What Red State Jews Tell Us About Ourselves — and Trump’s America
Since the November election, there’s been a lot of talk among journalists about the way our profession overlooked and misunderstood populist, pro-Trump America. It’s a challenge for us at the Forward, as well. That is why we are launching “Red State Jews.”
Our aim is to use all the platforms of the Forward — news, culture, opinion, Scribe, Schmooze, Sisterhood and Food — to tell stories and engage in conversation with the Jews who live in the states that voted for Donald Trump. Some of those Jews are Trump supporters, and we want to know why, and we want to hear from them as the new administration unfolds. Some of them didn’t vote for him, and we want to hear from them, too — about what it is like to live as a political minority in a polarized time.
And we want to share stories that go well beyond politics, to explore religious life, social trends, gun culture, the rural-urban divide and the rich traditions of diverse people living together.
This is not brand-new territory for us as a national news organization. Most recently, our year-long series “Our Promised Lands” featured stories from every state in the union. Now we hope to drill deeper and probe how the national political earthquake has affected Red State Jews and their communities.
Below you will find a fascinating, interactive map created by Laura E. Adkins, with a quick snapshot of data about Jews in each state. And below that you will see a list of each state that we have already recently covered — a list that we hope will grow through the year. With your help.
Your participation is essential to keep this project authentic. Please send us your ideas for stories, columns and writers.
In our exclusive interactive map below,
you’ll find in-depth data on Jewish communities and 2016 election results in each of our 50 states. Simply click on a state to view its associated data. Information on data collection and methodology are described at the bottom of this page. Click on the states below the map to explore our Red State Jews coverage.
— Jane Eisner, Editor-in-Chief
Laura E. Adkins, Contributing Network Editor
