Jewish and Black Solidarity on Display on Juneteenth

By Barrett Holman Leak

SAN DIEGO — For the second year in a row, there was love, joy, education and Jewish solidarity June 15 at the annual Cooper Family Juneteenth Freedom Festival at San Diego’s Memorial Park.

Thanks to the contributions of time, money, energy and prayers of folks from the Playing Together Project (a Jewish non-profit organization), Temple Emanu-El, Temple Beth Shalom and Tifereth Israel, Lawrence Family JCC, ADL San Diego, and The Butterfly Project, we got it organized, supplied and staffed. Special thanks go out to Lawrence Family JCC, Matthew Brown and Fabienne Perlov (Regional Director) of ADL San Diego, Bruce Abrams from the ADL board, Lawrence and Bonnie Baron, Simone Abelsohn and Betzy Lynch (CEO) of Lawrence Family JCC.

It was only on June 17, 2021 that Juneteenth was made a federal American holiday. The COVID-19 pandemic kept celebration subdued but in 2023 people began exuberantly celebrating nationwide. Juneteenth (June 19) is the day in 1865 when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced to the more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans that they had been freed from formal slavery two years earlier via the Emancipation Proclamation.

I started the grassroots Jewish non-profit Playing Together Project in January 2023 to center African American Jews (I am one) and to unite Black and/or Jewish San Diegans over common interests. I know how powerful we were when we, the Jewish and Black communities, united for human rights, economic rights and civil rights in the United States of America. It grieves me that we fell apart.

But now I am one of many, including the members of the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations in Washington D.C. who want to reunite our communities. Playing Together has therefore been organizing Shabbat dinners in private homes where we have uncomfortable conversations between Black Jews, (white-appearing) Jews and Black Christians while breaking bread together.

We conduct Dessert & Dialogue events using materials developed by the Anti-Defamation League in Philadelphia. In June 2023, Jewish organizations gathered in a tent to stand in solidarity with San Diego’s Black community at the annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival.

We returned this year with an expanded tent. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria came by and was shown exhibits on the formation of the NAACP, the Jewish legacy in American civil rights, ADL programming, information from Lawrence Family JCC, Hadassah and the interactive QR codes enabling people to view videos and podcasts.

San Diego Councilwoman Vivian Moreno also viewed the exhibits and like the mayor,  took a photo with us. The Butterfly Project, which encourages people to paint ceramic butterflies in memory of each of the 1.5 million children murdered in the Holocaust, drew a lot of interest and questions.

There were twice as many people this year (about 10,000) and vendor/exhibitor tents (nearly 200).

Many in our Jewish community are afraid about being in non-Jewish spaces, and understandably so, since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent rise in antisemitism in the USA (and on San Diego area campuses).

However, at the festival, just as last year, it was peaceful and secure.  The Cooper Family Foundation runs a tight ship. They have visible security guards, undercover security and drones. They also sternly emphasize there will be no troublemaking.

Once again we used our powerful magnet at the front of the tent – a board with photographs of 34 Black Jews –  to help attract people to us. People were surprised and interested to learn about African American Jews like Lenny Kravitz, Lisa Bonet, Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Harry Belafonte’s three children (Gina, David and Shari), Quincy Jones’ two daughters (Rashida and Kidada), prolific author Walter Mosely, Rain Pryor and more. It sparked lots of conversation

The Lawrence Family JCC and ADL San Diego had informational tables that drew people who asked about the ADL’s “No Place for Hate” campaign, which is in schools.  They shared their thoughts and experiences of hate, racism, and antisemitism. People inquired about how their children could attend JCC camps and commented on the variety of programs at the JCC. Two women said they had gone to the Nissim Black concert at the JCC a few weeks ago.

We had interactive QR codes for videos and interviews with people like mogul Russell Simmons talking with Orthodox podcaster Berel Solomon. A volunteer from Tifereth Israel bought a copy of the new book Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew by Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tishby. A QR code enabled visitors to download the video. People came in a steady stream, asking questions about Jews and Israel as well. Some awkwardly asked questions about tropes they had heard and were open to education.

Once, a Nation of Islam member came up to our tent and blurted out “All Israel does is kill babies!” before running away. Another man came over with a Hamas flag on his hat and a keffiyeh around his neck and a t-shirt saying Israel “did 9/11 etc.” I stepped up to him, told him I am a Zionist and engaged him in conversation, asking him questions about his message and giving him facts about Israel and why the African American community should support Israel.

We discussed commonalities between African Americans and Jews and then what Jewish college students have had to endure. After a while she said he needed to go and “find his people.” I smiled and said “Be well. Happy Juneteenth.”

We invited visitors to our synagogues. Some discussed theology. Others were surprised to learn about African American Jews like Orthodox educator Yavilah McCoy, and hip hop artist/rapper Drake. We discussed the history and benefits of Black~Jewish solidarity.

It was a beautiful day with good music as well as stepping and African drumming! Children played in two staged areas. People had free lunches if desired. There were food trucks too.  There was a massive wall of history and education. There were hundreds of festival-goers dancing the Electric Slide, Lindy Hop and Wobble and we danced along at our tent near the main stage.

There was pride and joy in being Black and in our tent, pride and joy in also being Jewish and by our presence saying “we stand together.” I was one of two Black Jews staffing the tent and I know it was especially meaningful for us, with our feet comfortably in both communities.   It was a time of healing some of the rift between the African American and Jewish American communities.  I am so glad we were able to be there.

Now we are looking forward to 2025! If you want to help with planning, staffing or sponsoring, please send an email to playtogethersd@gmail.com

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