Jews of Color

Definitions

• A pan-ethnic term that identifies Jews who are not white. It generally includes Jews who are Black, Asian, Latino/a/x, Native American, mixed race, and it sometimes also includes Jews with ancestry in the Middle East and North Africa.

Example Sentences

• "More than 1500 people have signed an open letter demanding that Jewish groups reserve 20% of board seats for Jews of color."

Languages of Origin

• English

Etymology

• A Jewish community adaptation of the term People of Color (POC)

Who Uses This

• Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
• Younger: Jews in their 30s or younger
• Organizations: People involved in a professional or volunteer capacity with Jewish nonprofit organizations

Regions

• North America

Alternative Spellings

JOC, JoC

Notes

• The Steinhardt Social Research Institute’s American Jewish Population Project reports that 11% of Jews in the United States are Jews of Color. The study "Counting Inconsistencies," by researchers at Stanford, USF, and the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, puts the figure at 12-15%.