Movement for Black Lives Platform and Jewish Response

This reading list was used in an Understanding Race group meeting to discuss the Movement for Black Lives platform and the Jewish responses.

To prepare, participants read:

1. The Invest-Divest section of the BLM platform, especially the part that pertains to Israel and BDS.
2. The paper by Yotan Marom, “Toward the Next Jewish Rebellion: Facing Anti-Semitism and Assimilation in the Movement” (https://medium.com/@YotamMarom/toward-the-next-jewish-rebellion-bed5082c52fc#.qar9hivba).

Additional readings included:

1. Other sections of the BLM platform to familiarize ourselves with the tenor of the work.
2. Any of the following articles recommended by Toba, Louise and Alan:

• How Studying the Talmud Helped me Understand Racism in America (The Forward)
• The Jewish Activist Behind the Black Lives Matter Platform (Haaretz)
• Stop Being so Arrogant, White Jews (The Forward)
• What it Meant to Attend the Jews of Color National Convening
• A Wounded Friend: A Rabbinic Response (Huff Post)
• Black Lives Matter Should Change “Genocide” Language (+972)
• JCRC Statement (JCRC)
• The Left and the Jews (Fathom)
• Is There Still a Jewish Question? (Tablet)
• T’ruah Statement on The Movement for Black Lives Platform(T’ruah)
• Black Churches in Missouri Condemn Black Lives Matter Over ‘Apartheid Israel’ Platform(Haaretz)
• J Street Blog: On the Movement for Black Lives (J Street)
• Pro-Israel Groups Smear the Movement for Black Lives for its Solidarity With Palestine (Alternet)