Jews of Color Initiative

Jews of Color Field Building Initiative

2019

$100,000

Despite the fact that people of color currently make up an estimated 15 percent of the American Jewish population (and growing), the organized Jewish community often acts and is viewed as if it is all white. In fact, very few day schools, Jewish community centers, synagogues, summer camps, teen programs and/or Jewish start-ups have strategies to engage or even welcome Jews of color. This allows racism and insularity to fester and diminishes the connectedness and vibrancy of Jewish life. This initiative aims to address this problem. It has developed tools for outreach, invested in research to help illuminate racial diversity among American Jews, and made grants to help establish a pipeline of non-white Jewish leaders—all in an effort to make Jews of color more visible and valued. At the heart of this work: a pooled fund that will distribute grants with a focus on building professional pathways so more Jews of color can work in and shape Jewish institutions.