The verdict is in: identity politics is to blame for rising antisemitism in schools. At least, that was the conclusion of a report released last week by Jewish Educators and Families Association of Canada (JEFA).

What exactly does ‘identity politics’ mean? As I understand it, it is a criticism of the classical liberal theory that we should only see people as individuals, because that theory has failed in practice. Many today are more aware than ever of the role that group identity plays in life outcomes, regardless of individual characteristics.

Identity politics is a way to reckon with privilege. According to identity politics, privilege, not merit, is the ultimate social determinant. Therefore, we need to pay attention to which identities are more privileged than others so we can correct for it at both individual and societal levels.

Identity politics is best suited as a diagnostic tool, to call attention to the neglected role that identity plays in determining life outcomes. In its current iteration, though, it has become an alternative moral system.

This is how the JEFA report describes the impact of identity politics in schools: “These frameworks shift the focus of education from individual rights and merit to collective identity, power dynamics, and historical oppression. By emphasizing immutable traits such as race and ethnicity, they confer special status on certain groups of students while marginalizing others.”

So what does this mean for us as Jews, and the strategies we should adopt for combatting antisemitism?

Embracing identity politics can be........

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