Race has shaped history, society, and personal identities—including Jewish identities—in profound ways. In this class, we’ll explore why race matters from historical, sociological, Jewish, and personal perspectives. How has race influenced Jewish life in America? How does it intersect with antisemitism, identity, and belonging? Together, we’ll dive into different understandings of race and discuss how Jewish and African American thinkers—including Heschel, Wiesel, Sacks, Greenberg, Eisen, DuBois, Baldwin, Giovanni, West, and Coates—have challenged us to think deeply about its meaning. Through conversation and reflection, we’ll grapple with how race continues to shape Jewish experiences and the world around us.

Michael L. Sanow, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus at the Community College of Baltimore County. He has a Ph.D. in Sociology from The Ohio State University. He has taught a variety of Sociology courses in “Race Relations,” “The Holocaust,” “Social Problems” and “Service Learning” for fifty years.