DOCSLIB.ORG

Counting Inconsistencies

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Counting Inconsistencies Counting Inconsistencies An Analysis of American Jewish Population Studies, with a Focus on Jews of Color !1 Dr. Ari Y Kelman, Stanford University Dr. Aaron Hahn Tapper, University of San Francisco Ms. Izabel Fonseca, Stanford University Dr. Aliya Saperstein, Stanford University Contents Page 2 • Executive summary Page 3 • Sources of data Page 4 • Defining Jews of Color Page 5 • Current and future population estimates Page 9 • Analysis of existing survey strategies Page 15 • Conclusions Page 16 • Recommendations 1 Executive Summary This project set out to understand how many Jews of Color live in the United States. We defined Jews of Color broadly to include Researchers introduced inconsistencies anyone who identified as non-white. in four main ways. To assess the size of this population, we • Some surveys did not include undertook a meta-analysis of national and questions about race and community-level Jewish population studies. ethnicity. When we began systematically analyzing the data and the survey strategies deployed to • Some study designs sampled collect it, we found grave inconsistencies respondents in ways that likely that likely resulted in a systematic undercounted Jews of Color. undercounting of Jews of Color. • When asked, questions about race and ethnicity were not Given these inconsistencies, we can, at best, comparable across studies and make only an educated guess about the often confused multiple types of population of Jews of Color in the United identity. States. • Employing nonstandard questions also created • We can approximate that Jews of mismatches with reference Color represent at least 12-15% of surveys used to weight Jewish American Jews. population estimates. • More younger people identify as Based on these issues, we recommend !3 nonwhite than older people do. With that future Jewish population studies cohort replacement, this means that adopt better and more consistent the future of American Jewry is practices for sampling populations, diverse. weighting responses, and formulating These conclusions are derived from data more comprehensive and sensitively- that suffers from inconsistent approaches to worded questions. examining the racial and ethnic identification of American Jews. 2 25 different population studies 15 Local and 7 National 4 Population Community Population Specific Studies Studies Studies • Los Angeles 1997 • 1970 NJPS • Generation Now • Seattle 2014 • 1990 NJPS • Generation Next • Phoenix 2002 • 1990 NSRI • Jewish Futures Project • Atlanta 2006 • 2000 NJPS • Hillel International • Denver/Boulder 2007 • 2002 HARI Research on • Philadelphia 2009 • 2013 Pew College Students • Chicago 2010 • American Jewish Population Cleveland 2011 • Project (AJPP) • New York 2011 • Miami 2014 !4 • Boston 2015 • Pittsburgh 2017 • SF Bay Area 2017 • Washington DC 2017 3 4 Defining Jews of Color • We did not enter this project with a strict definition of who qualified as a “Jew of Color” that we imposed on the studies. • Our approach emerged from the various studies, whether they were defined by self-identification, religious movement, familial ancestry, or some other means. • Where possible, we employed the same definitions as the studies we included, so as to remain as close as possible to the source data which, for our purposes, included the responses to the surveys and (importantly) the survey instruments and sampling strategies. 4 Based on available data, we estimate that Jews of Color represent approximately 12-15% of the American Jewish population. Percentages of Jewish Households with Percentages of Jews of Color People of Color in them { { 11.2% 12% of Jewish households Jews of Color include a Person of Color AMERICAN JEWISH NEW YORK POPULATION 2011 PROJECT 88% of Jewish 88.8% 13% households do 25% of Jewish White Jews Jews of Color not include a households Person of Color include a Person of Color SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SAN FRANCISCO 2017 BAY AREA 2017 75% of Jewish 87% households do White Jews not include a 5 Person of Color Deriving the Population Estimate We derived the population estimate The SF Bay Area and AJPP studies had the by extrapolating from the most most robust data and most thorough reliable available data, which we analyses of Jews of Color that reported limited to three studies: New York responses at the individual. The New York (2011), SF Bay Area (2017), and the Study reported findings at the household American Jewish Population Project level. (AJPP). To arrive at the lower To arrive at the upper estimate: estimate: 1. The AJPP is the most 1. The AJPP did not include Jews who did not methodologically rigorous of the claim Judaism as their religion. Jews of Color studies included in this effort. We are between 2-3 times as likely as White- can assume that the percentage of identified Jews to claim that Judaism is not Jews of Color in the United States is their religion (based on our analysis of the not less than 11.2% Pew 2013 data). 2. The San Francisco study found 13% 2. The San Francisco study relied on sampling percent of Jews in that sample to methodologies that included Federation- identify as Jews of Color. provided lists and Distinctive Jewish Names. These methods likely undercount Jews of 3. Assessing the difference led us to Color. estimate 12% as a reasonable lower limit. 3. The New York Study found that 14% of Jewish households are multiracial. Accounting for undercounting, we approximated an upper estimate of 15%. 