UMD’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion highlights the multiplicities of Jewish identity
Panelists from the “Understanding the Multiplicity of Jewish Identities” virtual event. Left to right: Yosef Webb-Cohen, co-founder and senior educator of Calico Hill Collective, Jazmin Pichardo, assistant director of Diversity Training and Education, Nilaya Knafo, senior program assistant at the United States Institute of Peace, Julie Ancis, moderator and professor of informatics in cyberpsychology program at New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rabbi Ari Israel, executive director of Maryland Hillel and Georgina Dodge, vice president for Diversity and Inclusion.
The Diversity Training and Education through the University of Maryland’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion hosted the first panel of the Jewish Identity Program on Monday. The panel discussed the multifaceted nature of Jewish identity and the range of experiences.
The program aims to highlight the Jewish identity and serve as an entry point to deepen our understanding of antisemitism.
Students were able to hear from three panelists, one being Rabbi Ari Israel, the executive director of Maryland Hillel. The panelists shared their perspective as a Jew and experiences dealing with antisemitism.
When explaining what their Jewish identity meant to them, it was a sense of homecoming. Co-Founder and Senior Educator of Calico Hill Collective, a consulting firm that specializes in inclusion-diversity work, Yosef Webb- Cohen said his Jewish identity is not an aspect of himself. “It’s a part of who I am. In every way, shape or form.”
Cohen’s Jewish identity intersects with his Black identity. He expressed dealing with both racism and antisemitism and categorized them both as sides of the same coin. “As someone who lives in the middle of a Venn diagram of being Black and Jewish, I get it from both ends,” Cohen said. As a converted Jew, Cohen knew he would then face antisemitism but that did not stop him.
Antisemitism became a common theme in the panel discussion. According to Yosef, there is no concise definition of antisemitism which is part of the problem. He adds it is clear it is directed towards those who identify as Jewish. Each of the panelists used their experiences as teaching moments.
When Nilaya Knafo, a senior program assistant at the United States Institute of Peace got married, she experienced more public attention and antisemitism in the form of verbal aggressions than when she was single. “For my experiences being married and choosing to cover my hair has attracted a lot of attention,” Knafo said.
Wearing a head cover was a sign of modesty and a way to embrace Knafo’s heritage. She added, “I think that also made me more visibly Jewish in public and perhaps even amplified assumptions.”
“I think part of the issue of antisemitism is how insidious it is. Most of the antisemitism I see manifests itself in little ways, little microaggressions,” Cohen said. He added these attacks always tend to be people who are openly known as Jews.
Knafo and Israel both grew up in traditional Jewish homes.
Knafo was able to learn about her family heritage through her grandparents. Her grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Morocco after the Holocaust and World War 2.
“I think over the years as I’ve grown older to really connect with that part of my Jewish identity and the beauty of the traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation,” Knafo said.
Israel remembered his father taking him to the synagogue every morning. “I fell in love with Jewish peoplehood and Jewish identity became part of my full identity,” Israel said. He added, Judaism is about values and choice and he believes his values are enhanced because of it.
Another major question from the panel talked about assumptions directed towards their Jewish identity and how it affected them. Knafo took that moment as a chance to further embrace her identity. “As a Jewish woman, I don’t want to be hidden,” Knafo said.
Cohen discussed assumptions that were both racist and antisemitic.
“People assume you’re Brown, you have a beard, there’s something on your head, you must be Muslim,” Cohen said.
He says there is diversity within the Jewish community. There is an assumption that Judaism fits into a certain box. Cohen expressed how he was not perceived as fitting into the box of Judaism. He took those moments as opportunities to help educate people.
“Jewish pride is about a connection to others. I feel part of our rich tradition and love the fact that we embrace and include others who are now a part of that tradition,” Israel said.