This past weekend I attended a Jewish learning conference called Limmud NY. Over the course of several days I attended workshops, meals, panels, discussion groups, and more - all on a variety of topics ranging from Rabbi behavior in the 3rd century to the current status of American Jewry as discussed in the Pew Study. All the while I was being confronted by people from a variety of different backgrounds of Judaism: from all religious streams to those who are often relegated to the "fringe" of our inclusiveness. Upon leaving, my fiancee had quite a visceral reaction in how the Jewish community in general treats this latter group - consisting of Jews of patrilineal descent or non-Caucasian ethnic backgrounds - and it got me thinking about how important it is to live in a diverse world yet how difficult it is to maintain it.
As a teacher in a school that strives for this diversity, I wonder about it much of the time. It only takes one glance around an urban classroom to recognize that there is a disparity between the teaching staff and the student population. This is to such a large extent that the National Education Association (one of the two countrywide teacher's unions) has analysis and suggestions of what to do about it. Yes, we need to train more minority teachers so that demographics match; but we also need to work with our current population to make sure everyone is sensitive to other's needs.
As the country reels from the decisions made in the Jordan Davis murder case, it behooves us to ask how we can make sure people of different backgrounds understand each other better so that we are not so afraid of the "other" in everyday interactions.
It is much easier to live in a world where people around you are of similar color, background, and education. But the true interaction of American society comes when differences are shared and celebrated. That does not necessarily mean pandering to one group or another; it means asking questions and being curious for the purpose of inclusiveness. If we all do that, perhaps our next generation will be more peaceful than our wildest dreams.
As a teacher in a school that strives for this diversity, I wonder about it much of the time. It only takes one glance around an urban classroom to recognize that there is a disparity between the teaching staff and the student population. This is to such a large extent that the National Education Association (one of the two countrywide teacher's unions) has analysis and suggestions of what to do about it. Yes, we need to train more minority teachers so that demographics match; but we also need to work with our current population to make sure everyone is sensitive to other's needs.
As the country reels from the decisions made in the Jordan Davis murder case, it behooves us to ask how we can make sure people of different backgrounds understand each other better so that we are not so afraid of the "other" in everyday interactions.
It is much easier to live in a world where people around you are of similar color, background, and education. But the true interaction of American society comes when differences are shared and celebrated. That does not necessarily mean pandering to one group or another; it means asking questions and being curious for the purpose of inclusiveness. If we all do that, perhaps our next generation will be more peaceful than our wildest dreams.
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