Institute For Jewish And Community Research

THE INSTITUTE IS AN INDEPENDENT NON-PROFIT THAT IS DEVOTED TO CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN JEWISH LIFE. IT IS DEDICATED TO RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE ETHNIC, RACIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF GLOBAL JEWISH IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE.

LEARN / EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESPASSPORT TO PEOPLEHOOD IS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE THAT STRENGTHENS JEWISH IDENTITY BY EXPANDING AWARENESS OF THE RACIAL, ETHNIC AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF JEWS AROUND THE WORLD. ACCORDING TO OUR RESEARCH, JEWS ARE MORE DIVERSE THAN MANY ASSUME APPROXIMATELY 20% OF AMERICA'S 6 MILLION JEWS OR 1,200,000 ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, ASIAN, LATINO, MIXED-RACE, SEPHARDIC, AND MIZRAHI BY BIRTH, INTERMARRIAGE, CONVERSION AND ADOPTION. AND JEWS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS, WHO ARE GROWING UP IN A DIVERSE AND INTERCONNECTED WORLD, VALUE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. JEWS ARE A MULTICULTURAL PEOPLE WHO LIVE AROUND THE WORLD, YET THERE ARE VERY FEW JEWISH EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES THAT ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE DEMOGRAPHIC REALITY OF CONTEMPORARY JEWISH LIFE.

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

DISCUSS / LEADERSHIPAS THE JEWISH COMMUNITY BECOMES MORE RACIALLY, ETHNICALLY AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE, BECHOL LASHON SEEKS TO BRING THE HISTORIC JEWISH COMMITMENT TO CIVIL RIGHTS AND RACIAL JUSTICE FORWARD INTO THE 21ST CENTURY BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR JEWISH PROFESSIONALS AND OTHERS TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE, ETHNICITY AND IDENTITY. OUR SPEAKERS BUREAU ADDRESSES A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS OF INTEREST TO CONGREGATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, CAMPUSES AND COMMUNITIES. BECHOL LASHON SPEAKERS AND TRAINERS ARE DYNAMIC DIVERSE COMMUNITY, ACADEMIC, AND CULTURAL ARTS LEADERS WHO ARE AMBASSADORS FOR A GLOBAL AND DIVERSE JEWISH COMMUNITY.