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Article Excerpt
In the summer 2002 issue of the Journal of Counseling& Development (JCD), Dr. Stephen Weinrach of Villanova University published an article titled "The Counseling Profession's Relationship to Jews and the Issues That Concern Them: More Than a Case of Selective Awareness." In this article, Dr. Weinrach (2002) charged that the counseling profession has repeatedly ignored the concerns of Jewish counselors and acted in ways that are anti-Semitic, thereby causing many Jewish counselors to feel ill at ease within the American Counseling Association (ACA). Dr. Weinrach recommended that ACA and Jewish and Gentile counselors take action to ensure that the profession demonstrates greater sensitivity toward, and valuing of, its Jewish members.
In an effort to promote additional dialogue on the complex issues raised by Dr. Weinrach, Dr. Scott McGowan, editor of JCD, invited me to write this reaction to Dr. Weinrach's article, which will be followed in this issue of JCD by Dr. Weinrach's rejoinder. In response to Dr. McGowan's complimentary yet humbling and daunting invitation, I have prepared this article, which begins with a brief summary of Dr. Weinrach's (2002) article. Next, I offer my reactions to the topics discussed by Dr. Weinrach. These reactions consist of a blending of intellectual and heart-felt ideas, which I have shared with the hope of validating the concerns of Jewish counselors while suggesting some roles we, as professional counselors, can all assume to heal the rift that has developed between some Jewish and Gentile members of our profession.
Before moving on to my summary of Dr. Weinmch's work, a few preliminary comments are warranted. I have provided an overview of Dr. Weinrach's (2002) article to refresh the minds of counselors who have already read it. However, because his work is lengthy and raises some very complicated and emotional issues, I urge any counselor who has not yet read Dr. Weinrach's (2002) article to study it before continuing with this article.
On a related note, I encourage everyone to read Dr. Weinrach's article several times for two reasons. First, most people will need to read this work more than once to fully absorb the vast array of problems and the many proposed solutions that are discussed in his article. Second, repeated reading of the article will help many readers to process the strong emotions that it might stir up. So, read his article and then sit with your feelings for a while and reflect on them. Ask yourself, what am I feeling as I read this article? Why am I feeling it? Am I upset because I agree with Dr. Weinrach that anti-Semitism exists in our profession? Or am I upset because I don't believe what I have read? Am I feeling defensive? If so, why? Talk with some trusted colleagues about your feelings. Then, read the article a second time and reflect on and discuss your feelings again and allow yourself plenty of time to do so. I am confident that you will make some important self-discoveries by engaging in this process. I will say more about this process of self-reflection later in this article.
One of the most important lessons I have learned on my own multicultural journey is to try to remain aware of my cultural background and biases whenever I cross cultural boundaries. Consequently, because I am about to enter into a cross-cultural exchange pertaining to Jewish-Gentile relations and react to Dr. Weinrach's article, I have a responsibility to review some of the core aspects of my cultural identity. I am a 45-year-old, able-bodied, heterosexual, Catholic, White man of Slovak and Irish ancestry. On the one hand, I was raised in an immigrant, multiethnic, and multilingual family that has struggled against a long history of poverty and religious and political oppression. On the other hand, I have had and continue to enjoy the advantages of privilege that are afforded to White people in the United States. As I read Dr. Weinrach's article and wrote this review, I remained cognizant of my background, which has greatly shaped my personal choices to embrace my family's identification with oppressed groups; to celebrate the profound joys of experiencing culturally different people; and to understand and confront my own ethnocentrism, racism, and White privilege. (For a description of these experiences, see Kiselica, 1991, 1998, 1999a.) Because my background has undoubtedly shaped the review you are about to read, I recognize that what may be salient for me in Dr. Weinrach's article may not be salient, or as salient, for others. Furthermore, I understand that my article conveys the perspective of one person who happens to be a Gentile. I do not pretend to be a spokesperson for all Gentiles. Nevertheless, I hope that my review provides readers with an accurate synopsis of Dr. Weinrach's work, as well as some useful recommendations for our profession to consider.
Finally, I am compelled to point out that I wrote this review with both my heart and my head. Although anti-Semitism can be discussed in intellectual terms as a prejudice and discrimination against Jews, it clearly is much more than that. Anti-Semitism breeds hate and narrow-mindedness among the people who practice it. Anti-Semitism also creates fear and an understandable defensiveness among its victims. In short, anti-Semitism is a troubling and painful phenomenon experienced by human beings. I find it impossible to discuss the subject without sharing my human reactions to it. In addition, I am convinced that we can make considerable progress in addressing the tensions that exist between Jewish and Gentile counselors by taking risks and sharing with one another what is in our minds and our hearts regarding the unsettling subject of anti-Semitism. So, I have written this article not only as a scholar responding with ideas to another scholar's work but also as a human being sharing his heartfelt reactions about a troubling social problem. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to do so.
SUMMARY OF WEINRACH (2002)
Dr. Weinrach (2002) opened his article by claiming that anti-Semitism exists in the counseling profession and by challenging counselors to consider the following thought-provoking question: "If the same [anti-Semitic] conditions or behaviors as those presented in this article were directed at women or members of other minority groups, would they be interpreted as sexist, racist, or homophobic?" (p. 300). Dr. Weinrach then defined anti-Semitism as the hatred of Jews based on their religious beliefs and their group membership. He also warned that his article might cause discomfort, even among some Jews, while acknowledging that his perspective on the subject of anti-Semitism in the counseling profession could not possibly represent the views of all Jewish counselors, who are a very diverse cultural group.
