At the New Synagogue Project, we are building a community around liberation, inclusion, and mutual support. This vision includes building a home for Jews of all colors and walks of life, along with those who love us and stand with us. In striving for an inclusive community, this Space serves anyone who is directly impacted by racism, colonization, and/or Ashkenazi dominance* in Jewish spaces, whether they are Jewish or not. Kaleidoscope within the New Synagogue Project is led by Jews of color and is committed to uplifting the unique identities, complexities, and insights of this community.
Contact NSP’s Jews of Color Coordinator, Elizabeth Narvaez, at elizabeth@newsynagogueproject.org and JOC Space Lead, Emma Rafaelof, at joc@newsynagogueproject.org to learn more and get involved.
We also have a Chanukah cookbook! The recipes in this cookbook were sourced from folks in our community. As a reflection of our community, this cookbook is a small reminder that there are Jewish foodways beyond Ashkenazi customs. You can access the Chanukah Cookbook here.
FAQ
This is another space where our community is resisting racism, imperialism, and colonization. These oppressions play out in our Jewish communities through policy, programming, and cultural dogma, in ways that harm people of color, erase their experiences, and obscure the beautiful diversity of the greater Jewish experience. The effect of this oppression also perpetuates the assumption that all Jews are white and Ashkenazi.
Is this space for me? Should I come to these events?
This space is designed to center anyone who is directly impacted by racism, colonization, and/or Ashkenazi dominance* in Jewish spaces. Kaleidoscope is currently a home for people who self-identify as biracial, multiracial, Black, Latinx, South Asian, East Asian, Indigenous, Sephardi, and Mizrahi. This is not an exhaustive list but gives you an idea of some people who are part of our space.
Can I bring someone?
Yes – family members and significant others who support you are always welcome. We request that guests who do not identify as directly impacted by racism, colonialism, and/or Ashkenazi dominance respect the focus of the space.
I may not be “directly impacted,” but my child is — should we come?
Absolutely! We want kids of color to be supported in our community. We do request that white parents respect the focus of the space and remain open to growth and learning opportunities from the space.
Interested in getting involved?
Please contact our JOC Coordinator or Kaleidoscope team lead at elizabeth@newsynagogueproject.org and joc@newsynagogueproject.org. We are also looking for a co-lead for Kaleidoscope! If you are interested in helping plan events and get more involved in NSP let us know!
What’s Ashkenazi dominance?
Ashkenazi Jews are one of several distinctive major ethnic-geographic-intellectual lineages among world Jewry. Ashkenazi Jews typically trace their heritage to Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, and former Soviet Union countries, though many Jews who converted to Judaism are Ashkenazi by practice and culture rather than literal ancestry. They make up 75-90% of American Jews depending on who’s counting, and because of this numeric dominance, their practices and cultures of Judaism are often assumed to be the only or the “normal” way to be Jewish. These assumptions and the actual marginalization of Sephardi, Mizrahi, and other Jewish lineages and practices, are part of “Ashkenazi dominance.”
Why the name Kaleidoscope?
Can you picture a kaleidoscope toy? As the viewer rotates the kaleidoscope the multicolored, patterned images continually change. The name kaleidoscope symbolizes the ever-changing and endless possibilities that come with each person’s experience. This space actively embraces open-ended possibilities and the multiplicity of perspectives that come along with a dynamic multiracial community.