6 American Jewish households are increasingly multiracial With each successive cohort, the number of multiracial and nonwhite households has increased. This tracks with almost every major population study of the United States, which document the transformation of the country into one in which the total number of “minority” residents outnumbers the total number of white- identified ones. • 12% of Jewish households include nonwhite and New York multiracial members. 2011 • 65% of the people living in multiracial households are under 45 years of age. !8 • 25% of Jewish households include nonwhite and multiracial members. SF Bay Area • 65% of the people living in multiracial households 2017 are under 49 years of age. • 38% are under age 35. 7 By birth cohort, the percentage of Jews of Color has risen consistently Percentage of Jewish Population of Color by Birth Cohort American Jewish Community Studies % Jews of% Color !9 As younger, more ethnically and racially diverse cohorts replace older, more homogeneous ones, the basic makeup of the American Jewish community will likely change. Note: This graph stops at 1970 because the data grows increasingly inconsistent; sometime studies ask only about the identity of respondents, while other studies ask about the identities of everyone in a given household. 8 Population studies of American Jews have inconsistently counted Jews of Color We identified four primary ways in which population data on American Jews inconsistently counted Jews of Color. 1. Some studies did not ask about race or ethnicity at all. 2. Some study designs sampled respondents in ways that likely undercounted Jews of Color. 3. When asked, questions about race and ethnicity were not comparable across studies and often confused multiple types of identity. 4. Employing nonstandard questions also created !10 mismatches with reference surveys used to weight Jewish population estimates. 9 Some surveys did not ask about race or ethnicity • The 2014 Greater Miami Jewish Federation Population Study asked about Hispanic and Sephardic identification, but “Do you consider yourself to be a did not ask about any Hispanic Jew?” other racial or ethnic Yes: identity category, 13% “Do you consider yourself to be a including white. The result Sephardic Jew?” is a portrait with incomplete data for 71% of the 2014 GREATER Yes: community. MIAMI JEWISH 16% FEDERATION POPULATION STUDY • The 2015 Greater Boston Community Study appeared to have no direct questions 71% about race or ethnicity at all. Incomplete Data on !11 Race and Ethnicity • None of the population- specific studies included in this meta-analysis asked about racial or ethnic identity. 10 Survey designs sampled respondents in ways that likely result in undercounting Jews of Color Three popular sampling strategies likely worked against the inclusion of Jews of Color in survey samples: Philadelphia 2009, Seattle 2014, Pittsburgh Many Jews of Color do not 2017, Washington DC 2017 partially have names that would be sampled on “distinctive Jewish names.” readily identified as “Jewish.” Jews of Color are Atlanta 2006, Chicago 2010, Miami 2014, underrepresented in Jewish SF Bay Area 2017 all relied heavily on community organizations or Jewish community lists. donor lists. Jews of Color are about three times as likely as Jews who AJPP only included Jews by religion. identify as white to identify as Jewish but not by religion. 11 Survey questions and options were often inconsistently worded Sometimes, both questions and responses conflate family origin, racial, ethnic, national, and even denominational identities. Options included: Sephardi, NJPS 1990: “Regarding your Ashkenazi, something else, Russian, Jewish ethnicity, do you consider Just Jewish, DK / Decline, None, No yourself to be Sephardi, religion, Christian, Mixed, Hasidic, Ashkenazi, or something else?” American Jew Options: White, Black or African- SF Bay Area 2017: “What racial or American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian ethnic group best describes or Asian-American, Native American, you?” Middle Eastern, Mixed Race, Other !13 Options: Miami 2014: “Do you
Load more

Recommended publications
  • American Jewish Yearbook
    JEWISH STATISTICS 277 JEWISH STATISTICS The statistics of Jews in the world rest largely upon estimates. In Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and a few other countries, official figures are obtainable. In the main, however, the num- bers given are based upon estimates repeated and added to by one statistical authority after another. For the statistics given below various authorities have been consulted, among them the " Statesman's Year Book" for 1910, the English " Jewish Year Book " for 5670-71, " The Jewish Ency- clopedia," Jildische Statistik, and the Alliance Israelite Uni- verselle reports. THE UNITED STATES ESTIMATES As the census of the United States has, in accordance with the spirit of American institutions, taken no heed of the religious convictions of American citizens, whether native-born or natural- ized, all statements concerning the number of Jews living in this country are based upon estimates. The Jewish population was estimated— In 1818 by Mordecai M. Noah at 3,000 In 1824 by Solomon Etting at 6,000 In 1826 by Isaac C. Harby at 6,000 In 1840 by the American Almanac at 15,000 In 1848 by M. A. Berk at 50,000 In 1880 by Wm. B. Hackenburg at 230,257 In 1888 by Isaac Markens at 400,000 In 1897 by David Sulzberger at 937,800 In 1905 by "The Jewish Encyclopedia" at 1,508,435 In 1907 by " The American Jewish Year Book " at 1,777,185 In 1910 by " The American Je\rish Year Book" at 2,044,762 DISTRIBUTION The following table by States presents two sets of estimates.
