The question of whether Jewish people are considered “white” is complex and varies based on historical, geographical, and social contexts. The categorization of Jewish people as white can depend on factors such as skin color, national origin, cultural assimilation, and the perceptions of the societies in which they live.

In the United States, many Jewish people have come to be predominantly regarded as part of the white majority, particularly those of Ashkenazi descent, who have roots in Central and Eastern Europe. This classification is not universal and has shifted over time, reflecting changes in social attitudes and how whiteness has been defined legally and culturally.

However, Jewish communities are ethnically and racially diverse, including Sephardi Jews from Southern Europe and North Africa, Mizrahi Jews from the Middle East and Central Asia, and Beta Israel from Ethiopia, among others, many of whom may not identify with or be perceived as white.

It’s also critical to note that Jewish identity is primarily religious, cultural, and ethnic, rather than racial, and the conflation of Jewishness with whiteness is a relatively recent development, particularly nuanced by the history of antisemitism and the exclusion of Jews from certain privileges associated with being white in various societies.