What’s On Your List? How Far Down is ‘Jew’?

In 1985, an exercise was conducted at a prestigious American policy institution by the brilliant professor of policy analysis, the late Dr. Aaron Wildavsky. He asked the graduate students to write in descending order, 10 words that best described their personal identity. Why? Because, Wildavsky stated, identity heavily influenced values, and values directed policy recommendations, and ultimately, decisions.

In the halcyon days of the mid 1980’s, most of the students wrote as their first identifiers- male/female, scientist/ policy analyst, American, athlete, Yankees/Bulls ( or other sports team) fan. For one student, “Southerner” was a notable identifier. But it was one student’s initial identifier that stunned this group of exceptional graduate students. That student had written “ Jew” as his first identifier. His fellow students and colleagues were shocked. Even in those days, religious or peoplehood identification was seen as “ narrow”. Blatant identification as a “ Jew” in those “ liberal times” remained a negative attribute. Wildavsky de escalated the situation by applying social science jargon. He stated that it was not uncommon for minorities to have a heightened awareness of their identity.

I was reminded of this exercise after viewing the recent interview of Sheryl Sandberg, conducted by Bari Weiss of The Free Press. Sheryl Sandberg, the former COO of Meta Platforms is also a prominent feminist and writer. She has made an important and dramatic documentary detailing the horrific rape, sexual abuse, and kidnapping violently perpetrated upon Jewish women by Hamas.

During the interview, Sheryl Sandberg posed to herself the question “ Did I ever think that there would be antisemitism?” She had asked her non-Jewish friend if she would “hide” her, if it became necessary. Could the situation come to that in the US? Or, was she giving voice to subconscious memories of pogroms, and of the Holocaust which rose within her as a result of the horrors she witnessed in Gaza?

Until October 6 2023, I wonder what the top identifiers have been for most American Jews. I would imagine that “ Jew” was not high on that list, if at all. For many, if not most, other identifiers prominent on their list were likely, attorney/doctor/teacher/ comedian/ CFO, male/female/transgender , Democrat/Republican, progressive/liberal/ conservative, American, New Yorker/ West Coaster, or even a sports team fan.

What a difference a day makes. Had Wildavsky conducted that experiment in the aftermath of the horrors of October 7, 2023 I would wonder what that list of identifiers would have looked like for American Jewry. We know that for some “Jew” or “ Zionist” moved much closer to the top. And what of the rude awakening to Jewish university students worldwide for whom “Jew” had never been, or was at the bottom of the list? How will they contend with fresh, live, and blatant antisemitism as they try to go about their business? What does their list look like now?

October 7, 2023 has become a day of reckoning for Jews worldwide. New lists have been made for some and “ Jew”, “ Zionist” have climbed higher on their list of identifiers. For others, shame, ignorance, fear, or apathy may play a role as to how they each see themselves. It is time to revise our list.

What is on your list? What are your values now? How will your actions change now?