Celebrating the Historical and Spiritual Bonds between African Americans and Jews

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“If anyone were to ask the question, ‘Where was the Jewish community during the Civil Right Movement?’ the response would come loud and clear, ‘They were on the frontlines of faith.’”

In celebration of Black History Month, and as part of The Fellowship’s expanding outreach to the African-American community, we have released a new booklet on the historical and spiritual bonds between African Americans and Jews.

On the Frontlines of Faith was written by Dr. Edward L. Branch, pastor of Third New Hope Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, and member of The Fellowship’s African-American Advisory Council, and includes reflections by Rabbi Eckstein.

Enjoy this excerpt from On the Frontlines of Faith

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was one of those who took to the frontlines of the struggle for freedom during the Civil Rights Movement. Who was this bearded man with rimmed glasses and a staunch appearance, who on occasion was arm-in-arm with Dr. King on the frontlines?

Rabbi Heschel (January 11, 1907—December 23, 1972) was one of the most influential religious figures of the 20th century. Born in Warsaw, Poland, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Berlin in 1933. He was a scholar, theologian, activist, poet, historian and author; he was a religious teacher “in the prophetic tradition.” He may be best known for the iconic photograph of him marching with the Dr. King in Selma in 1965. He later said, “I felt my legs were praying.” Rabbi Heschel wrote 10 books, including “Man in Search of God,” “The Sabbath” and others. He was professor of Jewish Ethics at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City after serving as an instructor at Cincinnati’s Hebrew College for five years.

According to one source, the Jewish communities of the South were rather small. The majority of Jews who migrated from Europe occupied the larger cities of the North, like New York or Chicago. Most southern Jews remained quiet and stayed out of the public square during this season of controversy over racial equality. Other southern Jews were frightened to put themselves on the line and preferred neutrality. And, of course, there were pockets of Jews, as there were of blacks, who disagreed with the movement entirely. However, with support from northern Jews, the voice of the Jewish community was heard loud and clear.

If anyone were to ask the question, “Where was the Jewish community during the Civil Right Movement?” the response would come loud and clear, “They were on the frontlines of faith.” Our Jewish brothers and sisters have consistently been “at the side” of the black community.

Visit to ifcj.ca/frontlines to download your copy of On the Frontlines of Faith: The Historical and Spiritual Bonds between African-Americans and Jews.


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“If anyone were to ask the question, ‘Where was the Jewish community during the Civil Right Movement?’ the response would come loud and clear, ‘They were on the frontlines of faith.’”

 

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