Jews and Blacks in Modern America

In the past century, Jews have often been the most sympathetic to the oppression of Blacks in the United States of America, and they have often worked together at critical points in their history.

W.E.B. Dubois, Henry Malkewitz, Julius Rosenthal, Lillian Wald, Rabbi Emil G. Hirsch and Stephen Wise formed the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP). Jewish and Black leaders formed the Urban League. Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington improved the educational system for Blacks in the Southern states of the USA. Black leaders like Canada Lee, Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Paul Robeson, helped raise funds for Peter Bergson's work to Save the Jewish People of Europe and to support the founding of modern Israel.

Several Jewish professors who arrived in America from Europe in the 1930s and '40s taught in the Southern Black Colleges. During the Civil Rights movement in America, the Jewish Press was often in support of the Black community and many Jews marched with the Black protesters. Around half of the civil rights lawyers in the Southern United States during the 1960s were Jews, and of the Whites who went to Mississippi in 1964 to challenge the Jim Crow Laws, over 50 percent were Jews. The Jewish community also supported the Civil Rights Campaign financially. The American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress and Anti-Defamation League; all supported the struggle for racial equality.

However Black intellectuals like James Baldwin increasingly resented Jewish integration into American life and saw Blacks as being less fortunate. Major divisions between Blacks and Jews can also be traced to the Black Power groups of the 1960s which moved away from the integrationist and non-violent approach of Rev Dr Martin Luther King. The Black Power movement (and the rise of the Nation of Islam) increasingly saw colour as the real divide and portrayed Jews as part of the dominant white establishment. All this increased anti-Semitism among Blacks, denying the long history of persecution of the Jews.

A new era of mistrust led to a number of tragic incidents such as the 1991 mob actions in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York which started with the death of a Black child in a car accident and culminated in 3 days of rioting in which at least 1 young Jew was stabbed to death by angry Black teenagers.

The problems surrounding the end of the November 2000 elections in the USA led to a call from the Rev Jesse Jackson for a new unity between Black and Jewish communities. Rabbi Steven Jacobs agreed, saying that this was an opportunity "for Jews and Blacks to come back together." 78% of Jews reportedly voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 United States Presidential Election. The appointment of several Jews by President Barrack Obama was initially thought to be significant. However, this did not translate into substantially overt support for Israel.

Members of Bishop Doye's Israel tour group packing food boxes for Colel Chabad, photo courtesy Bishop Doye for Travelujah

There are a considerable number of Black Jews in the USA. Some can trace their Jewish roots back many generations. Others are recent converts. There are even some who claim they alone are the true Jews!

Sidebar:

Bishop Doye Agama is currently planning his 2012 Group Pilgrimage to Israel taking place August 6 - 12, 2012. To learn more about this tour and special programming please contact Michelle Welch  at the Apostlic Pastoral Association at michellewelch10@hotmail.com 

Coming Up... Jews in The Struggle against Apartheid in South Africa.

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Bishop Doye Agama is a regular contributor to Travelujah. He is the UK Chairman of Christian Friends of Magen David Adom and the presiding bishop and the head of the Apostolic Pastoral Association in Manchester, UK. he is a renowned international expert on the relationship of Black Christians and the Church.