California wants to list Jewish as an ethnicity. Jews are divided over the idea
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Set us as preferred California is poised to be the first state in the nation to allow people to identify their Jewish heritage on state forms, sparking debate within the community about identity and the merits of being singled out.Some Jews believe the move would help people understand the community better, particularly on issues such as health and hate crimes.
But some are wary about providing too much information given the history of government-sanctioned persecutions against Jewish people.The state recognizes nearly 50 racial and ethnic identities for data collection, but it considers Jewish identity only as a religion, not an ethnicity.
Senate Bill 1387, which lawmakers passed Aug.31, seeks to require state agencies to include a box for Jewish ethnicity on all demographic data forms, ranging from public assistance programs to college applications.
The goal is to improve the accuracy of state data to better understand the needs of Jewish communities, according to the bill’s author, state Sen.Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles).
The bill, which received broad support in the Assembly and Senate, will head to Gov.Gavin Newsom’s desk in the coming weeks for a signature or veto.
Politics The presidential aide spent much of her early life in Southern California, where she was home-schooled and attended a mega-church on Sundays, her brother said.The proposed law has gone beyond data collection within the Jewish community, prompting discussions and disagreements over whether being Jewish is religious, cultural or a blend of many things.For some, it’s evoked anxiety about the historical dangers of tracking Jews.
Stern doesn’t mind the debate.In fact, he says, it speaks to a core part of Jewish identity.
“I love that the Jewish tradition is us arguing with each other,” he said.“It is such a beautiful part of our heri...