Why ‘white’ Jews should become Jews of ‘color’ (This has nothing to do with race)

Bexley is an upper-middle-class enclave in Columbus, Ohio, where many, if not most, of the area’s Jewry lives. There are four synagogues on Broad Street, the busy thoroughfare that runs through it: two Orthodox, one Conservative and one Reform. On any given Saturday morning, observant Jewish residents can be seen walking on the sidewalks of Broad Street to synagogue.

Given where they live, Bexley Jews are empirically successful and “well-off” financially. This, according to some, qualifies them as being considered “white.”

Assigning the adjective “white” as a pejorative to Jews is currently in vogue, especially among pundits on the left. Books such as Karen Brodkin’s “How Jews Became White Folks and What That Says About Race in America” and articles such as Dave Schechter’s “Are Jews White? Yes and No” opine on the subject.

Count me as one who would also assign the adjective “white” to describe some of the Jews walking on to shul Broad Street, though not for the same reasons.

What do I mean?

In my capacity as a volunteer shomer guard at one of these synagogues, I’m stationed in a place that provides a view of Broad Street. Despite calls advocating for self-protection and situational awareness in a time of rising antisemitism, the reality is that in far too many places, Jews do not pay attention to their surroundings — in this case, despite cars driving in both directions on a busy street with the very real possibility of unanticipated “drive-by” attacks.

What makes these Jews “white”?

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According to “Cooper Color Code,” which rates levels of situational awareness, white is the color assigned to individuals who pay virtually no attention to their surroundings.

The code posits five conditions of awareness/preparedness, each assigned a color:

•The first is white. White represents complete unawareness and unpreparedness. A person in that condition is not paying attention to his or her surroundings and therefore probably not prepared to respond to a potential threat. Being focused on one’s cellphone or daydreaming are prime examples — as is walking casually on a busy street wearing a kippah and tallit — and not even occasionally turning one’s head to observe cars going by. Condition white is fine when at home, sitting in one’s living room or study, or at the Shabbat dinner table with the doors and windows securely locked. It is not fine when walking down a main thoroughfare and being readily identified as “Jewish.”

•The next condition is yellow. This indicates a state of “relaxed” awareness. A person who is in this condition is aware of his or her surroundings and is prepared to respond if necessary. Staying in “yellow” makes a person more inclined to notice potential threats, giving more time to react. It is recommended that a person stay in this condition whenever he or she is outside one’s home or any other secure space.

•Orange is when there is a heightened alertness. You may notice a person behaving in a suspicious way, which causes increased vigilance and planned responses on your part. A person can remain in condition orange for a long period of time, though it can be physically and mentally draining.

•Facing a direct threat means the situation is a condition red. The threat has been identified, and the response is one of focused alertness and a clear plan of action. This may mean escape, a call for help, the use of physical force (armed or unarmed), or possibly all three. Essentially, condition red signals the time for action — whatever action may be best for the individual, given the circumstances.

•Black represents being overwhelmed by panic and stress caused by a physical attack and an accompanying inability to respond effectively.

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Regular training for maintaining situational awareness is essential for the code to be most effective. But training is only effective when a person is mentally and physically prepared.

For too long, conventional wisdom among American Jews has been that it’s their fate to be victims. Perhaps victimhood as a default position has contributed to our “white”-ness.

But recent events — beginning with the mass shooting at the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, another shooting six months later at Chabad of Poway, Calif., and culminating in the mass-casualty terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 — have given the extended Jewish community clear signals that it cannot wallow in victimhood any longer, and that remaining “white” can and will be hazardous to their individual and collective health.

From a practical perspective, adopting Jeff Cooper’s code into our daily routine is advisable. In other words, it is time that “white” Jews in America become Jews of “color.”

From a religious perspective, adhering to this code is a useful aid that can be viewed as reminiscent of the covenant given at Sinai, part of which commands: “Rak hee-shamair l’kha u-shmor nafshekha (Be sure to take utmost care, and guard yourself scrupulously)” (Deuteronomy 4:9).

Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com