About Us: We are a network of Mizrahi Jews (Jews of Arab and African descent), Jews from the global South, and Jews of Color living in Western countries. The IJAZ Network is committed to challenging the white racism within Jewish communities and the privileging of Ashkenazi Jewish traditions, history and culture.
As such, the JoC-Mizrahi Network seeks to promote the voices, cultural work, writing and activism of Jews of Color, Jews from the global South and Mizrahi Jews. IJAZ is committed to confronting the role of white anti-Zionist Jewish activists and activism in undermining alliances between Mizrahi Jews and Palestinians in their struggles against Zionism.
Purpose and goals: Some of the project ideas have included:
- Increase visibility of the voices, cultural work, writing and activism of Jews of Color, Jews from the global South and Mizrahi Jews
- Support the building of joint Mizrahi-Palestinian struggles against Zionist colonialism and racism
- Support the inclusion of Mizrahi anti-Zionist voices and perspectives in anti-imperialist movements
Current projects: Building of off interest from our Mizrahi Jewish organizers in Israel, there is interest in an international digital storytelling project to capture the histories and perspectives of Mizrahi anti-Zionists, anti-Zionist Jews of Color and anti-Zionist Jews from the global South.
Past projects: Mizrahim and Jews of Color DiscussionOn Sunday, July 27th, 2008, two IJSN (now IJAN) participants hosted a Mizrahi and Jew of Color event in San Francisco, CA that was attended by about 20 Mizrahi, JOC, and allied participants.
The speaker panel was composed of Reuven Abarjel, Arab Jewish co-founder of Israel’s Black Panther party and activist working in Mizrahi, prison and anti-occupation struggles and Marcelle Edery, Arab Jewish feminist activist and organizer of the Single Mother’s Tent to secure rights for single Jewish and Palestinian women in Israel. Both were in town for the first IJSN international meeting.
Reuven and Marcelle screened informational films about Jews of Mizrahi descent and the structural racism they encounter within the state of Israel, especially highlighted in the cases of Iraqi children being "treated" for ringworm with radiation.
The ensuing discussion treated the questions of the potential for joint Palestinian and Mizrahi struggles, connections to racism against Jews of Color in the U.S. and the implications for local organizing and strategy.