Daniel Rubin

Implementation of Ethnic Studies (ES) classes in K-12 schools has been a contentious issue across the U.S. for several years, especially in the state of California. Due to vociferous challenges to California’s Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC), a new offshoot of ES called “Liberated” Ethnic Studies (LES) emerged. The Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium (LESMCC) focuses on four historically oppressed groups in the U.S. - Blacks, Latinos, Indigenous Peoples, and Asians/Pacific Islanders, including Palestinians and Arab Americans. There is little mention of Jews and anti-Jewish hatred (antisemitism) in the curriculum. Despite increasing antisemitism in the U.S., there continues to be strong resistance to teaching about Jews and antisemitism in the high school ES classroom. This article analyzes the potential arguments for the continued exclusion of Jews in ES and whether Jews have a place within its framework

I believe that it is essential to identify a new facet of Critical Race Theory that specifically addresses the needs of the Jewish people. Often overlooked and ignored in multicultural, diversity, and ethnic studies, Jews continue to face specific concerns and obstacles in the both the United States and around the world. In this article, I outline the foundational structure of this new critical theory that investigates issues affecting Jewish people in American society. HebCrit (pronounced “heeb”) is rooted in Critical Race Theory, History, Social Psychology, Education, and Jewish Studies. This new theoretical framework provides a way to address the complicated positionality that many American Jews navigate on a daily basis.

Current data show that antisemitism is on the rise in the United States, yet there are few studies that show how antisemitism effects the personal and professional lives of Jewish university professors. This article discusses the concept of antisemitism and how it can be perceived by American Jews who teach in the academe. This mixed-method study investigates Jewish university professors’ (n = 93) experiences with antisemitism in both their past and present-day lives. The data shows that the majority of study participants have had personal experiences with anti-Jewish harassment and discrimination at some point. In addition, a large number of the study participants have also faced antisemitism on their own university campuses. This study reinforces the notion that antisemitism not only exists but continues to have negative consequences for Jewish members of U.S. society.

In the twenty-first century, diversity and multicultural analysis of race often falls along a Black/White binary paradigm. Therefore, those who are perceived to be White are often left out of the discussion of diversity and multicultural education (DME) in the United States. This absence is particularly true for American Jews of Ashkenazi descent. In academic circles today, the notion of “Whiteness” is often used as a determining factor for overlooking antisemitism while addressing issues of racism aimed at other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Data show that acts of antisemitism continues to rise in the U.S., especially on college campuses. Due to a lack of acknowledgment in the university classroom, Jews continue to be overlooked in multicultural academic thought, which can have wide-ranging consequences for Jews and non-Jews alike.

The negative stereotype of the weak, passive, Jewish male has been a staple in the United States for well over a century. Even though there has been a larger Jewish presence on US television over the past twenty years, the portrayal of Jewish men is still negative and stereotypical. On the popular comedy, The Big Bang Theory, the character of Howard Wolowitz is the quintessential emasculated, Jewish male stereotype. Not only is he thin, gawky, and passive, this thirtysomething is ruled by his mother. This article addresses the historical depiction of the Jewish male in US society as well as popular television in the United States. The Wolowitz character will also be compared with the weak, Jewish male stereotype, citing examples from The Big Bang Theory. How the consistent use of these negative stereotypes affects both Jews and non-Jews will also be explored. The Stereotypical Portrayal of Jewish Masculinity on The Big Bang Theory

The Jewish peoples have endured thousands of years of discrimination and subjugation, yet during this new millennium, Jews and antisemitism are conspicuously absent from university ethnic studies classroom discourse in the United States. Those scholars, determined to penetrate the walls of the multicultural education stronghold, are met with an ebb and flow of silence and vociferous resistance. A primary rationale for multiculturalists ignoring antisemitism appears to be the Zionist question and how they, themselves, perceive Israel's relationship with Palestine. This qualitative case study analyzed interviews of six prominent scholars in the areas of multiculturalism, history, and Judaism through a critical pedagogical lens. Throughout this paper, the author explores his personal experiences in regard to educational multiculturalists and the dismissal of Jews as a persecuted group. From discourse analysis of themes and recurrent meanings in the data, it is evident that the majority of study participants believe that Israel's behavior toward the Palestinians is unacceptable, yet that does not justify the large-scale generalizations of the Jewish people in the United States. As a result, this paper argues for the inclusion of the Jewish experience into university multicultural discourse.

Ulukhaktok society, in northern Canada, has changed greatly since its first contact with European explorers in the 19 th century. Due to the spread of capitalism, indigenous societies such as Ulukhaktok, continue to have their way of life threatened. Even though capitalism continues to encroach upon the Ulukhaktok community, the fundamental practice of food sharing still thrives. Many theorists around the globe believe that Marxist thought is the way to overcome the ravages of capitalism, yet most Indigenous scholars believe that Marxism will do little to help the plight of Native peoples.

Independent, critical thought has never been more important
in the United States. In the Age of Trump, political officials
spout falsehoods called “alternative facts” as if they were on
equal footing with researchable, scientific data. At the same
time, an unquestioning populace engages in acts of “willful
ignorance” on a daily basis to support their unfounded beliefs.
In order to create a generation of independent, cognizant, and
critical citizens, this nation’s students must be taught to think
dialectically in the classroom. Then, and only then, will people
be able to assess important issues for themselves in order to
engage in a truly democratic society.

