This album was created by a member of the TPS Teachers Network, a professional social media network for educators, funded by a grant from the Library of Congress. For more information, visit tpsteachersnetwork.org.

Celebrating Black History Month & the African American Jewish Community

Album Description

As we observe Black History Month this February, we are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the history and achievements of Black people while looking toward a more equitable and just future.

Recognizing that American Jews represent a racially and ethnically diverse people, it is vital that we learn and raise up the stories of Black, biracial, and multiracial Jews.

Additional resources for this Album are provided under Teaching Notes. Reflection questions and a recap of resource links are available here.

Please use the Album to mark the great accomplishments of African American Jews throughout history as we fully embrace the diversity of the American Jewish community.

  African Americans   American Jews 

The Untold Origins of Black Jews in America

Teaching Notes

Additional resources

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6caTg2Xovlg

Reference note

'Black Jews have been a part of American history since before the colonial era, likely originating from Jews of Africa who were sold as slaves in the New World, and some slaves who converted to the Jewish faith of their slaveowners.
Jews of color stemming from Roman-African or Afro-Caribbean descent, of diverse lineage, or who convert to Judaism, continue to contribute to the rich and multi-faceted history of the Jewish people.
Many famous black Jews, such as Sammy Davis Jr., Charles Mc Dew, Daveed Diggs, Tiffany Haddish, Rashida Jones, Drake, Yitz Jordan (Y-Love), Shyne, Lenny Kravitz, Nissim Black, Eric Andre, and more have helped create awareness about this community.
Today, some of these Jews of Color have also come together in communities and organizations to bring them out of the margins and into the mainstream of American Jewry.
However, race relations and identity politics, especially surrounding Israel and Zionism, often complicate the identity of black Jews, forcing them feel that their race and culture are at odds with one another. Even whether or not the term "Jew of color" is positive or negative is sometimes up for debate.
Jews of all races and ethnic backgrounds must come together and unite as a people with a shared mission.

New channel alert https://youtube.com/@todayunpacked

Link to Article by Kylie Unell: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/my-mom-is-white-and-my-dad-is-black-dont-call-me-a-jew-of-color/

Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:01 History of ancient Israelites
01:22 Creation of the Diaspora
01:31 History of black Jews and slavery
03:24 Black Jewish communities
03:44 Famous black Jewish converts
04:46 Black and Jewish mixed marriages
05:41 Jewish black organizations
06:37 Jewish black performers and pop culture
07:01 Race relations and identity politics
07:49 Jews of Color
08:23 Outro

Film script written by Ben Elterman

Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads!
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Recommended video— Who Decides Who is a Jew?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upwdhUbzhsA&list=PL-DNOnmKkUaazY2E0ifs-L73CoLZ4mMjb&index=4

We have merch! – http://shop.jewishunpacked.com/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch

Let’s connect:
Website — https://www.jewishunpacked.com
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jewishunpacked
Twitter — https://twitter.com/jewishunpacked
TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@jewishunpacked
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/jewishunpacked

-----------
This video was co-produced by OpenDor Media and Jewish Federations of North America. To learn more about the Jewish Federations of North America's initiatives for racial justice and Jewish equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), visit: https://www.jewishtogether.org/racialjustice

Gold Level:
Walder Foundation

Silver Level:
The Bernstein Family Foundation
-----------
Image and footage credits:
Commons Wikimedia/Henry Söderlund/Georges Biard/Vv44/Fibonacci Blue/Yaminhashem/Gage Skidmore/U.S. Embassy Belize/Schneur Menaker/GabboT/Miami Film Festival/Franz Richter/Anthony Turner, Montclair Film Festival
Flickr/Nicole Alexander/Eric Andre/Victoria Pickering/The All-Nite Images/Adam Jones/Internet Archive Book Images
GPO/Amos Ben Gershom/Zoltan Kluger
Israel National Library/Dan_Hadani_collection
Civil Rights Movement Archive
Netflix/NBC
American Association of Ethiopian Jewry
Library of Congress
-----------
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks.

About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.

