Diversity, equity, inclusion but not for Jews?

[Anonymous]

I recall a huge outpouring of support for the Jewish community after the Tree of Life shooting. As with the Atlanta shootings, there were also people who wanted to minimize the fact that Jews were targeted in the shooting and the impact these acts of violence have on Jewish people.

I have also discussed with many people the impact of seeing so much Nazi imagery in prominent places in the last 6 years ago as white supremacy has gained traction in many places including the White House. It is alarming and raises red flags for many of us who are not Jewish.

I am sorry your CEO did not acknowledge the Tree of Life shooting -- he should have. I do think we've undergone a huge shift in how our culture talks about these hate crimes and in particular on how we think about how they impact members of the targeted groups. I think we will continue to change. I personally think that we are currently in a weird knee jerk place now where people often speak up because they feel they have to in order to protect their own reputations, and not always from a place of human empathy. I hope we keep working on it.

I do think we should be extremely cautious about viewing any of this in a comparative way. There are common threads among the violence and threats of violence that marginalized groups experience. You can draw parallels, for instance, between the way that Jewish people and Asians are both often viewed as "model minorities" with positive stereotypes associated with them by the dominant white Christian culture. But these issues are complex. For instance, the Atlanta shootings likely involve an element of fetishization that is so prevalent in the way white men, in particular, view Asian women. It is also important to see how sex workers were targeted in this awful crime. So there are common threads but also differences. The details matter.

I think if it seems like this was an intentional (or even unconscious but nevertheless biased) oversight by your CEO, you could bring it up. However, I think you should be thoughtful about it. It's entirely possible that your CEO was deeply troubled by the Tree of Life shooting but that it happened before he had the skill set to speak on it. Alternatively, it's possible your CEO doesn't care about any of these events but now feels compelled to say something due to shifting societal expectations. I would encourage you to not view these things as 1:1 comparisons but to think holistically about what is happening and tailor or response to the specifics of a given situation.

[Anonymous]

Asian Muslim here. My White Christian friend and my family attended the service at a local temple after the Tree of Life attack. We were genuinely sad and outranged. It felt right to be together at that dark moment. We should still stick together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Asian Muslim here. My White Christian friend and my family attended the service at a local temple after the Tree of Life attack. We were genuinely sad and outranged. It felt right to be together at that dark moment. We should still stick together.

You’re right. We really do need to stick together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recall a huge outpouring of support for the Jewish community after the Tree of Life shooting. As with the Atlanta shootings, there were also people who wanted to minimize the fact that Jews were targeted in the shooting and the impact these acts of violence have on Jewish people.

I have also discussed with many people the impact of seeing so much Nazi imagery in prominent places in the last 6 years ago as white supremacy has gained traction in many places including the White House. It is alarming and raises red flags for many of us who are not Jewish.

I am sorry your CEO did not acknowledge the Tree of Life shooting -- he should have. I do think we've undergone a huge shift in how our culture talks about these hate crimes and in particular on how we think about how they impact members of the targeted groups. I think we will continue to change. I personally think that we are currently in a weird knee jerk place now where people often speak up because they feel they have to in order to protect their own reputations, and not always from a place of human empathy. I hope we keep working on it.

I do think we should be extremely cautious about viewing any of this in a comparative way. There are common threads among the violence and threats of violence that marginalized groups experience. You can draw parallels, for instance, between the way that Jewish people and Asians are both often viewed as "model minorities" with positive stereotypes associated with them by the dominant white Christian culture. But these issues are complex. For instance, the Atlanta shootings likely involve an element of fetishization that is so prevalent in the way white men, in particular, view Asian women. It is also important to see how sex workers were targeted in this awful crime. So there are common threads but also differences. The details matter.

I think if it seems like this was an intentional (or even unconscious but nevertheless biased) oversight by your CEO, you could bring it up. However, I think you should be thoughtful about it. It's entirely possible that your CEO was deeply troubled by the Tree of Life shooting but that it happened before he had the skill set to speak on it. Alternatively, it's possible your CEO doesn't care about any of these events but now feels compelled to say something due to shifting societal expectations. I would encourage you to not view these things as 1:1 comparisons but to think holistically about what is happening and tailor or response to the specifics of a given situation.

