Read the accompanying article, “A Guide to Jewish Peoplehood” here.

Where there is certainty about the meaning of Jewish life, the concept of Jewish Peoplehood is not used as an organizing concept. For example, for Jews on the right of the religious Jewish spectrum, Jewish Peoplehood is still an obvious concept that is embedded within their everyday life. Strong orthodox ideologies allow individuals to grapple with the questions of Jewish meaning and belonging without the need to open up the question of Peoplehood for debate and examination.

Similarly, Jews of African/Asian descent are normally “traditionalist” in orientation – they practice a form of Judaism that is community and family oriented and includes within it a strong identification with the global Jewish community. They have little expressed need to consciously voice and elaborate their connection to the Jewish People – the connection is obvious.

It is rare to find traditionalist Jews of African/Asian descent, right-wing Orthodox or Haredim, or Jews who hold strong universalistic/humanistic ideologies participating in the forums being convened to discuss the Peoplehood concept. Jews from these backgrounds are also rare among the leadership of the organizations that are now promoting Jewish Peoplehood.

Jewish leaders who are now adopting the Peoplehood concept are of a particular type. They are almost all Ashkenazi Jews raised within the mainstream 20th century socio-political and religious movements of American and Israeli Jewish society. Those Israeli Jews who use the concept are the children of the Secular-Zionist or moderate Religious-Zionist political movements. The American Jews who are embracing Peoplehood grew up within the Reform, Conservative and liberal Orthodox denominations. In all cases, they grew up within ideological frameworks which they personally feel no longer offer convincing models for them and/or their constituents and they are embracing Jewish Peoplehood.

Yehuda Bar Shalom (2003) found that the Israelis creating Peoplehood programs are second or third generation Ashkenazi Israelis. They experienced an epiphany after traveling in the Jewish Diaspora and having meaningful social encounters with Diaspora Jews. As a result of “the meeting” with the Jewish Diaspora they began to question the ideological framework offered by classic Zionism with which they were raised, and embraced the Peoplehood concept as an alternative model for action. Similarly, with the notable exception of Ami Bouganim and Shmuel Trigano, most people writing about Jewish peoplehood are of European/Ashkenazi descent and grew up within the mainstream socio-political and religious movements of American and Israeli Jewish society.
This insight gives us insight into the intensive search taking place amongst Ashkenazi Jewish moderates for a meaningful and vibrant framework for the organization of Jewish life in the 21st century. It provides a looking glass into critical issues that the leadership of Ashkenazi Jewry is grappling with at the turn of the 21st century.