#JewsofColor #POC #Jewish'

A Strained Relationship - The Complex History Between Black and Jewish Americans

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgac279l42E

Reference note

'The history of the relationship between the Black and Jewish communities in the U.S. is complex, with ups and downs that often mirror America’s own turbulent and troubled legacy of slavery and discrimination. What are the historical roots behind the cooperation and the conflict today? We explore the history of Black-Jewish relations to uncover the good and the bad, the things the communities have in common, and what inspires a vision for a brighter future.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:20 Jewish opinions of slavery in the 1800s
00:35 Shifting Jewish demographics in the 1900s
01:00 Parallels of racism to European Antisemitism
01:14 Division between black and Jewish Americans
01:32 1930s Antisemitism in the U.S.
01:44 Black and Jewish join forces to fight discrimination
02:30 Jewish concerns over supporting desegregation
03:01 The Golden Age of black-Jewish relations
03:56 Jewish white passing and greater access
04:10 Growing racial tensions: the Jew as the boss/landlord/creditor
04:59 The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: the Jew as the white oppressor
05:22 The 1991 Crown Heights Riots
05:55 Antisemitism in BLM and the Women's March
06:05 Jewish murder by Black Hebrew Israelite members
06:15 Black Antisemitism
06:30 Common ground between black people and Jews


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Watch next — MLK's Jewish Connection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPkiim0AcT4&list=PL-DNOnmKkUaZrTGuvoIJFOgn4nr375SR_

Recommended series — “Big Jewish Ideas”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf4GkbuiHnA&list=PL-DNOnmKkUaazY2E0ifs-L73CoLZ4mMjb

Let’s connect:
Website — https://www.jewishunpacked.com
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jewishunpacked
Twitter — https://twitter.com/jewishunpacked
TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@jewishunpacked
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/jewishunpacked

Image and Footage Credits:
- ABC News
- American Jewish Historical Society
- American Jewish Historical Society – New England Archives
- AP
- Arthur Waskow
- Bettmann Archive/Getty Images/Coribs
- Bundesarchiv Bild
- CBS New York
- Center for Jewish History, NYC
- Eliel Joseph Schafler
- Evan Nesterak
- FBI/State of Mississippi Attorney General's Office
- Fuseboxradio
- Hudson County View
- Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington
- John Lewis’ Office
- Konkordia Wiki
- Library of Congress
- Luke Atkinson/The Daily
- National Council of Jewish Women
- National Library of Israel
- New York Daily News Archive
- NYC Mayor’s Office
- Ontario Jewish Archives
- Peter Pettus.Library of Congress
- Rick Holmes
- Texas Jewish Historical Society
- The Kenan Research Center At The Atlanta History Center
- The Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
- Twitter - @KishaBari
- US National Archives
- VICE News Tonight/HBO
- WABC7 NY
- William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum, Ida Pearle and Joseph Cuba Community Archives and Genealogy Center

About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.

Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.

About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.

#America #Jewish #Explainers'

The Unknown Connection Between Black and Jewish Communities in America

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6PZ4uXzXGI

Reference note

'The end of the nineteenth century found Black and Jewish communities in America living side by side, both facing discrimination from the white Protestant majority. Conflict and shifting in power structures brought on feelings of racism and antisemitism between the two groups, yet the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust would unite the communities around an unlikely cause: Zionism.

Disclaimer: While Jews are a diverse, multi-racial people, in this video when we speak about the interactions between the Black community and the Jewish community we are speaking about Jews of European descent.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:43 Ashkenazi-black relations
01:14 American Antisemitism
01:33 African slave trade and racism
02:04 Discrimination against / interactions between Ashkenazi Jews and black people
03:06 Jews as white passing
03:31 Jewish organizational experience
03:57 Joint Jewish-black cooperation
04:39 Jewish-black divisions
05:28 The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
06:22 Factors causing Antisemitism in black communities
06:46 The rise of Nazism and US fascism
07:12 The Holocaust as a turning point to join forces with the black community
07:42 Black support for Zionism
09:06 Outro

Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads!
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Recommended video— A Strained Relationship - The Complex History Between Black and Jewish Americans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgac279l42E&list=PL-DNOnmKkUaZrTGuvoIJFOgn4nr375SR_&index=17

We have merch! – http://shop.jewishunpacked.com/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch

Let’s connect:
Website — https://www.jewishunpacked.com
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jewishunpacked
Twitter — https://twitter.com/jewishunpacked
TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@jewishunpacked
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/jewishunpacked