This post is way too reasonable for DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall a huge outpouring of support for the Jewish community after the Tree of Life shooting. As with the Atlanta shootings, there were also people who wanted to minimize the fact that Jews were targeted in the shooting and the impact these acts of violence have on Jewish people.

I have also discussed with many people the impact of seeing so much Nazi imagery in prominent places in the last 6 years ago as white supremacy has gained traction in many places including the White House. It is alarming and raises red flags for many of us who are not Jewish.

I am sorry your CEO did not acknowledge the Tree of Life shooting -- he should have. I do think we've undergone a huge shift in how our culture talks about these hate crimes and in particular on how we think about how they impact members of the targeted groups. I think we will continue to change. I personally think that we are currently in a weird knee jerk place now where people often speak up because they feel they have to in order to protect their own reputations, and not always from a place of human empathy. I hope we keep working on it.

I do think we should be extremely cautious about viewing any of this in a comparative way. There are common threads among the violence and threats of violence that marginalized groups experience. You can draw parallels, for instance, between the way that Jewish people and Asians are both often viewed as "model minorities" with positive stereotypes associated with them by the dominant white Christian culture. But these issues are complex. For instance, the Atlanta shootings likely involve an element of fetishization that is so prevalent in the way white men, in particular, view Asian women. It is also important to see how sex workers were targeted in this awful crime. So there are common threads but also differences. The details matter.

I think if it seems like this was an intentional (or even unconscious but nevertheless biased) oversight by your CEO, you could bring it up. However, I think you should be thoughtful about it. It's entirely possible that your CEO was deeply troubled by the Tree of Life shooting but that it happened before he had the skill set to speak on it. Alternatively, it's possible your CEO doesn't care about any of these events but now feels compelled to say something due to shifting societal expectations. I would encourage you to not view these things as 1:1 comparisons but to think holistically about what is happening and tailor or response to the specifics of a given situation.

This post is way too reasonable for DCUM.

Spot on

[Anonymous]

Racism, anti-semitism, misogyny and white supremacy go hand in hand. Sometimes we see one particular face of it --Dylan Roof's racism or the anti-asian hate of the man who killed 8 people yesterday or the Pulse shooting or attacks on Muslims or the Tree of Life massacre--but dont let that blind you to the fact that persecution and hate crimes are on the rise everywhere, and that all of us who abhor this disease must join forces. Its not an either/or. Its an And. We have a serious problem in this country with radicalized conservative christian white men who join communities that propagate hate with varying (and sometimes multiple) targets and who have a terrifying access to guns. We also have a problem with media that allows and perpetuates race baiting and deadly misinformation.

Finally, I think DEI is different than what we are talking about here, which is standing up to hate crimes. DEI are principles and tools designed to combat inequities in varied systems that result in diminished economic professional academic etc opportunities. For the most part, American Jews (and I am one) have suffered far less of these inequities than many other minorities. We continue to be targets of hate crimes, which is why we must join forces with all those who are victims of hate crimes and those who oppose hate crimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not Jewish but the sentiment I always got is that Jewish people 'blend' into the greater white demographic. Unless its a synagogue attacked you don't hear about people being discriminated against in hiring practices or home buying or on the streets because they're Jewish. No one knows you're Jewish.

We blend in because we’ve gotten good at hiding our Jewish identity. That’s out of necessity.

OMG! It’s comments like this that makes you sound ridiculous. You know who can’t hide their identity? Black and Asian people.

Obviously, antisemitism is a problem in this country. The synagogue attacks prove that, but there have also been increasing number of lower level hate crimes against individuals and houses of worship. I think you’re right that Jews do get sidelined in the discussion about racism precisely because they can easily blend in to predominantly white spaces AND white power structures. Where you sound completely tone deaf is not understanding the massive advantage that gives you. As a light skinned black woman who can often blend into white spaces, I can tell you that is a VERY privileged position compared to darker skinned black women. And yes, it does mean hiding aspects of my identity which has its own issues — but let’s not forget that it comes with enormous advantages. In the context of Asians speaking out about being murdered because of how they look, it’s incredibly tone deaf to talk about the burdens of easy assimilation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not Jewish but the sentiment I always got is that Jewish people 'blend' into the greater white demographic. Unless its a synagogue attacked you don't hear about people being discriminated against in hiring practices or home buying or on the streets because they're Jewish. No one knows you're Jewish.

