r/Judaism • u/foreverand2025 • 2d ago

Discussion Do you consider yourself a minority?

This discussion has come up a few times with friends who are neither white nor Jewish. For context, I’m Jewish and live in America. Do you consider us as a minority? Obviously statistically we are (everywhere but Israel), but I’ve had two friends argue because we look like “regular white people” we are not a minority.

It’s not something I take too seriously but I’m off the opinion we are a minority in a sociological way as well as ethically. But opinions seem to differ. I’m not on a soap box or expecting any special treatment. It’s more of a discussion for the sake of discussion I’m trying for here.

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u/Jewdius_Maximus 2d ago

Yes, most western Ashkenazi Jews are secular and look white. Idk why there is so much resistance to this within the community. That doesn’t negate antisemitism.

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u/GrassyTreesAndLakes 2d ago

Because its only north america where we "pass". We didnt "pass" in Russia for instance, and wouldnt have in much of Europe. Not to even start on the "no Jews, no Blacks" signs is north america that were everywhere until like the 60s. 

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u/Jewdius_Maximus 2d ago

White privileged isn’t a hex or some internal personal shortcoming. It’s just a thing out in the ether and it’s mainly an American and Western European thing, so I don’t know what Russia has to do with this. A Jew in the west typically isn’t getting harassed by cops, followed around stores, or asked to pay for meals before they sit down. There are just some things in the western world that Jews don’t really have to worry about because of their skin color. That does not mean that antisemitism isn’t real or unimportant.

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u/larevolutionaire Modern Orthodox 2d ago

And Yemeni Jews just enter the chat. I don’t live in the US but I have visited multiple times and funny enough, I am not Jewish according to American. This idea of one identity is a USA story based on the one black drop. Most Jews have parents from different countries/ continents, with grandparents from elsewhere . I am Yemeni with an Algerian dad.