Mission

Be’chol Lashon (Hebrew for “in every language”) strengthens Jewish identity by raising awareness about the ethnic, racial and cultural diversity of Jewish identity and experience. Be’chol Lashon brings the historic Jewish commitment to civil rights and racial justice forward into the 21st century. Embracing the historical diversity of the Jewish people and, more importantly, the growing diversity of the community today is the most important step toward securing relevancy in an exciting American future.

Why Jewish Diversity?

Be’chol Lashon is advocating for a paradigm shift in how Jews see themselves and are seen by others. Jews are a multicultural people who have lived around the world for millennia. We help establish the language and experience of diversity as an integral part of Jewish identity. Jewish wisdom has much to contribute to cultural competence—the ability to ask questions and navigate difference. Race and ethnicity are important elements in shaping Jewish identity and expression in the 21st century. We cannot be truly effective in impacting social and racial justice until we address race inside the Jewish community.

History

Be’chol Lashon was founded in 2000 as a response to a “Study of Racial & Ethnic Diversity of the American Jewish Community,” which found that 20% of America’s 6 million Jews or 1,200,000 are African American, Latino/Hispanic, Asian, mixed race, Sephardic, and Mizrahi.

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What We Do

•  Be’chol Lashon provides diversity training workshops for Jewish professionals and others to actively engage in conversations about race, ethnicity and identity in a Jewish context.

•  Passport to Peoplehood is an educational resource that explores Jewish communities around the world through the traditions and cultural arts that defines each unique culture, as well as recognizing the shared values that connect all Jews.

•  Be’chol Lashon began as a research project, resulting in an archive with articles about diversity in Jewish life since 1999.News, blogs, events, speakers and other media give voice to the diversity of Jewish identity and experience, providing resources for personal reflection, discussion, and debate.

•  Experiential activities explore diversity as an integral part of Jewish identity. In addition to Family Camp and travel opportunities, Camp Be’chol Lashon is the only multicultural overnight camp that teaches about global Jewish diversity, builds community leaders, and inspires a love of Judaism.