On March 23rd at sundown marked Purim - a celebratory Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, who was planning to wipe out all Jewish people. The best way Iâve explained it to people who are not Jewish is that it looks somewhat like Jewish version of Halloween (traditionally, many observant Jews do not celebrate Halloween) - purely in the sense that we dress up in costume. I have such fun memories from Halloween and Purim both, dressing up in countless ornate, homemade costumes, often all sewed up buy my Mom herself. One year though, my Mom made me the most beautiful Jasmine costume, aka the Princess from Disneyâs Aladdin. Everything about it was majestic, and I felt exactly like a princess myself. Yet now, as an adult, I wouldnât feel comfortable wearing it. I wouldnât find it appropriate to dress up like any person or character of color - reason being, that I get to choose when to take my costume off, and every impact that comes with it. I get to simultaneously choose, to keep the white privilege that I benefit from while existing in any costume I put on. Sure, this may seem exaggerated - but if so, where does the line get drawn of what is and what is not appropriate to wear?Is the line simply drawn at using black face and other tanning mechanisms to appear to be a different race? What about wearing wigs, getting hair braided into corn rows, exaggerating body parts - the list could go on. As optimistic as Iâd like to think that there is an unspoken rule of which lines cannot be crossed, we all know, there simply is not. And so, I wonder if it all comes down to the idea being as simple as, âignorance is bliss.â We donât know itâs offensive, so itâs not our fault if youâre offended,â or, âmy intention was not to be offensive or racist, so technically, you canât be upset.â To appropriate is defined by Merriam-Webster as, âto take or make use of without authority or right.â Thus, to culturally appropriate translates to taking something from another culture and making the use of as oneâs own, without any right or permission. Yet even with âright,â it still remains cultural appropriation. When we ask why young celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber could unapologetically, culturally appropriate Black culture so often, I instead ponder, how could we expect them to know what cultural appropriation means?Because in reality, in most schools across the country, students are not taught about race beyond units of The Underground Railroad, The Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr., and maybe Emmett Till in high school. If we donât talk to children about race from a young age the conversation is never started, and likewise, the term âcultural appropriationâ is never spoken of.This lack of education deeply concerns me. Concerned that our public schools are raising an uneducated, culturally incompetent youth, who are neither prepared for a diverse workforce, let alone college where they will instead learn such tabooâs the hard way. Whether never questioning values outside their homes or ruining their future after attending a racist themed college party, only for viral pictures to storm across Instagram obsessively. Sure - Iâve been able to identify cultural appropriation, but we donât have nearly enough conversations about the line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. The problem comes to be when we are taught about our own peopleâs oppression and no one elseâs. This disjoints us as a community on numerous levels, but especially as a unit of oppressed people, including Jewish people. Iâm curious how we can proactively beat this problem while simultaneously speculating how far weâve assimilated into white America and away from anti-semitism at our convenience to the point where my young Jewish brothers and sisters find it funny and acceptable to dress up like thugs, gangsters, Indians, and other stereotypes throughout Purim and Halloween. Because, how could we ever deem such behavior acceptable, while pointing our fingers at non-Jews for dressing up as Rabbis or Hasidim? The golden rule still applies - treat others as you wish to be treated. I'm wondering how parents, peers, and the media have taught this behavior as acceptable. Wondering how we can teach our little ones about what we are dressing them as, who we are dressing them as, and stories that remain behind each of those costumes. Because if we can instead teach all children, but especially white children to appreciate other cultural narratives, while theyâre young - to culturally appreciate before they get ready to play and eat candy - I canât help but feel weâll shape the future for the better. And, we canât be afraid to ask for help. There are very few organizations out there, however organizations like Jews in ALL Hues [www.facebook.com/JewsinALLHues] can guide communities and individuals through these challenges. And together, Iâm sure weâll be able to see a future with a great deal of more appreciation, and less appropriation.
















