JAHM: When inclusion leaves Jews out

To be an American Jew over the past year and a half has meant living under an exhausting, unrelenting spotlight. The events of October 7 and everything that followed ripped off a long-standing bandage, thrusting us into ruthless public scrutiny—from the mainstream to the fringes, from the far left to the far right. Whether on college campuses or at music festivals, on manosphere podcasts or NPR, the war in Gaza is endlessly weaponized against Jews (sorry, I mean “Zionists”). And that’s not to mention acts of actual violence, like the arson attack on Governor Josh Shapiro’s home. It would be great to dodge the limelight for just one minute and watch some mindless entertainment in peace, but no—we get to be freshly highlighted because it’s Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). Mazel tov!

Did you know May is our month? If you didn’t, HBO’s streaming platform Max is here to tell you with its curated list of Jewish entertainment. While I appreciate their effort—and, sad to say, their bravery—in daring to touch the third rail that is anything Jewish these days, their choice of content left me grumbling under my breath.

The lineup is mostly stand-up specials (including anti-Zionist Jew Hannah Einbinder) and Holocaust/antisemitism content, plus some lovable nebbish comedy like Curb Your Enthusiasm, and a few features on successful Jews in the entertainment industry for good measure. I appreciate the good intentions (reportedly lobbied for by prominent Jewish organizations), but the list paints Jews as either funny neurotics, wealthy elites, or victims in concentration camps.  Or funny, neurotic, wealthy elites in concentration camps. As Dara Horn tells us, people really do love dead Jews.

While Ashkenazi history and humor is undeniably an integral part of American Jewish identity, what about everything else? What about Sephardic and Mizrahi stories? And what about Israel? Notably absent from the lineup is anything Israeli-made or Israel-related. Now why would that be?

HBO also has a curated list for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month, which makes for an interesting comparison. Unlike the Jewish list, the AAPI one features several films by foreign production studios and directors, such as Studio Ghibli and Makoto Shinkai.

By that standard, it would make sense to include Israeli productions in a Jewish compilation. There’s a range of excellent Israeli options—some of which have even streamed on Max—like Valley of Tears, On the Spectrum, Uri and Ella, and Possessions.

Furthermore, the AAPI offerings highlight a mix of content: some telling AAPI stories, others simply made by AAPI creators. One example is Mindy Kaling’s The Sex Lives of College Girls, which—aside from featuring one Indian character—is a generic story about American college students.

Of course, if HBO were to expand the JAHM list to include movies and shows made by Jewish creators, regardless of subject matter, they’d have to include basically their entire lineup—like the runaway hit The Last of Us, by Israeli American writer and co-creator Neil Druckmann. And if they featured their originals based on Israeli shows, there’d be even more: Euphoria, Scenes from a Marriage, and In Treatment, to name a few. It’s a shame these shows’ connections to Israel are politically inconvenient —but hey, at least they’re profitable.

And yet, I am grateful to HBO. After all, Max is the only major streaming platform with a JAHM list at all. Netflix, by contrast, has a prominent AAPI Month lineup, but they ignore Jewish American Heritage Month entirely. Same goes for Hulu, and even the streaming exercise platform Peloton, which is currently promoting AAPI Heritage Month alongside Mental Health Awareness Month. Maybe we neurotic Jews can count that as a nod in our direction.* Also missing a JAHM playlist is Spotify—but they did curate a playlist for Arab American Heritage Month in April. I guess there aren’t enough Jewish contributions to music to warrant a comparable list.

I discovered it was Arab American Heritage Month last month when I flew American Airlines and saw a prominently featured category in their in-flight entertainment—the first and only category organized by theme rather than by type (like movies or TV). The list featured, inexplicably, Bohemian Rhapsody, the 2018 biopic about Freddie Mercury, who was of Persian Zoroastrian background and raised in India. Not sure how Arab American Month gets to lay claim to his talent, but sure, let’s go with it.

Should I be surprised, then, that American Airlines doesn’t also have a curated list for Jewish American Heritage Month? Clearly, Jewish Americans haven’t made enough of a contribution to the entertainment industry—at least according to whoever curates their selections. Maybe we should lay claim to some artists who aren’t actually Jewish? If Arab Americans get Freddie Mercury, I’ll take Paul McCartney, please and thank you.

But let’s be real: there’s no mystery about why Jewish Heritage Month is treated so differently. Our religion, culture, homeland, history—even our identity—have all been flattened into political and culture war fodder. The rise of the anti-Zionist movement has made us socially radioactive. As corporations tiptoe through this fraught landscape, genuinely honoring Jewish contributions in all their richness feels too risky. It’s safer to reduce us to “safe” stereotypes or eternal victims, or better yet ignore us altogether.

But ours is a story of resilience, not victimhood. Jews are a proud, diverse people and we produce world-class art, culture, and innovation both in Israel and the Diaspora. So to the companies who choose to ignore JAHM while highlighting every other minority… Bravo! You’ve really nailed the art of selective inclusivity. And to HBO, thank you for the effort, but next time you’re putting together a list of Jewish art, remember the words of the late great Jackie Mason, “Jews are just like everyone else, only more so.”

*Since time of writing and following complaints, Peloton has added a Jewish Holidays section.