Abstract
Abstract First, this paper contends that, in 2013, the best estimate of the percentage of Jews who are Jews of Color (JoC) was about 6%, and in 2020, it was about 8%. We rely on two sources to support this conclusion: national Jewish population studies and local Jewish community studies. This paper also presents evidence that members of some groups (Hispanic Jews in particular) may not consider themselves to be “of color,” and Black, Hispanic, Asian, and “other” Jews differ from one another in significant ways. Treating these different groups under one umbrella may not lead to the best policy decisions. Second, we published a short piece on Jews of Color in the 2019 American Jewish Year Book to bring attention to the increasing diversity of American Jews. This was followed by a column in eJewishPhilanthropy . A controversy ensued upon publication of this column. In this paper, we respond to some of these charges and talk about the lessons we learned from this experience.