Race, Religion and American Judaism: Cross-Disciplinary Research, Public Scholarship and Curriculum Development

FAIN: ZED-283858-22

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Wyncote, PA 19095-1824)
Mira Beth Wasserman (Project Director: May 2021 to July 2023)

Development of online courses and curriculum for adults and young people examining race, racism, and the American Jewish experience.

Scholars are increasingly recognizing the complicated ways that religion and race intertwine in American society. On the one hand, religious traditions sometimes reinforce racist ideologies and practices; on the other, religious communities have led efforts to overcome racism through education and activism. American Jewish experience offers an instructive case study in the interactions between race and religion because Jewish identity complicates prevailing conceptions of race and religion and because Jews have been “raced” differently in different periods and settings. This project will advance scholarship by forging new collaborative research that brings Jewish studies into conversation with critical race theory. On the basis of this new research, we will develop educational curricula for Jewish organizations that advance understanding of the problem of racism, that recover neglected histories of Jews of color, and that tell stories of the ongoing struggle for racial justice.

Media Coverage

‘Race, Religion and American Jews’: A Wide-Ranging Project Reaches Beyond the Academy, Inviting Conversation (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Bryan Schwartzman
Publication: Reconstructing Judaism
Date: 4/18/2023
Abstract: Run by the Center for Jewish Ethics, which is part of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC), the Jews and race project was launched in 2021 with a $199,850 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. In the span of a year and a half, “Race, Religion and American Jews” brought together 11 scholars in religion, history, psychology, ethics, philosophy and more. Seeking the broadest understanding of Judaism and race, they explored questions related to race and Jewish identity; the diversity of the American experience; and Jewish ethical responses on racism. Specific research topics ranged from the stories of Cuban and Syrian Jewish communities to grappling with the legacy of systemic racism. Rather than focus primarily on an academic audience, the scholars aimed to have their work enter public consciousness and shape communal conversations about race and racism. They shared their findings in lectures geared for a general audience.
URL: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/news/race-religion-and-american-jews-a-wide-ranging-project-reaches-beyond-the-academy-inviting-conversation/

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Completes Project on Jews and Race (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Sasha Rogelberg
Publication: Philadelphia Jewish Exponent
Date: 5/3/2023
Abstract: The Center for Jewish Ethics, part of the Wyncote-based Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, completed its Race, Religion and American Jews project last month. The project was designed to increase scholarship on the relationship between Jewish peoples, race and racism and disseminate curricula to Jewish educators and adults. Race, Religion and American Jews was launched in 2021 thanks to a $199,850 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of its American Rescue Plan. That $87.8 million grant program assists 300 cultural institutions in maintaining or expanding programming and staffing that may have been impacted by the pandemic. “The ultimate goal is to use the resources of Jewish history, Jewish tradition and Jewish community to combat racism,” said Rabbi Mira Wasserman, director of the Center for Jewish Ethics and a senior adviser of the project.
URL: https://www.jewishexponent.com/2023/05/03/reconstructionist-rabbinical-college-completes-project-on-jews-and-race/

Associated Products

Race, Religion & American Judaism (Web Resource)
Title: Race, Religion & American Judaism
Author: Mira Wasserman
Abstract: As Americans of all backgrounds confront structural racism and seek to understand our own roles and responsibilities, learning about racism and its history is critical. This project highlights how the study of Jewish history, experience, and ethics illuminates the problem of racism and lays a foundation for positive change. Race, Religion, & American Judaism takes you on an educational journey with leading scholars as your guides. Using the prism of Jewish life to examine the complexities of identity, culture, and society, it promotes knowledge and inquiry as central to the pursuit of equity and repair.
Year: 2023
Primary URL: https://jewsandrace.com/
Primary URL Description: As Americans of all backgrounds confront structural racism and seek to understand our own roles and responsibilities, learning about racism and its history is critical. This project highlights how the study of Jewish history, experience, and ethics illuminates the problem of racism and lays a foundation for positive change. Race, Religion, & American Judaism takes you on an educational journey with leading scholars as your guides. Using the prism of Jewish life to examine the complexities of identity, culture, and society, it promotes knowledge and inquiry as central to the pursuit of equity and repair.

Race, Religion & American Judaism Youth Curriculum (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Race, Religion & American Judaism Youth Curriculum
Author: Mira Wasserman
Abstract: Race, Religion & American Judaism Youth Curriculum
Year: 2023
Primary URL: https://jewsandrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Youth-Final-1.pdf
Primary URL Description: Curriculum download page.
Audience: K - 12

Race, Religion & American Judaism Adult Curriculum (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Race, Religion & American Judaism Adult Curriculum
Author: Mira Wasserman
Abstract: Race, Religion & American Judaism Adult Curriculum
Year: 2023
Primary URL: https://jewsandrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/adult-final.pdf
Primary URL Description: Webpage to download adult curriculum.
Audience: General Public

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