    [Show full text]
  • Orthodoxy in American Jewish Life1
    ORTHODOXY IN AMERICAN JEWISH LIFE1 by CHARLES S. LIEBMAN INTRODUCTION • DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ORTHODOXY • EARLY ORTHODOX COMMUNITY • UNCOMMITTED ORTHODOX • COM- MITTED ORTHODOX • MODERN ORTHODOX • SECTARIANS • LEAD- ERSHIP • DIRECTIONS AND TENDENCIES • APPENDLX: YESHIVOT PROVIDING INTENSIVE TALMUDIC STUDY A HIS ESSAY is an effort to describe the communal aspects and institutional forms of Orthodox Judaism in the United States. For the most part, it ignores the doctrines, faith, and practices of Orthodox Jews, and barely touches upon synagogue hie, which is the most meaningful expression of American Orthodoxy. It is hoped that the reader will find here some appreciation of the vitality of American Orthodoxy. Earlier predictions of the demise of 11 am indebted to many people who assisted me in making this essay possible. More than 40, active in a variety of Orthodox organizations, gave freely of their time for extended discussions and interviews and many lay leaders and rabbis throughout the United States responded to a mail questionnaire. A number of people read a draft of this paper. I would be remiss if I did not mention a few by name, at the same time exonerating them of any responsibility for errors of fact or for my own judgments and interpretations. The section on modern Orthodoxy was read by Rabbi Emanuel Rackman. The sections beginning with the sectarian Orthodox to the conclusion of the paper were read by Rabbi Nathan Bulman. Criticism and comments on the entire paper were forthcoming from Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein, Dr. Marshall Ski are, and Victor Geller, without whose assistance the section on the number of Orthodox Jews could not have been written.
    [Show full text]
  • Liberty, Restriction, and the Remaking of Italians and Eastern European Jews
    "Liberty, Restriction, and the Remaking of Italians and Eastern European Jews, (1882-1965)" By Maddalena Marinari University of Kansas, 2009 B.A. Istituto Universitario Orientale Submitted to the Department of History and the Faculty of The Graduate School of the University Of Kansas in partial fulfillment of The requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy __________________________________________ Dr. Jeffrey Moran, Chair __________________________________________ Dr. Donna Gabaccia __________________________________________ Dr. Sheyda Jahanbani __________________________________________ Dr. Roberta Pergher __________________________________________ Dr. Ruben Flores Date Defended: 14 December 2009 The Dissertation Committee for Maddalena Marinari certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: "Liberty, Restriction, and the Remaking of Italians and Eastern European Jews, (1882-1965)" Committee: __________________________________________ Dr. Jeffrey Moran, Chair __________________________________________ Dr. Donna Gabaccia __________________________________________ Dr. Sheyda Jahanbani __________________________________________ Dr. Roberta Pergher __________________________________________ Dr. Ruben Flores Date Approved: 14 December 2009 2 Table of Contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………….3 Chapter 1: From Unwanted to Restricted (1890-1921) ………………………………………...17 Chapter 2: "The doors of America are worse than shut when they are half-way open:" The Fight against the Johnson-Reed Immigration
    [Show full text]
  • Have You Heard of These Ethnic Groups?