-----------
This video was co-produced by OpenDor Media and Jewish Federations of North America.
To learn more about the Jewish Federations of North America's initiatives for racial justice and Jewish equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), visit: https://www.jewishtogether.org/racialjustice

Gold Level:
Walder Foundation

Silver Level:
The Bernstein Family Foundation
-----------
Image and footage credits:
Library of Congress
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
New York Public Library
Commons Wikimedia
Commons Wikimedia/INeverCry
Wikipedia
Canadian Jewish Congress CC National Archives
Goldring/Woklenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life
Minnesota Historical Society
Flickr/Adam Jones
Susannah Heschel
National Urban League
United States Holocaust Museum Memorial (USHMM
GPO/Pinn Hans/Moshe Pridan
-----------
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.

About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.

#civilrights #zionism #Unpacked'

'Ethiopian Jewry | Israel Phenomenology

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJvTAjotZvI

Reference note

'New channel alert https://youtube.com/@todayunpacked

- This week, we look at one of Israel’s most distinctive communities - the Jews of Ethiopia.
While the story of their rescue from Ethiopia has become a well-known tale of daring, bravery and sheer Israeli chutzpah, there’s far more to know about Ethiopian Jews than this event.

We trace the origins of this group, unpack the different terms associated with the “Beta Israel” (as the community refers to itself), and discuss why there are many Ethiopians still waiting to come to Israel.
We also dive into the whole megillah of who is a Jew, and touch on the difficult subject of racism in Israeli society, as we discuss the ongoing (and sometimes bumpy) integration of Ethiopian Jewry into Israeli society.

Let us know what you think of this episode in the comments below.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:10 Who are the Ethiopian Jews?
00:35 What is the difference between Beta Israel and Falasha?
01:19 History of Ethiopian Jews
02:06 Ethiopian Jewish traditions
02:44 Ethiopian Jewish return to Israel
04:48 Questions of Jewishness and the Israeli Law of Return
05:39 Operation Moses and Operation Solomon
06:30 Process of integration in Israel and discrimination
08:56 Outro


-------
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Let’s connect:
Website — https://www.jewishunpacked.com
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jewishunpacked
Twitter — https://twitter.com/jewishunpacked
TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@jewishunpacked
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/jewishunpacked
-------

Credits:
- GPO: Moshe Milne, Tzvika Israeli, Nati Harnik, Nathan Alpert, Kobi Gideon, Einat Anker, Zoltan Kluger
- AAEJ
- Commons Wikimedia: Yair Aronshtam, Mushki Brichta, אמיליה כהן, Harvey Sapir, דוג'רית, אורי פרדניק
- Flickr: Marco Verch

About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.

#Israel #Culture #Education'

Sammy Davis Jr.

Teaching Notes

Sammy Davis Jr

Among the most famous of converts, entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. was raised in a Christian home. His interest in Judaism was sparked by comedian Eddie Cantor, who gave Davis a mezuzah in 1953. Davis completed the conversion process in 1961. During press interviews, he often drew parallels between the African-American and Jewish communities. In 1989 the American singer, actor, and dancer Sammy Davis, Jr.—affectionately known as “Mr. Entertainment”—celebrated more than 60 years in show business as a star of vaudeville, nightclubs, theater, film, and television. Davis had a successful recording career as well. Among his various performance accolades were Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominations. He was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor in 1987. He was again recognized in 2001 (posthumously) when he was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Additional resources

  Sammy Davis Jr  

Civil Rights History Project: Charles F. McDew

Teaching Notes

Charles McDew

Charles Frederick McDew (a convert to Judaism) was a civil rights and community activist, teacher, labor organizer, and one of the founding members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) where he worked towards increasing black voter registration and racial desegregation. His involvement in the Civil Rights Movement earned McDew the title, "black by birth, a Jew by choice and a revolutionary by necessity" stated by fellow SNCC activist Bob Moses

Additional resources

  Charles McDew    Civil Rights Activists  

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLac_Y1AIrQ

Reference note

'Charles F. McDew oral history interview for the Civil Rights History Project conducted by Joseph Mosnier in Albany, Georgia, 2011-06-04.'