We blend in because we’ve gotten good at hiding our Jewish identity. That’s out of necessity.

OMG! It’s comments like this that makes you sound ridiculous. You know who can’t hide their identity? Black and Asian people.

Obviously, antisemitism is a problem in this country. The synagogue attacks prove that, but there have also been increasing number of lower level hate crimes against individuals and houses of worship. I think you’re right that Jews do get sidelined in the discussion about racism precisely because they can easily blend in to predominantly white spaces AND white power structures. Where you sound completely tone deaf is not understanding the massive advantage that gives you. As a light skinned black woman who can often blend into white spaces, I can tell you that is a VERY privileged position compared to darker skinned black women. And yes, it does mean hiding aspects of my identity which has its own issues — but let’s not forget that it comes with enormous advantages. In the context of Asians speaking out about being murdered because of how they look, it’s incredibly tone deaf to talk about the burdens of easy assimilation.

Wait, so because Jews can often hide, that means they don’t deserve allyship?

Also, newsflash: many Jews cannot hide. Many of us have pretty distinct features.

You sound ignorant.

[Anonymous]

It’s not a competition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m Jewish and totally agree. We don’t factor in.

Same thing at my law firm. Fun fact: none of our section leaders are jewish, and the last two managing partners haven't been jewish. But when that huge shooting in PA happened, a black woman who works in the IT department said to me, "From a person in one marginalized group to another, my heart goes out to you." And I was SO moved by that!

[Anonymous]

Many of us don’t blend right in. I have a big nose that I never “fixed” and a Jewish name. Just do a quick internet search if you want to see disgusting anti-semetism. Oh and don’t even get me started on the stereotypes; Jewish Hollywood writers need to stop writing to these stereotypes (rich, cheap, kvetchy, we all have a old country/Jewish/New York accent no matter where we grew up, etc.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recall a huge outpouring of support for the Jewish community after the Tree of Life shooting. As with the Atlanta shootings, there were also people who wanted to minimize the fact that Jews were targeted in the shooting and the impact these acts of violence have on Jewish people.

I have also discussed with many people the impact of seeing so much Nazi imagery in prominent places in the last 6 years ago as white supremacy has gained traction in many places including the White House. It is alarming and raises red flags for many of us who are not Jewish.

I am sorry your CEO did not acknowledge the Tree of Life shooting -- he should have. I do think we've undergone a huge shift in how our culture talks about these hate crimes and in particular on how we think about how they impact members of the targeted groups. I think we will continue to change. I personally think that we are currently in a weird knee jerk place now where people often speak up because they feel they have to in order to protect their own reputations, and not always from a place of human empathy. I hope we keep working on it.

I do think we should be extremely cautious about viewing any of this in a comparative way. There are common threads among the violence and threats of violence that marginalized groups experience. You can draw parallels, for instance, between the way that Jewish people and Asians are both often viewed as "model minorities" with positive stereotypes associated with them by the dominant white Christian culture. But these issues are complex. For instance, the Atlanta shootings likely involve an element of fetishization that is so prevalent in the way white men, in particular, view Asian women. It is also important to see how sex workers were targeted in this awful crime. So there are common threads but also differences. The details matter.

I think if it seems like this was an intentional (or even unconscious but nevertheless biased) oversight by your CEO, you could bring it up. However, I think you should be thoughtful about it. It's entirely possible that your CEO was deeply troubled by the Tree of Life shooting but that it happened before he had the skill set to speak on it. Alternatively, it's possible your CEO doesn't care about any of these events but now feels compelled to say something due to shifting societal expectations. I would encourage you to not view these things as 1:1 comparisons but to think holistically about what is happening and tailor or response to the specifics of a given situation.

