Blacks and Jews: A review of major issues

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 2,0, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Amerikanistik am Fachbereich für Angewandte Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft), course: Kulturwissenschaftliches Hauptseminar: Is America Black? Race, Ethnicity and Translation, language: English, abstract: Why does a seminar titled 'Is America Black?' hold a discussion on the topic of Black-Jewish relations in America and not on Black-Hispanic or Black-Puerto Rican relations? What is so special about Black-Jewish relations? Do they really have a shared experience? What influences Black anti-Semitism? What sparks Jewish racism? Paul Berman published a book entitled Blacks and Jews: alliances and arguments in 1994 containing a collection of essays which try to find an answer to the above questions. The question whether there is a shared historical experience of Blacks and Jews or not seems to be the most vital one in this context. It has been intensely debated and has either intensified or worsened Black-Jewish relations depending on the answer to that question. This fact makes it necessary to take a look at the history of Blacks and Jews and draw comparisons to see whether there really is a shared experience or not and how it has influenced Black-Jewish relations. Jews are convinced that they have much in common with Blacks and Blacks feel that they have nothing in common with Jews. Both are right and wrong. (Lester 165)