Goldye Steiner in Frankie and Johnnie

Teaching Notes

Goldye M. Steiner

Goldye M. Steiner is often known as the first Black female cantor, although her performances were limited to the stage (rather than the synagogue) since women would not be ordained as rabbis and cantors for another 50 years. Not much is known about Steiner’s early life, but by the mid-1920s, Steiner had risen to prominence in New York City’s famous Yiddish theater scene. Steiner also appeared on Broadway and was renowned for her ability to sing in Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, German, French and English.

Additional resources

  Goldye Steiner    Cantors  

Reference link: https://loc.gov/loc/lcib/9811/stage.html

Reference note

Image shows Hemsley Williams and Goldye Steiner in Frankie and Johnny [sic] from Him, by John Sloan, 1928.

Thomas La Rue Jones

Teaching Notes

Thomas LaRue Jones

Reportedly raised in Newark, New Jersey, by a single mother who was drawn to Judaism, the Yiddish-speaking Jones often added the Jewish name Toyve to his billing as der schvartzer khazan (Yiddish for “The Black Cantor”). There are historical accounts of Jones having performed at bar mitzvahs and Jewish weddings, but not of him officiating at any. He also tutored orphan boys in reading the haftarah (biblical passages chanted liturgically after the conclusion of the Torah reading on Shabbat).

Additional resources

  Thomas LaRue Jones    Cantors  

Adah Isaacs Menken, 1835-1868, composite portrait of eight photos of her in "French Spy"

Teaching Notes

Adah Isaacs Menken

Adah Isaacs Menken (June 15, 1835 – August 10, 1868) was an American actress, painter and poet, and was the highest earning actress of her time.[1] She was best known for her performance in the Hippodrama Mazeppa, with a climax that featured her apparently nude and riding a horse on stage. After great success for a few years with the play in New York and San Francisco, she appeared in a production in London and Paris, from 1864 to 1866. After a brief trip back to the United States, she returned to Europe. She became ill within two years and died in Paris at the age of 33. Though she was better known as an actress, Menken sought to be known as a writer with her poetry and essays featuring Jewish themes. She claimed to have been born to a Jewish father and her first husband, Alexander Isaac Menken, was a musician from a prominent Reform Jewish family in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Additional resources

  African American Entertainers    Adah Isaacs Menken  

Reference link: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005685775/

Reference note

Date Created/Published: [c1866]
Summary: Photo no. 12 by Sarony, N.Y.
Call Number: BIOG FILE [item] [P&P]
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Notes: This record contains unverified, old data from caption card, with subsequent revisions. Caption card tracings: PI; Theater Plays; Shelf.

Walter Mosley - 2009 National Book Festival

Teaching Notes

Walter Mosley

Walter Ellis Mosley (born January 12, 1952) is an American novelist, most widely recognized for his crime fiction. He has written a series of best-selling historical mysteries featuring the hard-boiled detective Easy Rawlins, a black private investigator living in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California; they are perhaps his most popular works. In 2020, Mosley received the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, making him the first Black man to receive the honor. Mosley identifies as both African-American and Jewish, with strong feelings for both groups

Additional resources

  African American Authors    Walter Mosley  

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFbgzF-xYVg

Reference note

'Author of the critically acclaimed Easy Rawlins mystery series Walter Mosley appears at the National Book Festival.r
r
Speaker Biography: Walter Mosley is the author of the critically acclaimed Easy Rawlins mystery series ("Devil in a Blue Dress," "A Red Death," "White Butterfly," "Black Betty" and "A Little Yellow Dog"). Mosley's other books include the novels "Blue Light" and "RL's Dream" (1995), which won the 1996 Black Caucus of the American Library Association's Literary Award. He has also written two collections of stories featuring "Socrates Fortlow: Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned and Walkin' the Dog." Mosley's latest book is "The Long Fall: The First Leonid McGill Mystery" (2009). McGill is a New York City private investigator. Mosley lives in New York.'

Reuben Greenberg Charleston SC Police Chief on C-Span

Teaching Notes

Reuben Greenberg

Reuben Morris Greenberg (June 24, 1943 – September 24, 2014) was the first black police chief of Charleston, South Carolina, and known for being an innovative criminologist. The son of a Russian Jewish immigrant father and an African-American mother, he converted to his father's religion of Judaism at the age of 26. He is credited for having turned the Charleston Police Department into a national model. In the process, he became a celebrity and a source of pride for the city.