Yes to all this. Just to add that as a Latina who is very much involved in my faith community, the Tree of Life killings hit me right in the gut. I could readily imagine the quite early morning bustle in the synagogue -- the folks who were regulars in preparing for worship and who thus became targets of a killer filled with hate. I could readily imagine the pain and anger of the Tree of Life community, and the deep hole this killing left behind. I felt the same way about the murders at Mother Emanuel. And, even in a different context, I feel despair and anger over the shootings in Atlanta. Please, let's not turn this into the Olympics of oppression. Let's stand together to fight hate and advocate for justice and inclusion for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall a huge outpouring of support for the Jewish community after the Tree of Life shooting. As with the Atlanta shootings, there were also people who wanted to minimize the fact that Jews were targeted in the shooting and the impact these acts of violence have on Jewish people.

I have also discussed with many people the impact of seeing so much Nazi imagery in prominent places in the last 6 years ago as white supremacy has gained traction in many places including the White House. It is alarming and raises red flags for many of us who are not Jewish.

I am sorry your CEO did not acknowledge the Tree of Life shooting -- he should have. I do think we've undergone a huge shift in how our culture talks about these hate crimes and in particular on how we think about how they impact members of the targeted groups. I think we will continue to change. I personally think that we are currently in a weird knee jerk place now where people often speak up because they feel they have to in order to protect their own reputations, and not always from a place of human empathy. I hope we keep working on it.

I do think we should be extremely cautious about viewing any of this in a comparative way. There are common threads among the violence and threats of violence that marginalized groups experience. You can draw parallels, for instance, between the way that Jewish people and Asians are both often viewed as "model minorities" with positive stereotypes associated with them by the dominant white Christian culture. But these issues are complex. For instance, the Atlanta shootings likely involve an element of fetishization that is so prevalent in the way white men, in particular, view Asian women. It is also important to see how sex workers were targeted in this awful crime. So there are common threads but also differences. The details matter.

I think if it seems like this was an intentional (or even unconscious but nevertheless biased) oversight by your CEO, you could bring it up. However, I think you should be thoughtful about it. It's entirely possible that your CEO was deeply troubled by the Tree of Life shooting but that it happened before he had the skill set to speak on it. Alternatively, it's possible your CEO doesn't care about any of these events but now feels compelled to say something due to shifting societal expectations. I would encourage you to not view these things as 1:1 comparisons but to think holistically about what is happening and tailor or response to the specifics of a given situation.

Yes to all this. Just to add that as a Latina who is very much involved in my faith community, the Tree of Life killings hit me right in the gut. I could readily imagine the quite early morning bustle in the synagogue -- the folks who were regulars in preparing for worship and who thus became targets of a killer filled with hate. I could readily imagine the pain and anger of the Tree of Life community, and the deep hole this killing left behind. I felt the same way about the murders at Mother Emanuel. And, even in a different context, I feel despair and anger over the shootings in Atlanta. Please, let's not turn this into the Olympics of oppression. Let's stand together to fight hate and advocate for justice and inclusion for all.

Plus 1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m Jewish and totally agree. We don’t factor in.

Same thing at my law firm. Fun fact: none of our section leaders are jewish, and the last two managing partners haven't been jewish. But when that huge shooting in PA happened, a black woman who works in the IT department said to me, "From a person in one marginalized group to another, my heart goes out to you." And I was SO moved by that!

Yes, I've always thought of Jews as marginalized and left out of the power structure of most law firms . . . in the 50s. Today, not so much.

I don't doubt that Jews may not be terribly well represented at your particular law firm, but that is not the norm, at least in major cities.

[Anonymous]

"'model minorities' with positive stereotypes associated with them by the dominant white Christian culture."

Really? Did you have any elderly relatives with numbers tattooed on their arms? Imagine telling them the "dominant white Christian culture" had a positive view of them.

Interesting how the Jewish experience is often diminished and cannot be recognized specifically because it's somehow not worthy enough for the "Olympics of oppression."

Same with indigenous populations.