In Every Tongue: The Racial & Ethnic Diversity of the Jewish People

by Diane Tobin, Gary A. Tobin, Scott Rubin

Jews have always resembled the peoples among whom they live, whether in Africa, Asia, or Europe. Why should American Jews be an exception? In a land where racial and ethnic boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred, the American Jewish community is also shifting. In Every Tongue is both a groundbreaking look at the changing faces of the Jewish people and an examination of the timelessness of those changes. Ranging from distinct communities of African American Jews and adopted children of color in white Jewish families to the growing number of religious seekers of all races who hope to find a home in Judaism, In Every Tongue explores the origins, traditions, challenges, and joys of diverse Jews in America. This book explodes the myth of a single authentic Judaism and shines a bright light on the thousands of ethnically and racially diverse Jews in the United States who live full and rich Jewish lives. It is impossible to read In Every Tongue without coming away with a deeper respect for and a broader understanding of the Jewish people today. In a time when Jewish community leaders decry the shrinking of the Jewish population, In Every Tongue imagines a vibrant and daring future for the Jewish becoming who they have always been.

Genres: Judaism, Jewish, Nonfiction, Race

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2005

Reviews

[char · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won't comment on the statistics, but I thought this book's argument was clear and empathetic (in a way that will hopefully be impactful for those who still see the American Jewish community as all white). Anecdotes were used wisely to demonstrate the diversity of needs, opinions, and experiences among Jews of color, and the book included a brief but enlightening look at how the Jewish diaspora has historically gone and still goes way beyond Ashkenazi and Sephardic.

Special mention for the incredible forward by Lewis Gordon, which challenged my (white) assumptions about what a Jewish community can and should look like.

[Rachel Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's common to pigeon hold Jews into a narrowly defined space but in reality Jews are a people of diverse backgrounds who are united as one through beliefs and values. Very interesting book that discusses in depth about the racial and ethnic diversity of the Jews.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good.