The part of Chapter 3 about Kosher Homes and Racial Boundaries that struck me the most was the segment related to culture, and how the Hassidic and Black communities think of this word in such different ways. This was interesting to me especially because last class, we were just discussing whether Judaism should be considered a culture. It was also intriguing to me because growing up, I have always considered Judaism to be a culture (because of the nature of my home).
Goldschmidt brings up culture because he provokes the thought of why culture, which he says is usually “imaged[d]…as a universal conceptual language…bearing the promise of mutual understanding across all forms of difference”, cannot unite the Blacks and Jews living in Crown Heights. He points out that there is a “racialized vision of culture” (133), meaning that several Crown Heights residents who are Black can use culture as a way to identify themselves because they believe it to include “traditional practices and beliefs, or clothing and foods…” This is understandable, because when accepting in one’s mind that culture main difference between your people and another people, the color line becomes much less important.
However, it is much less easy for the Lubavitch to imagine themselves culturally. In fact, they do not at all. I think it is because they are so closely aligned with the religious aspect of Judaism, which is the very basis of their lives; as the author states, “commandments from God…govern nearly every aspect of their lives.” You may believe, however, that there is no religious aspect to Judaism but that Judaism is simply a religion. In my eyes, it can be a culture, but will probably only be considered one to those who do not strictly adhere to religious laws, such as my father.
Even within my own life, I am conflicted when thinking culturally and religiously; therefore, it is no surprise that the people of Crown Heights cannot find a way to effectively come to an agreement in terms of thinking a certain way. Yes, it would be much easier if everyone in the world were to think of themselves as simply separated by insignificant differences: either culturally, religiously, or by any other classification. However, clearly, nothing is or will ever be so clear cut. That is why we still have the questions that are posed in this chapter of Race and Religion. How do you classify yourself and how does that affect your view when meeting people that are dissimilar?