    Have you heard of these Ethnic Groups? Ethnic Group Homeland Population Bhils India 17.1 million Kazahs Kazakhstan 18 million Tagalogs Philippines 19.6 million Amhara Ethiopia 19.9 million Berbers Algeria, Morocco, 20-50 million Tunisia, Libya Fula West Africa 20-25 million Igbo Nigeria 20 million Khas Nepal 20 million Yoruba Nigeria 20 million Akan Ghana 20.9 million Source: https://joshuaproject.net/unreached/11 Have you heard of these Ethnic Groups? Ethnic Group Homeland Population Bhils India 17.1 million Kazahs Kazakhstan 18 million Tagalogs Philippines 19.6 million Amhara Ethiopia 19.9 million Berbers Algeria, Morocco, 20-50 million Tunisia, Libya Fula West Africa 20-25 million Igbo Nigeria 20 million Khas Nepal 20 million Yoruba Nigeria 20 million Akan Ghana 20.9 million Jews Israel (worldwide) 14.7 million (2019) Sources: https://joshuaproject.net/unreached/1 2 Berman Jewish Databank: https://www.jewishdatabank.org/databank/search-results?category=Global Facts about the Jewish People • Nobel Prize winners (1901-2018): 900 total. 208 were Jewish (Israel has produced a disproportionate number of Nobel Prize winners)https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewis h-nobel-prize-laureates • 8 US Supreme Court Justices: Louis Brandeis (1916-1939), Benjamin Carodozo (1931-9138), Felix Frankfurter (1939-1962), Arthur Goldberg (1962-1965), Abe Fortas (1965-1969), Ruth Ginsburg (1993-2020), Stephen Breyer (1994-), Elena Kagan (2010-) https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-u-s- supreme-court-justices 3 Facts about the Jewish People • Jews
    [Show full text]
  • Refugees and Relief: the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and European Jews in Cuba and Shanghai 1938-1943
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2015 Refugees And Relief: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee And European Jews In Cuba And Shanghai 1938-1943 Zhava Litvac Glaser Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/561 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] REFUGEES AND RELIEF: THE AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE AND EUROPEAN JEWS IN CUBA AND SHANGHAI 1938-1943 by ZHAVA LITVAC GLASER A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in partial fulfillment of the reQuirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2015 ii © 2015 ZHAVA LITVAC GLASER All Rights Reserved iii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the dissertation reQuirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prof. Dagmar Herzog ________________________ _________________________________________ Date Chair of Examining Committee Prof. Helena Rosenblatt ________________________ _________________________________________ Date Executive Officer Prof. Jane S. Gerber Prof. Atina Grossmann Prof. Benjamin C. Hett Prof. Robert M. Seltzer Supervisory Committee The City University of
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Subcultures Online: Outreach, Dating, and Marginalized Communities ______
    JEWISH SUBCULTURES ONLINE: OUTREACH, DATING, AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ____________________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, Fullerton ____________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in American Studies ____________________________________ By Rachel Sara Schiff Thesis Committee Approval: Professor Leila Zenderland, Chair Professor Terri Snyder, Department of American Studies Professor Carrie Lane, Department of American Studies Spring, 2016 ABSTRACT This thesis explores how Jewish individuals use and create communities online to enrich their Jewish identity. The Internet provides Jews who do not fit within their brick and mortar communities an outlet that gives them voice, power, and sometimes anonymity. They use these websites to balance their Jewish identities and other personal identities that may or may not fit within their local Jewish community. This research was conducted through analyzing a broad range of websites. The first chapter, the introduction, describes the Jewish American population as a whole as well as the history of the Internet. The second chapter, entitled “The Black Hats of the Internet,” discusses how the Orthodox community has used the Internet to create a modern approach to outreach. It focuses in particular on the extensive web materials created by Chabad and Aish Hatorah, which offer surprisingly modern twists on traditional texts. The third chapter is about Jewish online dating. It uses JDate and other secular websites to analyze how Jewish singles are using the Internet. This chapter also suggests that the use of the Internet may have an impact on reducing interfaith marriage. The fourth chapter examines marginalized communities, focusing on the following: Jewrotica; the Jewish LGBT community including those who are “OLGBT” (Orthodox LGBT); Punk Jews; and feminist Jews.