Despite over 4,000 years of persecution, American Jews and antisemitism continue to be overlooked in university multicultural and social justice classroom discussions. This is due to many factors, such as the misconceptions that Jews are solely a religious group, are White and have completely assimilated into American culture, and are economically successful. Jews are a distinctive group in the United States who continue to experience racism and oppression. In order to validate the racism and discrimination of Jews in the United States, university multicultural and social justice programs must begin to discuss the issues pertaining to antisemitism.

In the fall of 2015, a new secondary education class, Diversity and Multicultural Education, was introduced at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Although many multicultural theorists emphasize the importance of students taking diversity/multicultural education courses in college, there is no real model for creating such a class. This article creates a framework for how to conceptualize and teach a diversity and multicultural education course at the university level. It discusses the creation of the class through a critical pedagogy framework, the units which comprise the course, and the connection to current events. The article also includes student reflections about personal growth due to taking the new course, as well as personal reflections from the author.

This monograph lays out a qualitative, collective case study designed to assess how students in a secondary Latina/Latino Literature class began to think dialectically about issues of social justice. By using various methods of data collection, I ascertained how the students' thoughts and perceptions of Latinas/Latinos in this country changed over the course of the study. I introduced the students to both print and nonprint texts (e.g., news articles, documentary films) which, when presented through Karl Marx's dialectical method, helped them see social justice issues, such as racism, poverty, and subjugation, more clearly and critically. After analysis, several important themes emerged from the data: stereotyping and invisibility in the media, immigration, the notion of power, racism and discrimination, education, anger and frustration, and questioning. By the end of the Latina/Latino Literature class, all of the students in the study were able to identify particular social justice issues, explain the historical context which framed the current debates (e.g., immigration reform), and articulate their opinions of the issues. Each student participant started to use social justice terminology, which I introduced and used frequently in class (e.g., equity), and these words became a part of the students' everyday vocabularies. Furthermore, by the completion of the class, the student participants began to realize that they had their own individual voices and could help transform societal issues in order to make the United States more equitable for all.

The process of learning to read is difficult for many children, and this is especially true for students with learning disabilities
(LD). Reading in English becomes even more difficult when a student’s home language is not English. For English language
learner (ELL) students with LD, acquiring the necessary skills to read fluently is an even greater challenge. The process of
repeated reading has been beneficial for many students with LD, yet there is little information regarding its effect on ELL
students. This column discusses the use of a fluency-based reading intervention with elementary-level, Spanish-speaking
ELL students with specific LD.

In this nation's schools, there must be an increased focus on dialectical and critical though if there is ever going to be substantive societal change. Due to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the increased focus on standardization and uniformity of thought, there has been a move away from critical thinking and the fight for social justice. This article discusses Marx's notion of dialectical thought and its necessity in the secondary English/Language Arts classroom. This is interwoven with examples of techniques and projects that help students view the world around them in a more critical fashion.

There has been a universal movement towards government-regulated standardization and high-stakes assessment, and in the United States, this has resulted in the No Child Left Behind Act (2001). Because of the predominant focus on high-stakes reading and writing assessments required by NCLB, teachers in the subject area of English/Language Arts (ELA) have been victims of increased expectations and regimentation, more so than most other content areas. Therefore, for teachers today, both in ELA and across the curriculum, NCLB is harming teachers, their practice, and their long-term commitment to the teaching profession.

Behavior issues in the classroom directly relate to the teaching style and the type of interactions between the teacher and students. In particular, Latino/a students need to be engaged in the curriculum content if they are to be successful, both academically and emotionally. If this does not occur, then behavioral issues will arise, which will then feed into the school-to-prison pipeline theory.

Anti-Semitism, prejudice, and discrimination
against Jewish people are still largely absent
from the study of social justice issues and multicultural
education at the university level. Although
often seen as being White, Jews are still discriminated
against, with current reports showing that
acts of anti-Semitism have been at their highest
levels since World War II. There has also been a
resurgence of anti-Semitic incidents at American
universities, yet Jewish oppression is still neglected
in multicultural/diversity classroom discussions.
This must change in order to create the next generation
of social justice educators who can continue
to deconstruct anti-Semitism.

Jews and the study of antisemitism are often disregarded in multiculturalism in the United States. This “brushing aside” of the Jewish community places Jews in a very difficult situation because, due to continued discrimination and prejudice, Jews need recognition and acceptance in the multicultural community. While light-skinned American Jews are often perceived as White, they are positioned between being considered White and somehow less than when they are found to be Jewish. Therefore, Jews find themselves in this nebulous “space between” the Black/White binary.

This text takes a personal approach to the study of Jewish people, antisemitism, and the inclusion of the Jewish experience into university multicultural discourse. It also introduces a new Jewish critical race framework that develops from Critical Race Theory and has similarities in the fight against racism and injustice in U.S. society.

The Jewish Struggle in the 21st Century: Conflict, Positionality, and Multiculturalism addresses the needs of the Jewish community in the United States as it pertains to its tenuous position in the fields of multiculturalism and critical race studies. It addresses the lack of representation in the diversity and multicultural education classroom as well as issues of antisemitism at the university level.