Jewish critical race theory
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jewish critical race theory (HebCrit) is an emerging framework applying critical race theory to Jewish identity and experience.[1] HebCrit seeks to address the lack of Jewish inclusion in the study of race and culture, and, as an interdisciplinary theory, draws from critical race theory, history, sociology, psychology, education, and Jewish studies. It sees Jewish people as a racialized minority in order to encourage critical inquiry into how race and Jewishness interact. From critical race theory, Hebcrit adapts concepts like intersectionality, the black-white binary, and critical whiteness studies, to explain Jewish racial identity.
HebCrit has five primary arguments or assertions:[1]
- Antisemitism continues to target Jewish people as a form of racism.
- Jewish people are a racialized group.
- When a Jewish person is labeled white, they may experience a sense of tension and invisibility.
- The immense social, economic, and political power that is popularly attributed to Jews is hyperbolic.
- Jewish counterstories have value.
Emergence
The term "Hebcrit" as Jewish critical race theory was coined by University of Derby education professor Daniel Ian Rubin in 2020.[1] Rubin laid out his proposal for HebCrit, including the five major tenets. He wrote that "Due to the lived experiences of Jewish people in the U.S., I argue that Jews are a race and need to be studied as such in CRT." In a 2024 paper, Noah D. Drezner critiqued and expanded on HebCrit with a focus on intersectionality, education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.[2]