Additional resources

  African American police    Reuben Greenberg  

A conversation with the Forward's new Editor-at-Large, Robin Washington

Teaching Notes

Robin Washington

Robin Washington is an American journalist and filmmaker, born in Chicago in 1956, growing up in a family of black and Jewish civil rights activists. As a journalist and editor, he was worked for newspapers in Boston and Duluth, Minnesota, as well as for NPR. He has made documentaries about the civil rights movement and the lives of African Americans in the United States. The winner of many prestigious journalism awards, Robin is editor-at-large of the Forward. He is also the host and producer of “Simply Superior,” a news and public affairs show on Wisconsin Public Radio.

Additional resources

  African American journalists    Robin Washington  

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-nRPqaoAC4

Reference note

'Robin Washington, an award-winning veteran journalist from Minnesota, is the Forward’s Editor-at-Large.

Learn more about Robin here: https://bit.ly/3g7pkmg'

Pursuing Racial Justice: A Modern Exodus with Rabbi Sandra Lawson

Teaching Notes

Rabbi Sandra Lawson

Sandra Lawson (born 1970) is a rabbi and the first Director of Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism. She previously served as Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life at Elon University. Lawson became the first openly gay, female, and black rabbi in the world in 2018. Lawson’s vision as a Rabbi is to help build a more inclusive Jewish community where all are welcomed, diversity is embraced, and everyone can come together to learn and to pray. Lawson is also well known on social media platforms, where she often posts content as “Rabbi Sandra”; on Tik Tok alone she had over 40,000 followers as of 2023.

Additional resources

  African American Women    Sandra Lawson  

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibbEl0-W76k

Reference note

'With Passover coming to an end, we welcome Rabbi Sandra Lawson to Maven in conversation with Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh to discuss the themes in our Passover narrative that speak out against systemic racism and celebrate liberation from slavery. Learn how the American Jewish community can be more welcoming and celebratory of the Black Jewish experience by engaging in dialogue year-round, not just at the Seder table.

This event is brought you by American Jewish University in partnership with Havurah of the Desert.'

Daveed Diggs Read poster

Teaching Notes

Daveed Diggs

Daveed Diggs is an American actor, rapper, and singer-songwriter. He is the vocalist of the experimental hip hop group Clipping, and in 2015, he originated the dual roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the musical Hamilton, for which he won a 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. Along with the main cast of Hamilton, he was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in the same year. His mother is Jewish, and his father is African-American. His parents named him "Daveed", the Hebrew pronunciation of David meaning 'beloved.' Diggs identifies as being Jewish but embraces his father's side too.

Additional resources

  African American Actors  

Moses "Shyne" Barrow

Teaching Notes

Moses "Shyne" Barrow

Moses Michael Levi Barrow (best known by his stage name Shyne) is a Belizean rapper and politician. He is the Leader of the Opposition in the Belize House of Representatives, and the leader of the Belize United Democratic Party. Born in Belize City, Belize, Shyne was raised in Brooklyn, shot as a teenager, then became a bestselling rapper and writer in the United States, did prison time disproportionate to his crime, was deported, converted to Judaism. He is perhaps best known for his 2000 singles "Bad Boyz" and "Bonnie & Shyne".

Additional resources

  African American rapper  

Drake - Falling Back (Extended Version)

Teaching Notes

Aubrey Drake Graham

Aubrey Drake Graham, known professionally as Drake, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor who was born October 24, 1986. In his youth, he attended a Jewish day school and became a bar mitzvah. An influential figure in contemporary popular music, Drake has been credited with popularizing singing and R&B sensibilities in hip hop artists. Gaining recognition by starring as Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–08), he pursued a recording career in 2006, releasing his debut mixtape Room for Improvement in February of that year.

Additional resources

  African American Entertainers  

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOreUnGoIMg

Reference note

'Music video by Drake performing Falling Back. © 2022 OVO, under exclusive license to Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc'

Maya Rudolph Jewish American Heritage Month poster

Teaching Notes

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph was born in Gainesville, Florida on July 27, 1972. to Richard Rudolph, a music producer, and soul singer Minnie Riperton. Her mother was African-American and her father is Ashkenazi Jewish. In 2000, Rudolph became a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. She won Emmy Awards for guest appearances in which she portrayed Vice President Kamala Harris whereby then-Senator Harris tweeted positive comments about Rudolph’s impression. In a 2021 sketch, Rudolph impersonated Harris hosting a “unity Seder” with Jewish Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. Outside of SNL, Rudolph has cast a wide net in television and film. Her film credits include the comedies Bridesmaids (with SNL castmate Kristen Wiig) and Sisters (with SNL castmates Tina Fey and Amy Poehler) and the dramas Inherent Vice and The Way Way Back.

