Seattle Black-Jewish Clergy Bible Study
The Vision
In Kurt Vonnegut’s story, Who Am I This Time? Helene and Harry are two very shy people who fall in love when they play the romantic leads in a community theater. When they have trouble extending their relationship off stage, Helene invites Harry to dinner and hands him a copy of Romeo and Juliet. They marry and for the rest of their lives they communicate their love through the words of great playwrights.
For Blacks and Jews, the Bible is our Romeo and Juliet. Through our discussions of the Biblical text, we are able to say things to each other we might be too shy to say otherwise because they touch such deep emotional chords. Through these conversations, we hope to achieve the kind of emotional honesty that is the bedrock of building Beloved Community.
The Method
A clergy team, one reverend and one rabbi lead the study. They choose a text from the Five Books of Moses and often from the New Testament, as well. We choose texts that we think will evoke discussion of issues relevant to Blacks and Jews and to the Black-Jewish relationship. Typically, Mark and Jay will meet with the clergy team before the session to role play the discussion. The sessions ran 1 and a half to two hours. Sometimes we pick a text we think will be evocative and we let the discussion flow where it will. Other times, we have a theme we want to discuss, and we look for a text that will evoke that theme.
Partners
- Bishop Garry Tyson
- Rabbi Daniel Weiner
- Rev. Carl Livingston
- Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum
- Rev. James Reese
- Rev. Dr. Linda Smith
- Rabbi Rachel Kort
- Rabbi James Mirel
- Rev. George Nobel
- Rev. Steve Baber
- Rabbi Ruth Zlotnick
- Dr. Mark Jones
- Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum
- Rabbi Zari Weiss
- Bishop Garry Tyson
- Rabbi Daniel Weiner
- Rev. Carl Livingston
- Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum
- Rev. James Reese
- Rev. Dr. Linda Smith
- Rabbi Rachel Kort
- Rabbi James Mirel
- Rev. George Nobel
- Rev. Steve Baber
- Rabbi Ruth Zlotnick
- Dr. Mark Jones
- Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum
- Rabbi Zari Weiss
Sample Program
Genesis 49, The Joseph Story
The Teaching
Joseph has been unfairly accused and thrown into an Egyptian prison. While there he successfully interprets the dream of Pharaoh’s chief wine steward as meaning that Pharoah will soon release him and restore him to his old job. The wine steward had been imprisoned for displeasing Pharoah. Joseph says to the wine steward: “When you get out, don’t forget me.” But, when the wine steward gets out, he does forget Joseph. The question for discussion is: why does the wine steward forget Joseph?
The Discussion
When the wine steward gets out of prison and goes back to his old job, he is free, but he is still vulnerable. He has been traumatized by the prison experience. He does not want to remind himself of that experience by thinking about Joseph. That will just bring back painful memories. Furthermore, he does not want to remind Pharoah that he once displeased him and threw him into prison. That memory might incline Pharoah to imprison him again. So, to the outside world, the wine steward looks successful and powerful. But, inside, he is full of fear.
We then asked the question: “How does this story apply to Blacks and Jews?" Here is what people said:
Both Blacks and Jews who escaped the ghetto did not always want to be associated with their old community. It brought back painful memories. And, they were afraid that if people associated them with those communities, they would not be accepted into American society. They may have looked successful to the outside world, but inside they still thought of themselves as living in the ghetto.
Even more poignantly, in different ways, both Blacks and Jews felt left behind by one another. Blacks felt that Jewish enthusiasm for the Civil Rights Movement faded as they became more successful. Jews left the neighborhoods and the schools they once shared with Blacks. From a Black perspective, the Jewish community stopped paying attention to the Black struggle for equality. The Jews in our group said that we may have looked successful on the outside, but we were still traumatized, fearful and vulnerable on the inside. One rabbi said: "A Black colleague recently said to me, 'We understand. You made it to the popular kids’ table. Who wouldn’t want to be there?'” The rabbi responded: "Yes, but two things can happen when one teen leaves the 'unpopular' group and 'moves up.' He could stop associating with his old friends for fear that he will be rejected as they are. But they might also reject him, feeling that he no longer shared their burden. Many Jews feel that they were kicked out of the “oppressed peoples club” by their Black friends when they became successful. They continued to identify with their Black friends, but their Black friends did not reciprocate. They saw the Jewish community as part of the very group that was rejecting them."
The Commentary
This was a powerful discussion. To admit feeling ‘left behind’ requires a lot of courage and trust. It was liberating for both the Black and Jewish members of the group to tell their story and express their feelings of hurt and rejection openly without fear of judgment. There is no ‘right or wrong’ in these discussions. Simply understanding each other better brings us closer to reconciliation.
Upcoming Events
My experience with the Seattle Black-Jewish Bible Study Group has profoundly expanded my existing efforts, providing an opportunity to built authentic relationships that spur candid conversations about the issues of our times when just such a dialogue is needed most.
I have found great joy in the Blacks and Jews Building Beloved Community project through participation in discussion groups and Bible studies. Two years ago I participated in the first Bible study, which transitioned to a "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" program. The new program was designed to help build relationships between Black and Jewish communities over the long term and the person I was paired with has become a dear friend. We have met consistently once a week for the past two year and the experience has been transformational in my learning more about the Jewish culture and her learning more about the Black culture. We have supported each other through the various traumatic experiences of racism and antisemitism over the past few years. We have also celebrated with each other through joyful life transitions and accomplishments of aspirational goals. Through my service on the advisory board, I have the opportunity to share my vision on how we can create more experiences for Blacks and Jews to Build Beloved Community.