Session: Diverse Identities, Experiences, and Historical Trajectories: U.S. Jews and Social Work (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

The richness and complexity of Jewish lives, communities, and experiences within and beyond the social work profession are only beginning to receive scholarly attention . Often mischaracterized as a monolith, Jewish identity encompasses many ethnicities, traditions, and lived experiences, shaped by historical traumas and contemporary social dynamics. This complexity is particularly salient amid the alarming rise in antisemitism in the U.S., where Jews are approximately 2.4% of the population but comprise 68% of religiously-motivated hate crimes. In this context, social work must deepen its engagement with Jewish diversity as part of its commitment to equity, inclusion, and anti-oppressive practice. This symposium comprises five empirical papers examining the evolving place of Jewish identity and experiences within social work education and practice. Anchored in recent global events and their local reverberations, these studies center voices historically overlooked in social justice scholarship and professional discourse.

The symposium opens with findings from a national qualitative study of 31 Jewish social work faculty. This research investigates how the October 7th, 2023 conflict and geopolitical fallout impacted participants' professional and personal lives. Faculty described navigating tense classroom dynamics, abandonment by institutional leadership, and questioning their place within a profession they have long identified with. These experiences occurred across personal, interpersonal, and institutional levels, revealing a profound disconnect between social work ideals and the lived reality of Jewish educators during times of crisis.

The second paper is a landscape analysis of Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) initiatives in accredited U.S. social work programs following October 7th. The study examines whether and how Jewish inclusion and antisemitism were addressed during the 2023-2024 academic year. Findings suggest that Jewish identity was rarely named, pointing to broader gaps in how ADEI operationalizes inclusion for Jewish communities in moments of collective trauma.

A third presentation draws on in-depth interviews with 22 Jewish social work faculty to explore emerging themes around institutional trust, identity expression, and professional vulnerability. Participants reported navigating "uncertain allies," blurred lines between personal and professional life, and the emotional calculus of whether to speak out or remain silent.

The fourth paper centers voices of aging Jews of Color, a group often marginalized in both Jewish and social work spaces. Participants reflected on misrecognition, exclusion, and resilience, offering insights into how racialized and religious identities intersect in complex and powerful ways.

A fifth paper explores how Jewish identity shapes U.S. social work educators' professional trajectories. Drawing on interviews (N=33) from a national sample, themes centered on values that drew them to a profession serving others and improving society ; generational and personal experiences; and a concordance between what respondents absorbed from different Jewish environments, including family, community, or religious institutions.

Together, these papers underscore the need for social work institutions, from academic settings to governing bodies, to more fully engage with Jewish experiences, in the classroom and beyond. Findings call for culturally-curious leadership, sustained institutional reflection, and robust policies to ensure that social work lives up to its foundational commitments to justice, inclusion, and solidarity.