More than 260 Hollywood stars and industry figures are condemning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its decision to exclude Jews in its DEI standards for the Oscars.
Celebrities including David Schwimmer, Debra Messing, Julianna Margulies, and Mayim Balik have signed an open letter demanding the Academy include Jews, saying “an inclusion effort that excludes Jews is steeped in antisemitism and misunderstands it.”
This year’s Oscars will be the first to implement the Academy’s new diversity rules, which apply only to the best picture category. Eligible movies must prove that they meet the Academy’s complex list of requirements that cover race, gender, and sexuality.
The open letter, which was first reported by TheWrap, was spearheaded by the group JITC Hollywood Bureau for Jewish Representation.
“Jewish people being excluded from the Motion Picture Academy’s Representation and Inclusion Standards is discriminating against a protected class by invalidating their historic and genetic identity,” the letter states.
“This must be addressed immediately by including Jews in these standards.”
Other signatories include Michael Rapaport, Tiffany Hadish, Iliza Schlesinger, Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman, and Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.
“The absence of Jews from ‘under-represented’ groupings implies that Jews are over-represented in films, which is simply untrue,” the JITC letter continued.
“There are very few films about Jews, aside from ones about the Holocaust. Moreover, when Jewish characters are featured, they are often played by non-Jews, a rare practice for other marginalized groups.”
Shortly after the Hamas October 7 massacre in Israel, Actress Julianna Margulies blasted her fellow Hollywood celebrities over their overwhelming silence in the face of rising antisemitism seen in major cities and college campuses.
Michael Rapaport and Debra Messing were also among the small handful of Hollywood names to side with Israel and denounce antisemitism.
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