Linda Bronstein,
West Hartford, CT
The Jewish people have been the target of hate for thousands of years, in just about every country in the world. My parents’ generation in America faced restrictive quotas when applying for colleges and jobs, and “restricted areas” when looking for homes to rent or buy. But in post-World War II America, Jews suddenly became white folks (although anti-Semitism is by no means dead). Who did we sell out or leave behind in that process? Was it necessary to trample on the next downtrodden group in order to climb the ladder of privilege? And as for me, when I responded to an outpouring of divine love by following the Jew from Nazareth who embodied it, I was embraced and valued by the ones that my parents thought would turn on us in a heartbeat if we pushed our luck. Race and identity are more complicated than the color of one’s skin.