    [Show full text]
  • In Parkchester: a New Era in Jewish–Irish Relations in New York City 1940–1970
    religions Article “Getting Along” in Parkchester: A New Era in Jewish–Irish Relations in New York City 1940–1970 Jeffrey S. Gurock Department of Jewish History, Yeshiva University, New York 10033, USA; [email protected] Received: 10 May 2018; Accepted: 22 May 2018; Published: 3 June 2018 Abstract: The history of conflict between New York City’s Irish Americans and east European Jews dates back to the close of the 19th century. They disputed over jobs, union memberships, housing, and frequently over politics. These conflicts crescendoed exponentially in the decade or more of the Great Depression in Gaelic neighborhoods, now more than ever, the word on the street was that the Jews were taking over. The rhetoric and organizations of Michigan-based radio preacher Father Charles Coughlin gave voice and activism to local frustrations. However, in 1940, within a new neighborhood built in the Bronx that attracted a majority of Irish and a large proportion of Jews, there was no organized anti-Semitism, no outbursts of violence, or even significant complaints that more callow Jews were being roughed up in the streets or play areas. If animosities existed, negative feelings were kept within families and were not expressed in daily youthful encounters. Why life in Parkchester was so different is the conceit of this study. Its community history from 1940–1970s constituted a turning point in their previously-contested ethnic group relationship while what went on as Jews and the Irish ‘got along’ marks off the limits of conviviality of that time. Keywords: Jews; Irish-Americans; African Americans; The Bronx; New York City; neighborhood; ethnic-conflict The history of conflict between New York City’s Irish Americans and east European Jews dates back to the close of the 19th century.
    [Show full text]
  • American Jewish History and Culture
    Fall 2017 American Jewish History Exile or Promised Land? Difference or Synthesis? (DRAFT, subject to change) History 512:231:01/Jewish Studies 563:231:01 Professor Nancy Sinkoff Miller Hall, Room 115 Office Hours, Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 T/TR, 5th period (2:50-4:10 p.m.) 14 College Avenue, room 103 [email protected] This course will examine the history of American Jews through the lenses of the questions: is America the land of exile or the land of promise? How have American Jews synthesized their Jewishness (inclusive of religion) with American values and how have they distinguished their Jewishness from American values? Where have the points of conflict between these two sets of values resided? How have American Jews created Jewish communal forms in the United States and how has American individualism militated against those forms’ cohesion and longevity? What American Jewish thinkers have addressed these issues? How have Jews interpreted their Jewish and American identities culturally? Topics to be covered include: migration, communal and religious innovation, acculturation, ethnicity, and politics. The course will also explore the ways in which Jews have been represented by popular American cultural forms, including fiction and films. Students are required to read the materials in advance of our sessions. We will pay careful attention to the primary sources—all of which are available on Sakai—in class. Hasia Diner, The History of the Jews in the United States, 1954-2004, is the “textbook” for the course. Additional readings, in the form of articles and book chapters, have been uploaded on Sakai.
    [Show full text]
  • The Jews of South Africa in 2019
    Jewish education? antisemitism? emigration? identity? jpr Institute for Jewish Policy Research Should we invest Coming in 2019... in Jewish schools or a once-in-a-decade opportunity ? The Jews of South Africa in 2019 old age homes to have your say The Jewish Community Survey of South Africa Should we invest will take place in 2019 Identity, community, society, demography HAVE YOUR SAY in Jewish schools or The Jewish Community This will be a once-in-a-decade opportunity to old age homes? Survey of South Africa have your say and help community planners David Graham and service providers ensure a vibrant Jewish will help community future in South Africa The Jewish Community Survey of South Africa will take place in 2019 planners and service HAVE YOUR SAY www.jcssa2019.co.za w providers ensure a This will be a once-in-a-decade opportunity to have your say and help community planners vibrant Jewish future and service providersfacebook.com/jcssa2019 ensure a vibrant Jewish future in South Africa in South Africa www.jcssa2019.co.za w facebook.com/jcssa2019 HAVE YOUR SAY Jewish education? Jewish education? antisemitism? ? emigrantisemitismation? ? UNITY identity SH COMM Should we invest JEWI H AFRICA emigration? ? OF SOUT identity SURVEY in Jewish schools or www.jcssa2019.co.za old age homes? Coming in 2019... a once-in-a-decadeComing in 20 19... The Jewish Community Survey of South Africa opportunity facebook.com/jcssa2019 Institute for Jewish Policy Research a once-in-a-decade will take place in 2019 to have your say opportunity HAVE YOUR SAY
    [Show full text]
  • The Great American Jewish Awakening : Jonathan Sarna · · ------·------"--·-----··-~·---·-·-·--~
    / -·' , -4 OCTOBER, 1982 VOLUME XXVIn, No. 8 The Great American Jewish Awakening : Jonathan Sarna · · ------·------"--·-----··-~·---·-·-·--~--. -----..---··---· ~--~---- ESSAY 0 The Great American Jewish Awakening JONATHAN D. SARNA bservers of the American jewish scene agree that· In the major Jewish religious movements, the same an important change has taken place in the last transformation can be seen. A new series of pamphlet~ O 10 years. There is talk of a "Jewish revival,'' "a by Daniel B. Syme, "highlighting the why and how of reawakening of American Jewish life," and a "revitaliza­ Jewish living in the home" reflects developments· that tion ofJewish tradition." Orthodox Judaism claims to be have taken place in Reform Jewish circles. The guide1 gaining strength,. its ranks swelled by; according to one aim specifically at encouraging ritual observance; the) estimate, "tens. of thousands" of baale teshuva,Jew~ who are a far cry from old Union of American Hebrew adopt the lifestyle of the faithful. At least one Jewish Congregation pamphlets devoted to such ponderous journalist predicts that we are living in an "apocalyptic topics as "The Faith and Message of the Prophets;· time." "jewish Ethics," and "The Universal Lord." In Reforrr· Hyperbole notwithstanding, American judaism Judaism· today one encounters Jews who pray· with really has undergone a transformation. Many remain heads covered and shoulders draped in a talis, Jews whv unaffected; some recoil in horror. Still, across the spec­ observe dietary laws, and Jews who stricdy observe the trum of Jewish life new interest in tradition and ritual Sabbath. Classical Reform, with its disdain for tradition manifests itself. To take just an example, the General and neglect of ritual, claims fewer and fewer adherents.
