Editor's Letter

Blacks And Jews

M

ost Jews in the diaspora and Israel don't have a
clue what propels black evangelical Christians who
are pro-Zionist. One motivating influence is the
biblically colored prism through which they view the Jewish
state and Holy Land. Historical facts also play a role.
A resonant leader among Bible-inspired black Christians
in America is Pastor Glenn Plummer
of Ambassadors for Christ Church
in Redford and a leader in the
International Fellowship of Christians
and Jews. The Bible of choice for evan-
gelical preachers, he says, is the Old
Testament — the Tanach, the Hebrew
Bible.
It's as a biblically rooted American
that Pastor Plummer nurtures his
connection to Israel. The enslave-
ment of Jews by Egypt and blacks by
Westerners also link the two peoples.
So does Israel's rescue and resettlement of thousands of black
Jews from Ethiopia.
Former Detroiter Moshe Dann, now a Jerusalem journalist,
perceptively captures Plummer's appeal: "Standing against a
growing tidal wave of anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli sentiment
throughout the world, including the black community, many
of whom have become Muslims or have become infected with
Jew hatred, Pastor Plummer's voice of support
for Israel is a clarion of courage and integrity"
Jews should eagerly embrace Pastor Plummer
and shed any remaining residue from pre-Civil
Rights Act America. As Dann asserts, Pastor
Plummer has "tremendous importance as a
bridge between Jews and blacks and for his
expression of moral clarity — namely that sup-
port for Israel is an existential issue'

solely on support for Israel.
Black and Jews have other needs. We must elevate the ways
we mentor and assist each other. What's good for each group
is good for Detroit, as a city and as a metro area — the most
segregated in the nation.

Intertwined Fate
Blacks and Jews face common enemies, be they a nation
(Iran), a faith (radical Islam) or a terrorist network
(Hezbollah). All favor indoctrination and control over civil
liberties and equality
In 1967, as Jews died in the civil rights struggle, Rabbi
Joachim Prinz, then head of the Conference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish Organizations, urged "all responsible
Negro leadership" to condemn "the tragic crime of Negro
anti-Semitism' Jews have since condemned racial inequality
and provided opportunities for the disenfranchised. But the
Jewish community can do more to help broaden multicultural
interaction and acceptance.
Moreover, blacks and Jews must guard against stereotyping
or diminishing one another. The Jewish Community Council,
Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee
as well as our synagogues are among the local Jewish groups
working to improve black-Jewish relations. An example of
successful organized outreach is the African American/Jewish
Clergy Alliance that's part of the Council's Detroit Jewish
Initiative. It has sent rabbis and ministers to
Senegal and Israel and united them against
genocide in Darfur.
I applaud Pastor Plummer for being Israel's
ambassador of good will to black America.
Detroit Jewry can reciprocate through expanded
support of important black causes.
Meanwhile, Jew haters and anti-Zionists like
Louis Farrakhan must be rebuked. Jews must
marginalize him as quickly as Pastor Plummer
Coming Of Age
does. Farrakhan and his ilk relish converting
Pastor Plummer, 51, is founder of the
willing black Muslims to a radicalized form of
Plymouth-based Fellowship of Israel and Black
Islam. In August 2005, the Detroit City Council
America. He rocketed to prominence among
Pastor Plum mer
inexplicably bestowed a Spirit of Love award on
Jews last summer at the Jewish Federation of
the Nation of Islam leader and Detroit Mayor
Metropolitan Detroit-sponsored rally for Israel
Kwame Kilpatrick gave him a key to the city.
in its two-front war against Arab aggressors. He electrified the Beware: Farrakhan is slated to speak at Ford Field in Detroit
crowd by speaking about the durability of black-Jewish ties:
on Feb. 25 at the Nation of Islam's Saviours Day program.
"We must acknowledge that a whole lot of Christians and a
Israel faces growing isolation among world powers and
whole lot of blacks in this country are not silent and we shall
denouncements from the United Nations and European
not be silent: We shall stand with American Jewry and we
Union. Muslim and terrorist leaders threaten its destruction.
shall stand with Israel, and we will not be silent!"
Even a former U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, has joined the
Pastor Plummer's stirring expressions of hope and oppor-
chorus of Israel bashers.
tunity allow him to walk in the footprints of Dr. Martin
Tell our black friends who stand with Israel how deeply you
Luther King Jr. No wonder so many Jews flock to his sermons
welcome their robust allegiance.
at local synagogues and interfaith services. There's depth to
his charisma.
Pastor Plummer will speak at 7:30 p.m. services on Friday, Jan. 26,
In the euphoria of blacks and Jews coming together to cel-
at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township.
ebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, however, the two
groups are in no position to revel. There's too much grass-
roots work left to bridge the great divide left at the doorstep
Do you have an interest in black
of the civil rights battles of the 1960s when Jews marched
7 1 friendships or black causes?
I—
with Dr. King.
Z
Working with Pastor Plummer — with Israel a springboard
—
Are you inspired by Pastor Plummer's
0
for renewed black-Jewish relationships — is a positive step.
0. O. call to support Israel?
But the Jewish community can't let those relationships hinge

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January 25 • 2007

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