Anti-Semitism and Insensitivity toward Jews by the Counseling Profession: A Gentile's View on the Problem and His Hope for Reconciliation-A Response to Weinrach (2002)

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. …