    [Show full text]
  • World Jewish Population, 2013
    Berman Jewish DataBank World Jewish Population, 2013 Number 9 - 2013 CURRENT JEWISH POPULATION REPORTS Reprinted from the American Jewish Year Book 2013 Sergio DellaPergola Edited by The Hebrew University Arnold Dashefsky of Jerusalem University of Connecticut Sergio DellaPergola The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ira Sheskin University of Miami Published by Berman Jewish DataBank in cooperation with The Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry Data Bank Staff: Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz, Director Ron Miller, Senior Consultant Arnold Dashefsky, Director Emeritus Berman Jewish DataBank Graphic Designer: A project of The Jewish Federations of North America Carla Willey in partnership with The Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner Fact Checker: Sarah Markowitz and The Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life at the Berman Jewish DataBank University of Connecticut The Jewish Federations of North America Wall Street Station PO Box 157 New York, NY 10268 Web: www.jewishdatabank.org Email: [email protected] copyright 2014 The American Jewish Year Book 2013, The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities This Report derives from Chapter 6 of the American Jewish Year Book, 2013. The American Jewish Year Book is "The Annual Record of Jewish Civilization." This volume is a very important and prestigious annual publication because it has acted as a major resource for academic researchers, researchers at Jewish institutions and organizations, practitioners at Jewish institutions and organizations, the media, both Jewish and secular, educated leaders and lay persons, and libraries, particularly University and Jewish libraries, for up-to-date information about the American and Canadian Jewish communities. For decades, the American Jewish Year Book has been the premiere place for leading academics to publish long review chapters on topics of interest to the American Jewish community.
    [Show full text]
  • ALH Online Review, Series XXII 1 David S. Koffman, the Jews' Indian
    ALH Online Review, Series XXII 1 David S. Koffman, The Jews’ Indian: Colonialism, Pluralism, and Belonging in America (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2019), 276 pp. Reviewed by Cristina Stanciu, Virginia Commonwealth University David S. Koffman’s The Jews’ Indian: Colonialism, Pluralism, and Belonging in America is a timely and necessary study about Jewish encounters with Native Americans on various historical and cultural scenes in North America. According to Koffman, although some Jewish immigrants and later generations of Jewish Americans at times identified with Indians, ultimately many distanced themselves from Indians to stake claim to their own (precarious) position in America. In doing so, they became “powerful agents of empire” and beneficiaries of settler colonial privileges (whiteness, citizenship, acquisition of acquisition); as such, Jews imagined themselves between “red” and “white,” both resisting and participating in the colonial project aimed at the elimination of the Native population and the acquisition of lands (7). The title of Koffman’s book is a nod to Robert F. Berkhofer’s exemplary The White Man’s Indian: Images of the American Indian from Columbus to the Present (1979). Koffman’s excellent, ambitious, and ground-breaking study is organized both chronologically and thematically, by juxtaposing Jewish attitudes and behaviors toward Native Americans over 150 years. The first half examines such manifestations during the Indian wars, the Indian Removal, all the way up to the (Dawes) Allotment Act (1887) and the Assimilation Era (1880-1920). The second half considers a different group of American Jews, during the Indian New Deal (1930s) and the Termination Era (1940-1960), who advocated for Native rights and distanced themselves from the colonial project.
    [Show full text]