Repairing the Rift Between the Jewish and Black Communities

Oct. 24, 2016

The relationship between the black and Jewish communities has long been an important alliance, as the two groups throughout the years have worked together on the frontlines of social change. This was especially the case during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, reflecting both an intersection of interests and the desire to seek justice and fight oppression—consistent with both cultural traditions. With the Black Power movement came a fraying of that human relationship. At present, black-Jewish tensions accept heightened with the recent news of a conflict between Black Lives Affair and Jewish organizations over the Palestinian occupation.

What will it take to repair that crevice, and what efforts exist to strengthen cooperation between the ii communities? Local Jewish and African-American leaders believe the answer lies in the hard work of listening to one another.

The about recent rift developed when the Movement for Blackness Lives issued a wide public policy platform called "A Vision for Black Lives: Policy Demands for Black Power, Liberty and Justice." A sweeping document covering issues ranging from policing, politics and education to economic justice, reparations and customs command, it was the department on Israel and the Palestinian occupation that upset some segments of the Jewish community, particularly some of the more establishment organizations. Specifically, in one paragraph, the Black Lives Matter platform referred to the occupation every bit "genocide" and "apartheid," and supported the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement against Israel, or BDS.

Blackness-Jewish tensions have heightened with the recent news of a conflict between Black Lives Matter and Jewish organizations over the Palestinian occupation. These subjects do not brand for easy word. Local Jewish and African-American leaders believe the respond lies in the hard work of listening to one another.

While some organizations such every bit Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow endorsed the platform in its entirety, a coalition of groups such equally the Reform move, the ADL and J Street condemned it, some even threatening to disengage from the black-led move. The Jewish Customs Relations Council of Boston (JCRC) fifty-fifty called for a boycott of Black Lives Matter. Meanwhile, the human rights organization T'ruah: The Rabbinic Telephone call for Man Rights criticized the language on Israel, yet remained committed to standing for racial justice with the Move for Black Lives, and the nobility of both Israelis and Palestinians.

For those of us who recollect the millions lost in the Holocaust, the word "genocide" tin offend, even if today's usage of the word is meant to reflect an updated legal and social justice definition of large-calibration racial oppression. Meanwhile, some Jewish institutions were cited for failing to confront their white privilege or ties to structural racism, or understand the intersectionality betwixt blackness oppression and Palestinian suffering, merely as the intersectionality betwixt antisemitism and racism has facilitated black-Jewish cooperation for decades. Such rifts harken back to the deviation of white Jewish membership from SNCC upon the advent of the Black Power movement. These subjects practise not make for like shooting fish in a barrel discussion. Yet without engagement on the bug, discussion is impossible.

Ane local leader believes that it is necessary for Jews and blacks to acknowledge each other's humanity and suffering. Information technology was fitting that I spoke with Jared Jackson during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which commemorates the sheltering of the Israelites while they were in the wilderness. During this time, Jews build a temporary shelter, or sukkah. Jackson, a blackness, multiheritage Jew, is the executive director of Jews in All Hues, an educational activity and advocacy organisation that supports multiple-heritage Jews, and assists Jewish communities and organizations in the creation of sustainably-diverse communities. "Sukkoth hospitality is if somebody comes to your sukkah, information technology doesn't matter if they're Jewish or non. Yous welcome them for their humanity. We are dealing with two communities where there is celebrated trauma we don't even see, and people get triggered," Jackson says, noting the inherited trauma of Jews who may not have experienced full frontal antisemitism, and the inherited and recurring trauma blackness people confront with racism and constabulary brutality.

It bears keeping in mind that in that location is no monolithic Jewish customs or African-American community, nor are blacks, Jews or Israelis mutually exclusive groups. Not all Jewish people are white, and not all blackness people are Christian. For Jackson, there needs to exist more nuance in the discussion on identity and shared values.

"There's a lack of dash in this conversation. What is black-Jewish relations? What is that, me talking to myself? Or is information technology white Jews in ability existence in community with black Christians, blackness Muslims and black Jews?" asks Jackson, who notes that Jews of colour make up 10 pct of Jews in the U.Due south., which is no pocket-size number. And he insists that black Jewish leaders, often forgotten and left out of the equation, must be brought to the tabular array before decisions are fabricated.

And nosotros must get across stereotypes. "We demand to realize people do not fit into these cookie cutter images of what black is or what Jewish is," Jackson says, noting that he is frequently viewed as conditionally Jewish or black, even denied his black past the blackness customs. "My black is not in question, my Jewishness is not in question. I don't accept the luxury of stepping away from racism. I've had guns put to my head, I've been called 'boy' and 'nigger' past police. It is undeniable that I go through life non knowing if I will see my baby son at the end of the mean solar day. There are a lot of people I know who are Jewish who are not Jews of colour who don't feel racism or police brutality. Some have completely skipped over the tens-of-thousands of words [in the Black Lives policy platform] dedicated to ending racism. But that is something that I see. Getting stuck on a few words? My life is worth much more than than a few words."

For Jackson, like many Jews, Israel holds a special place in his core identity. "I have family unit in Israel, I beloved Israel to the lesser of my heart," he says. "I've been there so many times. I fifty-fifty wanted to move there. I can understand how people would have that gut reaction to the language they may not agree with. I personally don't agree with the use of 'genocide,' but I don't have the privilege of saying let's throw out the entire platform considering of ane word. I live in a black male body and work hard to live my Jewish values for loving humanity. I accept lived my life in a black male body, and in the U.s. that is seen as a weapon."

