By Barrett Holman Leak
SAN DIEGO — The weekend of February 21-23 was one to remember for me as an African American, as a Jewish American, as a woman. It was deeply rewarding to be affirmed on multiple levels by the teaching and preaching of Dumisani Washington, Pastor and CEO of Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel on the Stronger Together Weekend.
The Stronger Together weekend was a vision of mine that I enthusiastically brought to Devorah Marcus, Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El of San Diego in the summer of 2024. I felt he would be the perfect speaker for a Black-Jewish clergy breakfast that could begin the bridge building on the clerical level, which we need to successfully combat antisemitism and racism.
From there would be the continuation of the community bonds and education that I have been working on through my Jewish non-profit Playing Together Project. From my intuition to my strategic planning, I was correct. It was a powerful three days.
I am unapologetically Zionist, Jewish, African American and female. This past weekend Dumisani Washington laid out for Black and Jewish audiences the knowledge of what it means to be Zionist, the importance of being Zionist, Zionism in the Black Church (which means in the community) and how we are naturally called into beloved community.
Friday, February 21: Dumisani Washington, based out of Charlotte, North Carolina (formerly of Stockton, California) is the author of Zionism and the Black Church. On Friday morning, February 21, he spoke the truth to a historic first-time gathering of Black and Jewish clergy. He is a commanding speaker with a deep and far-reaching preaching voice.
Over a delicious breakfast he shared what he has witnessed in Israel and Africa and how Israelis, Africans, Jewish Americans and African Americans have a common enemy seeking to divide and then destroy us. My spirit was floating up to the ceiling as he inspired and motivated those who attended. The “amens” and “hallelujahs” kept firing off and each one lifted me higher.
I have been angered and worried about The Black Panther Party aligning with pro-Hamas folks like Students for Justice in Palestine – and proclaiming that they represent Black people in San Diego. As I have written before, they do not represent me, anyone Black whom I know, nor did they represent the Black pastors and professionals in the room at that breakfast or over the weekend.
That evening, at Hillel of San Diego at the San Diego State University (SDSU) campus, the fire burned bigger and brighter as Dumisani Washington brought the knowledge that over 100 students eagerly devoured about the deep roots of Zionism in the Black American community. I was sad to learn they did not know about the civil rights movement and how it came out of Black and Jewish collaboration. We have done ourselves and younger generations a great disservice – perhaps also endangered ourselves, by forgetting this history and not teaching it at home and in our schools. But I was excited to hear students asking questions and seeking more information from Dumisani Washington and from me. Several asked about volunteering with the Playing Together Project’s Jewish solidarity tent at the upcoming Juneteenth Freedom Festival. Jessica England, Associate Director of Hillel of San Diego at SDSU was blown away by the student response.
“This is incredible! This was the largest student turnout we’ve ever had for a Shabbat program!” England said.
Saturday, February 22: My joy ascended even higher as Black pastors reached out to me by telephone over the weekend, wanting to know how we could continue the work and start educating about the Black-Jewish alliance as well as revive it. The Havdalah and discussion with Dumisani Washington (accompanied by his piano playing and gospel singing!) at Temple Emanu-El left the crowd deeply feeding off the information about Israel, Africa and Black America. We even covered areas like DEI, campus antisemitism and again, the Zionist roots of African Americans. None of this was new to me, but Dumisani Washington elucidated it and helped shed more light on the bridgebuilding work of Playing Together Project.
Throughout the weekend, I could see and feel the pulsing heart of our community as Dumisani Washington laid out what I have known for decades as a journalist – the entire concept of “Palestinians” and “Palestine” was a Russian KGB fabrication. He spoke bluntly about how it was also designed to distract Black Americans and divide what was then an effective Black-Jewish alliance.
I found myself crying often over the weekend, tears of joy that is, because now it seems both the Black and Jewish communities here in San Diego understand that America in general and Black America in particular, have been sold a bill of goods (meaning intentionally deceived) : that the PLO/Palestinians is a civil rights organization. It is not.
There is no way a student Ku Klux Klan club would be allowed on campus. So why is SJP all over American college and university campuses? We need lawfare against this and Dumisani Washington affirmed that this weekend to unanimous support
Sunday, February 23. My love for my tribe, the Jewish community in San Diego, encompasses the House of Israel, which gave us the time and space to discuss the film Shared Legacies and the Black-Jewish alliance even further.
It is important to understand history enough to know that we must go forward from here, said Dumisani Washington.
“Nobody said anything,” Dumisani Washington said, referring to the creation of SJP on campuses in 2006.
I knew we are poised for success when someone asked Dumisani Washington at the StandWithUs Herzl Dinner in Carlsbad what we should be doing from here.
I knew what the answer would be and Dumisani Washington voiced it. Yes! We need to educate about the Black-Jewish alliance and use it to be stronger together… as we fight in the classroom and the courtroom against antisemitism and racism. Again, there was thunderous applause.
The weekend ended at the close of the Herzl Dinner with powerful connections made and strategic moves planned to more effectively fight this hard battle against antisemitism. I could feel and see that the San Diego Jewish community realized now that it could reach out to the Black community and collaborate to achieve a common goal.
Admittedly, I was afraid before the weekend began about how it would be received, but I am courageous and I will walk on fire if it will get me to my goal – especially a righteous goal. It is my hope that those who understood the goal of Playing Together Project in creating this “Stronger Together” scholar-in-residence weekend with Dumisani Washington, will join me in working towards educating and litigating when possible. We are handling the education piece at Playing Together Project through the Black-Jewish Shabbat dinners, and the Jewish solidarity tent (which is essentially a portable museum of the Black-Jewish alliance and civil rights movement.)
I am tired and will sleep after such a great weekend but it will be a peaceful sleep because we are already planning the facilitation of workshops and presentations in schools, organizations and at conferences.
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Barrett Holman Leak is the founder of the Playing Together Project, bringing together members of the Black and Jewish communities. She also is a freelance writer whose articles appear in San Diego Jewish World among other publications.
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