Additional resources

   African American Entertainers  

Reference link: https://www.facebook.com/TempleBethelsa/photos/a.4209436782403465/5976677315679394/?paipv=0&eav=AfbyHCoedsFk7o0wGYEZjK2S3p7iuzdVS1SLK0zYFx15vYZOj3nq0Bpp8whVoo6PkrM&_rdr

Reference note

Temple Beth-El, the oldest Jewish congregation in South Texas, was founded in 1874 in San Antonio and immediately became a charter member of the Union for Reform Judaism. Each May, the Congregation celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month with a poster display honoring Jewish trailblazers and icons.

Additional resources

Rashida Jones learns about her Jewish ancestors and finds family connection to the Holocaust!

Teaching Notes

Rashida Jones

Rashida Jones is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. She appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series Boston Public (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series The Office (2006–2009; 2011), and as Ann Perkins on the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation (2009–2015). From 2016 to 2019, Jones starred as the eponymous lead role in the TBS comedy series Angie Tribeca, and in 2020, Jones starred as Joya Barris in the Netflix series. Rashida's mother was Ashkenazi Jewish. Jones and her sister were raised in Reform Judaism, attending Hebrew school.  Her first name derives from the Arabic word for "righteous."

Additional resources

  African American Entertainers  

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR22LdVClcs

Reference note

'Rashida Jones uncovers her maternal family history from Manhattan to Eastern Europe and uncovers the answers to her grandmother's missing years.

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? Chat show king Graham Norton ? https://bit.ly/GrahamN0rt0n

In each episode, one of Britain's best-loved celebrities traces their family tree to reveal the surprising, extraordinary and often moving stories of their ancestors. We publish new videos twice a week with the most memorable moments from the show. Subscribe now and click on the bell ? to get notifications every time we upload a new video!

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER ? https://twitter.com/wdytya_uk
CHECK OUT THE WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE WEBSITE ? http://bit.ly/WdytyaBBC'

African American History Month Michael Twitty

Teaching Notes

Michael Twitty

A writer, food historian and former Hebrew school teacher, Twitty is a popular speaker, blogger and author of three books. He was named Colonial Williamsburg’s first Revolutionary in Residence and was one of 20 people selected globally as a 2016 TED Fellow. HarperCollins released Twitty’s The Cooking Gene, in 2017, tracing his ancestry through food from Africa to America and from slavery to freedom. The book won the 2018 James Beard Award for best writing as well as book of the year, making him the first Black author so awarded. He was raised nominally Christian and converted to Judaism at age 25.

Additional resources

  African American Food Historians    Michael Twitty  

James McBride at Library of Congress

Teaching Notes

James McBride

James McBride is the author of several distinguished books, including “The Color of Water,” a memoir that spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list and is widely considered a modern classic.  McBride’s  novel, “The Good Lord Bird,” won the National Book Award in 2013.  In 2016, President Obama awarded McBride the National Humanities Medal, for “humanizing the complexities of discussing race in America.” McBride is also an accomplished musician and a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University. McBride states that he is proud of his Jewish identity through his mother Rachel Deborah Shilsky, a Jewish immigrant from Poland.

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  James McBride    African American authors  

Rabbi Wentworth Arthur Matthew with Torah Scroll

Teaching Notes

Rabbi Wentworth Arthur Matthew

Wentworth Arthur Matthew, a West Indian immigrant to New York City, was the founder in 1919 of the Commandment Keepers of the Living God, a Black Hebrew congregation. It was influenced by the pan-Africanism and black nationalism of Marcus Garvey from Jamaica. Matthew developed his congregation along Jewish lines of observance and the theory that they were returning to Judaism as the true Hebrews. He incorporated in 1930 and moved the congregation to Brooklyn. There he founded the Israelite Rabbinical Academy, teaching and ordaining African-American rabbis.

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