Rabbi Shawn and his congregation non only talk the talk, but walk the walk. A Blackness Lives Matter sign hangs prominently in their Roxborough Deconstructionist synagogue, and a church is housed on one floor of the building. An alternative high school for youth in foster care is located on another, and an African-American imam and pastor spoke at Shawn's loftier holiday services.

While the fence over the Black Lives Matter platform has engendered strong reactions, in Philadelphia churches, mosques and synagogues, congregants are nevertheless engaged in the 24-hour interval-to-day piece of work of racial justice coalition building. "I have experienced no abatement, only a deepening with the African American community," says Rabbi Shawn Zevit of Mishkan Shalom, a various Reconstructionist congregation in the Roxborough section of the city. Rabbi Shawn has taken a leadership office in forming interfaith and interracial coalitions in the Philadelphia area effectually social justice problems and police violence against communities of color. He is the clergy task forcefulness co-chair of POWER (Philadelphians Organized to Witness Empower & Rebuild). In its mission statement, Ability says information technology "uses our belief in God'southward goodness and pity for the suffering to organize and empower the people of Philadelphia to alive and work together and then that God's presence is known on every cake, that people work together to transform the conditions of their neighborhood, and that life flourishes for all."

Rabbi Shawn and his congregation not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. A Black Lives Affair sign hangs prominently in the synagogue, and a church is housed on 1 floor of the building. An alternative high schoolhouse for youth in foster care is located on another, and an African-American imam and pastor spoke at Shawn's high vacation services. All are a testament to Mishkan's commitment to community engagement.

"For most of my African American colleagues who are connected with racial justice work, what particularly arose for some of the Jewish institutions was non a large priority compared to living wage and mass incarceration," Rabbi Shawn notes. "They said, 'We have real relationships with you, so why would that ascertain our relationship to the Jewish community?…Why would I aspect a argument or an individual action to a whole group?'''

One local organisation is doing its role to improve blackness-Jewish relations past David Hyman, who is active in Jewish civil and political life and practices police as a managing partner with Kleinbard LLC in Philadelphia. Hyman is also a cofounder of Operation Agreement, whose mission is "to develop a group of young African American and Jewish leaders knowledgeable about each other's histories and cultures to effectively lead the communities of Philadelphia and across to a greater understanding of diversity and acceptance."

"The concept that we started with through our so-Congressman Bill Gray was we would place high school students who were emerging leaders, and put them on an excursion together to places such as Israel and Senegal, and other places related to African-American and Jewish-American history," says Hyman, who was co-chair of the arrangement'southward board for ten years. "We did a screening process, and some have emerged as leaders in civic, community business and religious life. The best mode to foster relationships was to develop leadership that could talk to each other, which we had drifted away from."

Hyman believes the recent controversy over genocide in the Black Lives Matter platform was a "flashpoint" that demonstrates the connected need for Operation Understanding. "My view is that as well much of Operation Understanding's time was pointing out the shortcomings of this country, and not enough time was spent looking at the blessings of this country," he says. "If the only reason we are coming effectually is to reinforce the victim mentality, we're doing ourselves a disservice. There is much to celebrate regarding the strength of our American experience, yet the nighttime moments." In Hyman's view, nosotros must get beyond debates over whose suffering is worse, the Holocaust versus slavery.

"If we say we want a dialogue, when someone sees things differently nosotros tin't call them a name," says David Hyman, a prominent Philadelphia attorney and co-founder of Performance Understanding, which sends African-American and Jewish youth together on excursions into one another's histories and cultures. "This is Performance Understanding, not Operation Agreement. When you phone call people a proper noun, they close down."

Further, Operation Understanding has placed a priority not just on respect for racial and religious diversity, but on diversity of opinion. "I fabricated sure that when we did programming we didn't merely say, this is what African-Americans remember, this is what Jews think," says Hyman. "If we say we desire a dialogue, when someone sees things differently we can't call them a name. This is Performance Understanding, not Operation Understanding. When y'all call people a proper name, they shut down."

Meanwhile, in his sermon on the eve of Yom Kippur, Rabbi Shawn, reflecting on the hard piece of work that must be washed, said that Black Lives Matter is a Jewish consequence because it is a justice issue, in keeping with Deuteronomy 16:20, which says: "Justice, justice shall you pursue." He spoke of the strangers in the state of Arab republic of egypt, who had no rights, and warned that, "Any suppression of human being rights opens the gate to the indiscriminate use of power and abuse of human beings that is the root of the unabridged anathema of Arab republic of egypt."

Finally, Rabbi Shawn offers that, "Being strong by engaging in the issues of our times does not mean holding opinions or providing answers; information technology means much more listening than talking." If in that location is to be continued collaboration across civilization, faith and race, there must be honest dialogue, a recognition of the role of trauma, and a willingness to footstep out of our condolement zone and find common ground.

"Nosotros have to be willing to get messy," Rabbi Shawn insists. "Yous live in a various neighborhood? Well, who sits at your Shabbat table?"

Header photo: Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (2nd from right) marches in Selma with Martin Luther King Jr.

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Source: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/black-jewish-repairing-the-rift/

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