FJN is very proud that many Jewish groups have condemned police brutality and systemic racism against black people. Several Jewish organizations around the world have expressed outrage.
As a result of this fact, the Board of Deputies of British Jews ordered a study of prejudice against black English Jews to be carried out in local Jewish communities.
The umbrella organization plans to ask British Jews what were their experiences in community spaces in order to establish report and make recommendations on actions and solutions : “Over the past week we have heard testimony from British Jews from
who told us that our own community spaces were not always welcoming. We have received complaints about looks at the synagogue, questions posed, difficulties encountered with the security services in the community buildings, experiences of racism in Jewish schools,
a lack of racial diversity in leadership positions in Jewish institutions and sometimes even,
heartbreaking prejudices when it comes to finding a Jewish spouse, “
noted the Board. If racism is “as old as the world”, it has however taken, throughout history,
different forms in Jewish institutions. There is a psychological dimension which appears as a constant. England is not the only one concerned, but the phenomenon is more sensitive, but what about the proximity to France. It is not tomorrow that we will be able to see such a study recommended in France ?
Since 1987, another approach to the relationship has been established between geography and Jewishness which consists to measure how prescriptive it has become rather than descriptive and that the phenomenon of racism in the community has emerged from its denial or praise for the leveling of differences. In a Jewish world in search of cohesion, the new leaders are residual, but it’s their audience. The most active are executives often from wealthy backgrounds and structured followed by young people often from popular backgrounds, poorly structured and without real influence.
And for them to be a Black Jew is to be constantly summoned to justify being there.
For these, it is a question here of distinguishing between Judaism as a religion and the Jews as social group. And describe the Jews by phenotypes thus forgetting the fact of the
dispersal of Jews around the world, their appearance and skin color refute the notion of a
unique Jewish physical type. What is more, Jewishness, and what it means in terms of identity and practice, is too elusive to get caught up in a unique concept, be it cultural, racial, ethnic or religious. What undermines the succulent theory of the gathering of exiles from the four corners of the universe.