Many people mistakenly believe that all Jews are racially the same and generally assume they are white. However, Jews come from every background and race because Judaism is a religion, not a race. Even within the Jewish community, there is discrimination against Jews of color. The immigration of Jews from all over the world to Israel has brought both the benefits and opportunities of diversity and multiculturalism as well as various challenges. Like many other societies, Israel faces issues of racism and discrimination.
Using the Racism Slide Deck, read through excerpts of articles written in the past five years about racism in Israel and then discuss using the following questions. You may want to conduct a class discussion, create a Padlet or use a silent gallery walk to allow all students to respond
- Was anything here surprising to you?
- Based on these examples, where has racism expressed itself in Israeli society and with what populations/age demographics?
- In your opinion, why is racism against Jewish values?
- Based on what you’ve read, what are some things that Israel has done in order to alleviate racism in Israeli society?
- What are some things that you think Israel can do, both in the teenage and adult demographics, to alleviate racism?