Ep.64: Music w/Enji; US Jews of Color: Celebrating Sukkot, Journalist Robin Washington, Writer Hanah Bloom, Jews of Color Initiative CEO Ilana Kaufman & Philosopher Lewis R. Gordon

Munich-based jazz vocalist, lyricist and composer Enji Erkhem’s expressive, soulful sound is a mesmerizing fusion of jazz and Mongolian “Long Song.” Born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia she grew up in harmony with the thousand-year-old traditions of Mongolian folk music.

While working as an elementary school teacher she came across a life changing opportunity, a jazz education project by Germany’s Goethe Institute. This experience led to her first solo album Mongolian Song and her move to Munich.

Enji’s latest album, Ulaan is a contemplative affirmation of a sense of self and the bold new directions ahead of her. In conversation with Stance, she talks about honoring the past and present, being rooted in Mongolia’s long song and musical heritage, and her touring plans for 2024.

Jade Groobman

Building community within inclusive shared spaces is a key element of the US based Jews of Color Initiative (JoCI) mission. Through social gatherings, networking events, and communal environments, JoCI uniquely highlights the perspectives of Jews who also identify as people of color.

In Brooklyn, Stance joins in on a celebration of the special seven-day Jewish harvest holiday of Sukkot, which is commemorated in a temporary hut known as a Sukkah. Sukkot is one of the most joyful festivals in Judaism, celebrating the fall harvest, and signifying unity.

Before the celebration begins, Chrystal chats with program associate at JoCI Jade Groobman from Colorado who is Chinese Jewish, junior program officer Sarah Starks who is Black and Jewish from San Francisco, and Program Director of the NYC hub Riki Robinson from Los Angeles who is East Asian Jewish.

Stance hears on the importance of shared community spaces, and how this younger Jewish generation is creating their own path ahead.

What do you know about the model minority myth? A damaging stereotype that implies certain minorities, including Asian Americans and Jews, to be higher achieving than other racial groups. It places unachievable standards and creates divides between marginalized ethnicities.

Japanese Jewish American writer, Hanah Bloom has been tackling the model minority myth twice over since she was a child.

On Hey Alma, a contemporary online community that brings together a diversity of modern Jewish feminist voices, Hanah’s popular essay, Being an Asian American Jew Means Tackling the Model Minority Myth Twice candidly expresses and details the misconceptions and racial stereotypes often attached to identity.

On Stance, Hanah shares her Hey Alma essay and the responses which followed.

CEO of the Jews of Color Initiative (JoCI), Ilana Kaufman’s work in education and philanthropic strategy is strongly rooted in inclusivity and justice.

Born to an Ashkenazi Jewish mother and an African American father, Ilana is an advocate for racial equity and community growth.

Her writings are wide-ranging, including reflections on the future of Jewish philanthropy, and cultural criticism like her commentary of the film You People.

JoCI is passionate about centering Jews of Color through education, research, grantmaking and the creation of communal spaces. Under Ilana’s leadership the initiative has spearheaded groundbreaking research into the lived experiences and perspectives of Jews of Color, presented in the 2021 paper, Beyond the Count, and has created a dynamic guide on Racially Equitable Philanthropy.

Ilana speaks with Stance about the importance of painting an accurate, inclusive picture through data, catalyzing change, and why she’s making sure everyone counts.

Journalist and filmmaker Robin Washington is an early pioneer of the term “Jews of Color” who has been at the forefront of reporting on the experiences of Jewish communities.

Robin is the editor-at-large of The Forward, a leading US based independent newspaper focused on political commentary, culture and social justice issues that matter to American Jews. He is also a columnist and radio host across mainstream and ethnic media. Robin grew up in Chicago, raised by an African-American father and a Jewish mother of European-American descent.

His writings include Are Jews white? Confusion mars policies on affirmative action and I was a child at a civil rights sit-in. 60 years later, what’s changed?.

On Stance he shares his hopes for the future of the Jewish community, and the importance of solidarity to overcome division.

Lewis R. Gordon is a historian, musician and professor of Philosophy and Global Affairs and Head of the Philosophy Department at University of Connecticut.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, to a Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish mother and a Chinese and African father, Lewis moved to NYC at the age of 9.

Lewis has created the Africana Studies Department at Brown University, and founded the Centre for Afro Jewish Studies at Temple University. It provides reliable sources and research on African and African Diasporic Jewish or Hebrew-descended populations. Philosophies of liberation, theories of race, and the philosophy of religion are some areas of Lewis’ academic focus.

His recent published writing includes What Does it Mean to Be Free? and books Freedom, Justice, and Decolonization and Fear of Black Consciousness.

In conversation with Stance, Lewis shares a brief history of the Jewish people's descendants formally known as the Hebrews, and frames the lesser known narratives of Jewish communities.

Reading List:

Enji’s Tracks Used In This Podcast, With Thanks Squama Recordings:

Front Page Image: Courtesy of Enji Erkhem & Squama Recordings