opinion
Jews and Blacks Need to Talk
About ‘Race’ ... Together
BY JAMES ELAM, IV
AND SHOSHANA SCHILLER
A serve the greater good, rushing to judgment can,
in fact, be harmful to the greater good, stifling
conversation, dialogue and ideas. Here are some
of the things we’ve learned from our conversa-
tions together, that can easily apply more broadly
to the world we live in:
• P eople need to listen actively in order to under-
stand. You are hearing another person’s words,
trying to comprehend the intent and meaning
behind them, and, if you don’t understand, ask
a clarifying question.

• We all must communicate to be understood. If
we are as honest and open as possible, we are
genuinely speaking from our own point of view.

• We all need to commit to better understand the
other person’s perspective.

• Anticipate that emotions may run high.

Discussion on topics like racism, antisemitism,
privilege and discrimination can be painful and
challenging. Try to understand the source of
the emotion that the person is feeling.

• Consider the relationship. As you engage in
conversations with people with whom you
disagree, it’s a good idea to remember that
they come to those positions with their own
unique history, background, perspective and
experiences. It is only by truly listening and learning together
that we will ever find a path forward. The art of lis-
tening can go a long way to improving our outlook
as a decent and civil society. JE
James Elam, IV and Shoshana Schiller are co-chairs of the
Black-Jewish Alliance of the ADL. Elam is the managing
partner of Elamental, a multidisciplinary agency focusing
on technology, media, sports and social action. Schiller
is an environmental attorney in the Philadelphia area.

For more information on the Black-Jewish Alliance visit:
philadelphia.adl.org/black-jewish-alliance/. melitas / iStock / Getty Images Plus
t a time in human history when people can
share their thoughts to a billion people around
the world in a matter of seconds, the very simple and
important art of listening seems to be in jeopardy
more than ever.

Our nation was founded on the bedrock princi-
ple of free speech enshrined in the Constitution,
and while it does not mean we are entitled to
speech without consequences, a misunderstand-
ing should be approached as an opening for
discussion. Recently, ABC suspended Whoopi Goldberg
from “The View” for expressing her concept
of “race” in the context of a discussion about
the Holocaust. For many Americans, particularly
Black Americans, the definition of race is informed
by the history of the United States, from 1619 to
the Thirteenth Amendment to the Civil Rights Act.

It is an understanding based on skin color insep-
arable from the legal and moral history of our
country, and from the current lived experiences of
Black Americans.

The term “race” has a broader definition as well,
one that underpins centuries of antisemitism in
Europe and across the globe, that was the basis
of the Holocaust, and that remains a foundation
of modern-day antisemitism. Jews can look no
further than the immigration records and the cit-
izenship applications of their grandparents and
earlier generations in which their race is identi-
fied, uniquely, as Hebrew. In addition, it was the
racist Nuremberg Laws that enabled the Nazis to
carry out the “Final Solution” and the murder of 6
million Jews in the Holocaust.

To disregard this definition is hurtful to many
Jews. But American Jews also acknowledge
and celebrate that there are Jews of all ethnic-
ities, races and backgrounds, such that modern
Judaism is, at the same, at odds with the idea
of race.

This is the subtlety of race as a word, as a con-
cept, as a flashpoint of hate but also of pride. To
get to this place of nuanced understanding, how-
ever, we need to listen to each other. We need not
assume that others come from the same place of
understanding, and we need not assume that our
own experiences are either universal or widely
known or taught.

As co-chairs of the Black-Jewish Alliance of the
Anti-Defamation League Philadelphia, we have
worked hard to forge stronger ties between the
Black and Jewish communities by acknowledging
our commonalities as opposed to focusing on our
differences. We created a safe space to learn and be heard,
allowing ourselves to be open to making mistakes
and to having misunderstandings. We are learning
to listen to each other, to dash assumptions and
preconceived notions, and to understand each
other more deeply.

We stand united today and in the future as allies
against the twin sins of antisemitism and racism. But
standing together also means doing so when things
are comfortable and when they are uncomfortable.

This approach stands in stark contrast to the
current climate in America, where people seem to
be retreating more and more into their own echo
chambers or corners of social media where their
own biased views are affirmed and there’s no will-
ingness to experience discomfort. There’s a very
real danger here that we will stop listening to each
other altogether.

While there are instances where a person’s
words or conduct might be beyond the scope
allowable in a civilized society, we should not rush
to cancel people for expressing themselves hon-
estly without malice.

When a more complete understanding would
22 MARCH 10, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM