0
    • Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads
    0 0
    Download high-resolution image

    Jews and Blacks

    A Dialogue on Race, Religion, and Culture in America

    Author Michael Lerner, Cornel West
    Paperback
    $27.00 US
    Penguin Adult HC/TR | Plume
    On sale Feb 01, 1996 | 304 Pages | 9780452275911
    Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

    "Credible and important."—Kirkus Reviews

    Examining the issues that have united Blacks and Jews in the past and now separate them, two long-time friends and leading intellectuals try to restore the special relationship between the two groups in a hard-hitting and worthwhile exchange.

    Can Jews and Blacks be friends and allies once again? It's neither easy nor impossible, say Michael Lerner and Cornel West, in a dialogue that looks at the most pressing problems of contemporary America through the prism of the relationship between their two communities. In a dialogue that is always respectful, though sometimes marked by tension, they help each other understand their different ways of looking at the world. Avoiding easy outs and quick fixes, they explore such subjects as Louis Farrakhan, Zionism, the economic inequalities between Jewish and Black communities, crime, and affirmative action.

    Both powerful public intellectuals, Lerner and West take on some of the most demanding problems of our time, in a sophisticated but extremely accessible way. They conclude with a plan for healing the rifts that have developed. But in a deeper sense, it is their dialogue itself that is healing. A model for both the Black and Jewish communities, this book suggests that healing and transformation are possible, and that hope can triumph over cynicism and despair.

    With a new epilogue on the O.J. Simpson verdict and the Million Man March.

    Introduction-CW
    Introduction-ML

    CHAPTER 1
    Personal Dimensions
    CHAPTER 2
    Past Oppression
    CHAPTER 3
    Cultural Identity and Whiteness
    CHAPTER 4
    The Civil Rights Movement
    CHAPTER 5
    Black Nationalism
    CHAPTER 6
    Jewish Nationalism
    CHAPTER 7
    Jewish Racism and Black Anti-Semitism
    CHAPTER 8
    Economic Conflicts
    CHAPTER 9
    Current Tension Points: Crown Heights and Farrakhan
    CHAPTER 10
    Shared Crises of Leadership
    CHAPTER 11
    Strategies for Reconciliation and Healing
    CONCLUSION
    Grounds for Hope
    EPILOGUE
    A Post-O.J., Post-Million Man March Update

    Rabbi Michael Lerner is the author of the national bestseller The Left Hand of God: Taking Our Country Back from the Religious Right. He is the editor of Tikkun, one of the most respected intellectual/cultural magazines in the Jewish world, and rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue in Berkeley, CA. View titles by Michael Lerner
    Cornel West has been Professor of Religion and Director of African American Studies at Princeton University since 1988. Recently he was appointed Professor of African American Studies and the Philosophy of Religion at Harvard University. He is the author of many books, including Keeping Faith, Prophetic Fragments, and, with bell hooks, Breaking Bread. View titles by Cornel West
    "Credible and important."—Kirkus Reviews

    “An instructive introduction to the territory…. Their ultimate proposal: a campaign of ‘healing and repair in both communities,’ aimed at fighting both anti-Semitism and racism. An ambitious agenda, given that, as they note, there are currently few links between Jewish and black progressives.”—Publishers Weekly

    “This dialogue between two old friends—both consummate thinkers—explores the passion and pain of a dying relationship.”—Booklist

    About

    "Credible and important."—Kirkus Reviews

    Examining the issues that have united Blacks and Jews in the past and now separate them, two long-time friends and leading intellectuals try to restore the special relationship between the two groups in a hard-hitting and worthwhile exchange.

    Can Jews and Blacks be friends and allies once again? It's neither easy nor impossible, say Michael Lerner and Cornel West, in a dialogue that looks at the most pressing problems of contemporary America through the prism of the relationship between their two communities. In a dialogue that is always respectful, though sometimes marked by tension, they help each other understand their different ways of looking at the world. Avoiding easy outs and quick fixes, they explore such subjects as Louis Farrakhan, Zionism, the economic inequalities between Jewish and Black communities, crime, and affirmative action.

    Both powerful public intellectuals, Lerner and West take on some of the most demanding problems of our time, in a sophisticated but extremely accessible way. They conclude with a plan for healing the rifts that have developed. But in a deeper sense, it is their dialogue itself that is healing. A model for both the Black and Jewish communities, this book suggests that healing and transformation are possible, and that hope can triumph over cynicism and despair.

    With a new epilogue on the O.J. Simpson verdict and the Million Man March.

    Table of Contents

    Introduction-CW
    Introduction-ML

    CHAPTER 1
    Personal Dimensions
    CHAPTER 2
    Past Oppression
    CHAPTER 3
    Cultural Identity and Whiteness
    CHAPTER 4
    The Civil Rights Movement
    CHAPTER 5
    Black Nationalism
    CHAPTER 6
    Jewish Nationalism
    CHAPTER 7
    Jewish Racism and Black Anti-Semitism
    CHAPTER 8
    Economic Conflicts
    CHAPTER 9
    Current Tension Points: Crown Heights and Farrakhan
    CHAPTER 10
    Shared Crises of Leadership
    CHAPTER 11
    Strategies for Reconciliation and Healing
    CONCLUSION
    Grounds for Hope
    EPILOGUE
    A Post-O.J., Post-Million Man March Update

    Author

    Rabbi Michael Lerner is the author of the national bestseller The Left Hand of God: Taking Our Country Back from the Religious Right. He is the editor of Tikkun, one of the most respected intellectual/cultural magazines in the Jewish world, and rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue in Berkeley, CA. View titles by Michael Lerner
    Cornel West has been Professor of Religion and Director of African American Studies at Princeton University since 1988. Recently he was appointed Professor of African American Studies and the Philosophy of Religion at Harvard University. He is the author of many books, including Keeping Faith, Prophetic Fragments, and, with bell hooks, Breaking Bread. View titles by Cornel West

    Praise

    "Credible and important."—Kirkus Reviews

    “An instructive introduction to the territory…. Their ultimate proposal: a campaign of ‘healing and repair in both communities,’ aimed at fighting both anti-Semitism and racism. An ambitious agenda, given that, as they note, there are currently few links between Jewish and black progressives.”—Publishers Weekly

    “This dialogue between two old friends—both consummate thinkers—explores the passion and pain of a dying relationship.”—Booklist

    Other Books by this Author

    Related Articles

    Books for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Book Covers: Cowboys and East Indians 9798217006892 Advocate 9781984862495 THE EMPEROR OF GLADNESS 9780593831878 IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI 9781603095747
    General

    Books for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

    Each May, we honor the stories, histories, and cultures of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Below is a selection of acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books by AANHPI creators to share with your students this month and throughout the year. Find our full collection of titles for Higher Education here.

    Read more

    Books for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

    General
    Subscribe

    Penguin Random House Higher Education

    © 2026 Penguin Random House

    Back to Top
    0
    Wish List (0)