To place the counseling profession's relationship with Jews in an historical context, Dr. Weinrach (2002) provided a concise history of anti-Semitism and its impact on Jewish identity development. In brief, his overview documented that Jews have suffered various forms of discrimination and hatred for thousands of years, including numerous, disturbing, recent episodes of both subtle and violent anti-Semitism in the United States. Because of the damaging impact of the oppression of Jews over a span of several millennia, Dr. Weinrach continued, the Jewish psyche seems always vigilant for persecution, and some Jews experience self-hatred.
Charging that the counseling profession has also perpetrated acts of anti-Semitism, Dr. Weinrach (2002, pp. 303-309) argued that the following incidents illustrate the profession's insensitivity and hostility toward Jewish counselors:
* On several occasions, ACA and its affiliate organizations have scheduled conferences and presentations by Jewish counselors during Jewish holy days.
* Several speakers have made the Christian devotion to Jesus a focal part of their speeches at ACA events, even though such statements make some Jews feel uncomfortable.
* In a 1979 interview in The New York Times, Thelma Daley, a former president of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the American Personnel and Guidance Association (the forerunner of ACA), questioned the loyalty of pro-Israeli Jews to the United States.
* The National Board for Certified Counselors scheduled an administration of the National Counseling Examination on Yore Kippur.
* In 2001, Counselors for Social Justice, a division of ACA, posted an e-mail manifesto calling for, among other things, the creation of an independent Palestinian state while questioning the United States' support of Israel.
* Approximately 63% of a sample of 43 prominent books on multicultural counseling, diversity, prejudice, or racism failed to list the words anti-Semitism, Jew, Jews, Jewish, or Judaism in either their index or table of contents.
* There has been a paucity of substantive discussions of Jews and the issues that concern them in JCD.
* In what was later considered an affront to the spiritual beliefs of some Jews, Betty Knox, president of ASCA during the 1974-1975 term, quoted the New Testament in her columns appearing in several issues of Elementary School Guidance and Counseling journal.
* Abudabbeh and Nydell (1993) portrayed a Jewish counselor as suspicious in the first edition of an ACA book, Transcultural Counseling (McFadden, 1993).
* Sue and Sue (1990, pp. 254-256) depicted a female Jewish counselor in ways that were reminiscent of the stereotype of the "Jewish American Princess" in their book, Counseling the Culturally Different: Theory and Practice.
Dr. Weinrach claimed that these examples give Jewish counselors the message that they do not fit in, that they and their concerns are invisible, that there is something wrong with being a Jew, and that it might not be safe to be a Jew in ACA. According to Dr. Weinrach (2002, pp. 310-312), if we really want to counter these detrimental effects on Jewish counselors, the following action steps must be taken:
* Jewish counselors must openly discuss their common concerns and define their own identity and agenda within ACA, as they did during meetings of Tikkun Olam, a group of Jewish counselors and Gentile allies who discussed Jewish concerns at ACA annual conferences in 2001 and 2002.
* Establish a meritocracy within ACA that rewards skilled and insightful Jews with leadership positions in the profession.
* Gentile counselors, including members of majority and minority groups, must confront anti-Semitism and address their difficulties with Jews.
* Anti-Semitism must be exposed and never be tolerated, despite the risks involved in doing so.
* The responsibility for addressing anti-Semitism belongs to all counselors and should not be a burden for Jews to bear alone.
* ACA should avoid inviting speakers whose focus is religious in nature to address professional meetings unless these events are advertised in advance as religious-specific
* The profession must eliminate negative stereotypes of Jews from counseling publications and counseling programs.
* ACA should avoid scheduling events on Jewish holidays and make special arrangements for those who are strict observers of the Sabbath.
* ACA should adopt policies ensuring the provision of vegetarian or dairy options at all events that include meals and snacks.
* Because the Jewish community is so diverse, the profession should consult with numerous Jews in order to acquire representative views on Jewish concerns.
* Counselors must avoid making overgeneralizations about minority groups while recognizing that all individuals live in a cultural/social context.
* The counseling profession, especially ACA, must refrain from taking political stands regarding the Middle East and elsewhere.
* The counseling profession must avoid public recitations of Jewish prayers and prayers of all other religions.
* Multicultural counseling must embrace Jews as a distinct cultural group, and Jews must champion the multicultural ideals of inclusiveness and equity for all culturally distinct populations.
* Future acts of anti-Semitism must be combated through education.
* Counselors who react with strong, negative, emotional reactions to the charge that anti-Semitism exists in our profession should examine their attitudes toward Jews and explore whether or not their reactions are anti-Semitic.
Dr. Weinrach (2002, p. 312) concluded his article with the pessimistic and sad implications that ACA and the counseling profession will do little to change in terms of its treatment of Jews and, consequently, that Jewish counselors are likely to continue to feel uneasy in ACA.
REACTIONS TO WEINRACH (2002)
Because Dr. Weinrach's article will stir up many intense reactions from readers, my foremost task is to anticipate the range of potential responses of readers to his article. Although I sincerely believe that most counselors who read Dr. Weinrach's article will respond by trying to address the problem of anti-Semitism, it is also likely that numerous counselors will disapprove of his work for a variety of reasons. Some counselors, who are anti-Semitic but in denial about their prejudices, will react defensively to his article. Because Dr. Weinrach criticized several leaders in ACA and the work of numerous scholars of counseling, it is possible that he will draw the ire of some of them, their friends, and their followers. Although some Jewish counselors will view Dr. Weinrach as a hero for challenging anti-Semitism in ACA, some other Jewish counselors, who prefer to blend in with Gentiles, might be annoyed over the fact that Dr. Weinrach's article has placed Jewish counselors in the spotlight. Furthermore, some Jews might be disappointed that he did not use his article as a vehicle for expressing political support of Israel or of Jewish doctrine, while other Jewish counselors might...
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