Colloquium: How Americans See Jews

This paper examines some of the ways that non-Jewish Americans think about Jews. “Jews” here refers to the contemporary group of people who consider themselves to be Jewish, rather than ancient Israelites or the Jews of the New Testament. Jews are brought to Americans’ attention through political discourse about Israel, and the attendant debates about the role of antisemitism in criticism of Israel and the role of the American Jewish community in advocating for US support of Israel. In addition, White nationalist attacks on synagogues made national news in 2018 and 2019. The paper focuses on three overlapping ways of thinking about Jews: as an ethnic minority, as White, and as the Chosen People. These categories cover a range of views across subcultures. *Reading the working paper in advance is required for attendance.* Co-sponsored with the School of Theology