America has a historical legacy of discrimination and prejudice that still has an impact today despite much conscious effort to address it. The recent attack on the U.S. Capitol by a violent mob shows there is still much work to do.
This is true within the context of Jewish education as well as society at large. There is the potential to better model the increasingly multiracial and multiethnic nature of the Jewish community within Jewish schools.
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The path to becoming more inclusive
In the context of Jewish education, many Jewish schools have a desire to address diversity in their communities and educate students about people from different ethnic backgrounds. Most Jewish day schools are predominantly white and represent a specific Jewish minority group, but they are increasingly looking for ways to become more diverse and make students more aware of different cultures within a wider context.
As the larger Jewish community becomes more diverse, Jewish day schools are reviewing their curricula, hiring policies and admissions practices to become more inclusive. They are becoming more open to all kinds of Jewish families of different ethnicities, races and nationalities.
They are also reflecting on issues such as gender, sexual orientation, worldviews and socio-economic circumstances. This effort to make such changes is an ongoing process that requires persistence, commitment, honest reflection, an openness to listening, and careful planning.
Many schools start by asking questions about how diverse they are now and where they want to be in five, ten and twenty years in terms of growth.
They are sending out surveys to collect data from staff and families about where they come from, what languages they speak, their religious identities, past and present Jewish practices, as well as any marginalization they may have experienced in the Jewish community. The very process of conducting such a survey serves to open up many conversations within a community about diversity and identity.
Schools may then establish a committee of leaders, trustees, parents, and alumni parents to draw up a diversity statement that reflects their mission and strategic priorities. Once this is approved by the Board of Trustees, it guides future decisions about issues such as curriculum, professional training opportunities and partnerships.
Meaningful learning for all parties
The Jewish schools are aware that leadership, faculty, parents, students and funders all need to buy into the belief that promoting inclusion, diversity and equity will benefit not only the schools but the community too.
Essays, discussions and workshops for students: Writing college essays that examine issues of racism is common and in Jewish schools, teachers are encouraging essay writing for students that reflect on how they define themselves and how people might stereotype them. Free essay samples from https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/racism/ can help them if they have difficulty. GradesFixer offers several essays in the racism category and students can benefit immensely from them.
Education about racism often begins with some self-reflection. Getting students to engage in discussions about racism and diversity can be unsettling and they need safe spaces where they are able to be open and honest. Anti-bias workshops can prompt meaningful conversations where students may begin to understand the consequences of stereotyping and discrimination.
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Training for faculty: Faculty needs to receive training on how to build cultural competency and how to navigate race and equity within the context of Jewish education. They need to examine their curricula, teaching practices and resources in order to incorporate what they learn into their lessons.
Parent involvement: Parents also need opportunities to discuss diversity. It helps to have a committee devoted to this that hires speakers or plans events that could be helpful to introduce different traditions and cultural practices. For example, they could have someone from the specific Jewish community make a traditional dish and introduce it to others.
Moving forward
Engaging the broader community can be critical to the success of promoting diversity in schools. This may mean working in partnership with various groups. For example, it could help to partner with an organization like Facing History to engage students in examining antisemitism, prejudice and racism. It may be necessary to partner with an organization like Keshet to make sure policies and programs are inclusive of all gender and sexual identities.
A final word
Jewish schools are working on making changes in order to ensure their students are able to contribute to a more humane, compassionate and equitable society. It can be a challenge that requires persistence and dedication. It requires buy-in from all involved parties who need to exercise some self-reflection. They need to understand why change is necessary and how to implement it so that schools reflect the diversity of contemporary Jewish life.
Author’s Bio:
Vendy Adams works for a publishing company as a senior book writer and editor and handles key university accounts. She’s also a skilled academic writer and works part-time for a college essay writing agency. In her free time, she loves to cook Thai food, watch sports on tv and read novels.
