFJCRC and our community partners on ethnic studies in the education space.
None of this is to minimize the challenge before us. But ethnic studies isn't going to magically disappear. Our concerns won't be resolved by being afraid and unintentionally alienating ourselves. Level headed strategy must prevail.
