Black Jewish Perspectives on This Historical Moment

In light of the culture wars of our day, with wedge issues like Zionism and DEI, what perspectives do Black Jews and Jews of Color hold that can help inform the discussion in Jewish life? In what ways do Black Jews shed light on the compounded impacts of experiencing antisemitism and racism in the 21st century? Joining the discussion are Isaiah Rothstein, a rabbi and the founder of Jewish Federations of North America’s Initiative for Jewish Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Ilana Kaufman, CEO of the Jews of Color Initiative; Robin Washington, the former editor-in-chief of the Duluth News Tribune who has written extensively on Black-Jewish identity; and Yolanda Savage-Narva, the assistant vice president of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the Union for Reform Judaism. The talk will be moderated by Bruce Haynes, a University of California, Davis, professor and the author of the award-winning book “The Soul of Judaism: Jews of African Descent in America.”