(By Erika Davis, Board member, Jewish Multiracial Network)
“Wait, you’re Jewish?
“Yes, I’m Jewish.”
“But you don’t look Jewish.”
“Well, what does Jewish look like to you?”
Silence.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had to have that conversation, yet it’s a conversation I’ve had several times in my life. And I’m not alone. Most multiracial Jews and Jews of Color have been told that they don’t look Jewish, which always begs the question, “What does a Jew look like?” The Jewish Multiracial Network, a 17 year-old organization whose mission is to spread awareness about Multiracial Jewish families and Jews of Color through education has released a video that answers the “Jewish Question” in a minute-thirty seconds beautifully. The fact is, there isn’t one way to look Jewish.