Jewish & Black Students Help Launch Unity Program
Joint effort by Hillel and the United Negro College Fund is aimed at renewing student dialogue.
A national program aimed at expanding the dialogue between Jewish college students and students from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) was launched last month in Atlanta. The program, which was held at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, brought together about 100 students, educational leaders, and representatives from the Jewish and African American community for a two-hour program to help jump start a dialogue between the two groups.
The new initiative of Unity Dinners is a joint effort by Hillel International, which serves more than 160,000 Jewish college students and the United Negro College Fund, an 80-year-old organization which, among its many activities, has built strong ties to over a hundred colleges and universities that have been established over the years, primarily for Black students.
For Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, president of Hillels of Georgia, the evening was an opportunity to rekindle the relationship that reached its peak during the civil rights battles of the 1960s but, in recent years, has frayed.
“The goal really is to build bridges,” Sernovitz emphasized, “to develop an organization of Black and Jewish leaders of tomorrow. And so, in essence, it’s about taking Gen Z and teaching that we’re stronger together and we should be working together once again.”
In recent years, the county’s most active pro-Palestinian group, Students for Justice in Palestine, has cultivated relationships with Black young people, both on and off the nation’s campuses.
Their effort, which partially grew out of the Black Lives Matters protests in Ferguson, Mo., a decade ago, deepened after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. They escalated during the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses last spring.
In May, before commencement exercises that featured President Joe Biden at historically black Morehouse College in Atlanta, the president of the school, David Thomas, threatened to shut down graduation ceremonies if there were pro-Palestinian disruptions.
“If my choice is 20 people being arrested on national TV on the Morehouse campus, taken away in zip ties during our commencement, before we would reach that point,” Thomas reportedly said, “I would conclude the ceremony.”
There were no disruptions, but several students turned their backs on the Biden when he spoke.
The Atlanta Unity dinner was the first of three such events that have been held, not only in Atlanta, but at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Dillard University in New Orleans. The program was funded by a $1 million grant to the United Negro College Fund by Robert Kraft, the wealthy Boston businessman, philanthropist, and owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots. He founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019.
“I am honored to support UNCF in their mission to combat hate and provoke unity,” Kraft said in a statement. “It is crucial that we come together as a society to address the root causes of hate and prejudice. By investing in education and awareness programs, we can empower individuals to stand up against hate and create a more inclusive future for all.”
The donation was announced by the president and CEO of the UNCF, Michael Lomax, who some Atlantans may remember was the chairman of the Fulton County Commission for 12 years starting in 1980.
“This donation will enable us to develop innovative programs and resources that will empower our students to be agents for change in their communities,” Lomax said. “Together, we can work toward a future where mutual respect, understanding and love eliminate all hate.”
The joint effort by Hillel and the Negro College Fund was developed by John Eaves, who, in Atlanta, created the prototype for the series of dinners. As the chair of The Temple’s Social Justice Committee, he first brought Black and Jewish students together to dialogue.
Today, as UNCF’s Atlanta-based director of their Tikkun Olam Society and Social Innovation Fund, Eaves is encouraged by what he’s seen as an enthusiastic launch.
“It was a home run. It was a complete success. The conversations around our dinner bring together Jewish students who are a part of Hillel and who have sought a safe space within the campus community. Similarly, they hear Black students share why they chose an HBCU in terms of a place where they have a space, they can affirm their racial identity and can feel safe. There’s this sort of ‘aha’ moment that comes when Jewish and Black students realized they are more alike than different.”
Sernovitz was impressed, as well, by the mood at the Atlanta dinner, where he was joined by representatives of the Anti-Defamation League and the Southeast office of the American Jewish Committee.
“I saw joy in the room,” Sernovitz said. “I saw optimism and hope for both Jewish and Black students.”
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