Jewish American Readers Are Still Here

It is halfway through May. I am posting a follow-up to my recent comments on Jewish American Heritage Month, and Asian American Heritage Month, at School Library Journal.  Please find that post here, which includes links to previous attempts to understand that publication’s policy about celebrating both communities in May.

After my recent post, I did contact the editors of SLJ, and their parent company, Media Source Inc., about their April features on the upcoming month of May, when Asian American Heritage Month is observed.  My previous post lists all the articles. In addition, I found this one from Edith Campbell’s SLJ blog in May, specifically referring to the history of Asian American Heritage Month.

I also noted that Library Journal, but not School Library Journal, did acknowledge Jewish American Heritage Month with one list.

They also posted about Asian American Heritage Month with book recommendations:

Apparently, the journal dedicated specifically to books for children and young adults has a different policy regarding Jewish American-themed books, which may be of interest, and certainly importance, to all readers.  The purpose of paying specific attention to a particular group’s heritage is not only to highlight resources for the use of that group, but to educate everyone about the group’s heritage.  We all benefit from this show of intellectual curiosity, literacy, and a truthful approach to the broad spectrum of American culture.

To use an outdated expression based on antique technology, I feel regret at sounding like a broken record.  Nevertheless, I need to reiterate the most important component of my distress. If SLJ were just determined to avoid the volatile issue of Israel and Palestine, they could focus exclusively on Jewish American-themed books not rooted in that part of the Jewish experience. In fact, these books compose the majority of Jewish-themed children’s and young adult books! The only explanation, as I have written before, is an intrinsic prejudice against Jewish Americans, as part of the Jewish people. Apparently, SLJ is uncomfortable with our presence within the wonderful array of American children’s books reflecting our country’s diversity.