Maetal
Favorite Jewish food: I really like matzah ball soup.
Favorite Jewish holiday: I love the high holidays. They have substance to them that I feel as though all the other holidays like, in terms of the whole community coming together and people who don’t usually come to services do. Everyone is really doing the same thing. How would you describe your identity? I identify as an American Jew. I guess I’ve begun to consider myself as a Jew of color. That has only been in the past few years. My strongest identity is Jewish. |
Can you talk more about your journey with the term “Jew of color”
I grew up in a very white, Ashkenazi community that was very welcoming. I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up in a different way. Because I was the only Asian person at my school, a school full of Jews, I never really considered myself anything else than what everyone else was. Then I went to college, and communities like Kol Or and meeting other Jews of color made it more of a concrete identity for me. Do you feel like your looks and experiences are included in the general picture of what a Jewish person is? I think it depends on every community. There are people who are Jewish and have a certain picture of Jews that I don’t fit into at all. The communities I’ve been in have been very welcoming and have had a lot of adopted kids. In college, I’ve been part of Hillel and Independent Minyan. That community hasn’t been particularly used to Jews of color, but aren’t against it. JCUA is very welcoming. Do you feel like you’ve generally been welcomed in Judaism? Why or why not? Yeah, I feel as though for the most part I have. In the meaningful ways, I have. In terms of people reaching out, inviting me to Shabbat lunches, giving me leadership roles like leading services and being on planning committees. In high school, people would make fun of Asian people in general, but it wasn’t connected to me as a Jew, it was more connected to their racism against other non-Jewish people of color. It did not occur to them that I was sitting right there. That did make me feel uncomfortable. |
"In high school, people would make fun of Asian people in general, but it wasn’t connected to me as a Jew, it was more connected to their racism against other non-Jewish people of color. It did not occur to them that I was sitting right there. That did make me feel uncomfortable." |
"I had not really had exposure to a community that is organized around Jews of color. Being aware of Kol Or and connecting with people like Cydney and Jackie has been really eye opening in terms of learning about what it means to be a Jew of color in a different way than I am." |
Do you feel like you’ve been able to find communities where your whole identity is accepted?
This is kind of an annoying answer, but I don’t think I ever want to find that kind of community. I don’t think I have. For me, it’s really important to challenge how I think about myself. I think I learned as I moved through college that that’s not going to happen, but it’s not a bad thing. It gives me a new perspective to connect with other people. Can you talk more about Kol Or and how that community has impacted or affected you? I had not really had exposure to a community that is organized around Jews of color. Being aware of Kol Or and connecting with people like Cydney and Jackie has been really eye opening in terms of learning about what it means to be a Jew of color in a different way than I am. I am adopted. A lot of Jews of color have their own traditions and ways of being Jewish to bring to the table. My Jewish background is very Ashkenazi. My experience with being a Jew of color is very much being different from everyone else, whereas talking to Kol Or people and learning more about what it’s like to be part of a community that is seen as different from the norm, and also seeing them be a really big voice for social justice in Chicago, has been one of the best parts of my college experience. |
What do you think we could do as a larger Jewish community to make our spaces more welcoming for people who identify differently from the norm?
I don’t want to speak for anyone else. For me, I think there’s an exclusion that happens where people see people of color in communities, and they’re either scared to talk to them or don’t know how much they know. From the second I walk in, it becomes “Who’s the person who will connect with me and make me feel comfortable?”. I think it’s time for people to push themselves more to talk to people that they might not have an immediate connection with. This goes for everybody, it is just the way a lot of communities are. It starts with recognizing what you’re uncomfortable with and challenging that. Does Judaism/identifying as Jewish play an important role in your life? Why or why not? Definitely. After college, I’m planning on attending rabbinical school. I’ve always really gravitated towards learning the more technical and spiritual parts of Judaism. I grew up in a conservative household, not politically. I went to Ramah. My cousins were Chabad. We went there every Shabbos, so I was very exposed to that community. My school was loosely connected to a big Reform congregation in Los Angeles, and also my elementary was outright Reform. I think Judaism has been a major factor in my life, navigating different people and types of Judaism. What is your favorite part about being Jewish? I really like how we ground moral obligations in actions. Our connection to our spiritually is not only through prayer, it is also through observing holidays. There’s always an aspect of creating a community and creating spaces for others. |
"I really like how we ground moral obligations in actions. Our connection to our spiritually is not only through prayer..." |
If you want to learn more about JCUA's Kol Or Caucus and their incredible work, you can visit their website at jcua.org/kolor, or reach out to Jackie at [email protected]