Members of the new Black-Jewish Caucus in the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Solomon, Harris and 10 of their General Assembly
colleagues — eight Black members and four Jewish
members — attended the press conference and
modeled the type of relationship building they hope
to spread. Rep. Ben Waxman, who represents the
182nd district, based in Center City, was one of the
Jewish leaders present.

All 12 attendees, as Solomon joked during the
press conference, are Democrats, though the invita-
tion is open to Republicans to join. None of them
could attend on May 1 due to scheduling conflicts,
according to Solomon. David Edman, the co-founder
of Alliance of Trust, a Philadelphia nonprofit that
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seeks to build relationships between the Jewish and
Black communities, also attended and spoke.

Five years ago, Edman met Harris and told
him about Congregation Temple Beth’El, a Black
synagogue in Philadelphia. Harris and Solomon then
attended a Shabbat service there together.

“And that kind of planted the seeds,” Edman said.

But it remains unclear what those seeds will
sprout into as the caucus starts to meet. According
to Solomon, relationship building must lead to both
groups standing up during instances of antisemitism
or racism. After that, they can stand together on
different pieces of legislation.

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“What makes sense for us to do? Is it gun violence?
Is it housing? I’m not sure,” Solomon said. “But both
Jordan and I have a sense of how to get there.”
During the press conference, Waxman stepped
forward and explained that in recent years PA has
increased security grant funding for nonprofits. The
program has benefited both Jewish and Black insti-
tutions, and that’s one example of an issue on which
the caucus could stand together.

Rep. Dan Frankel, whose district includes
Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, where
the Tree of Life synagogue shooting unfolded
almost five years ago, also stepped forward to
mention a package of bills, introduced at the
end of April, that would update the state’s hate
crimes statute to include protections for additional
groups, like people with disabilities, and train-
ing for law enforcement officers, among other
measures. Frankel and Napoleon Nelson, a Black
representative who was at the press conference,
introduced the package.

“I was there at the Tree of Life synagogue. I took a
tour of the Tree of Life synagogue. I heard the stories.

I saw the pain in the eyes of my colleagues who were
with me who were of the Jewish faith,” Harris said. “I
also know they see the pain in my eyes when we talk
to mothers who are losing their sons and daughters
in the streets of Philadelphia to gun violence.” ■
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