"And despite all of that shared history—and much more—the rift between Black Americans and American Jews has at times been quiet, fierce, and vast.
This conference came to be because one rabbi in Florida heard Van Jones make a stark claim. I am paraphrasing because I am writing from memory: Our country is in trouble, and its saving grace may lie in rebuilding the Black–Jewish alliance that has, at critical moments, made all the difference in the world."