16 | NOVEMBER 14 • 2019 

T

he Congressional 
Caucus for Black and 
Jewish Relations held 
its kickoff reception on Capitol 
Hill in Washington D.C., 
last month, hosted by the 
American Jewish Committee 
and attended 
by a bipartisan 
team of leading 
lawmakers and 
supporters.
The group, 
the first Black 
and Jewish 
caucus in the 
U.S. Congress, is co-chaired 
by Rep. Brenda Lawrence, 
D-Mich., Rep. Debbie 
Wasserman-Shultz, D-Fla., 
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., Rep. 
Lee Zelden, R-N.Y., and Rep. 
Will Hurd, R-Texas. The cau-
cus seeks to raise awareness 
of each community’
s needs as 
well as to initiate measures to 
combat hate and stereotypes.
“White supremacy is 
alive and well,
” declared 
Wasserman-Shultz, warning 
the crowd that hate crimes 
against blacks and Jews have 
spiked in recent years and 
that the need for the caucus is 
imperative. 
Lawmakers spoke of 
the current disunity in 
Washington, D.C., but noted 
that support for the caucus is 
widespread and undisputed. 
The speakers recalled the 

historical roots of the two 
communities uniting during 
the civil rights movement. 
Rep. Elliot Engel said this cau-
cus “comes at a critical time, 
and it is incumbent on both of 
our communities to act now.
”
The full executive com-
mittee of the local Detroit 
group, the Coalition for Black 
and Jewish Unity, attended 
the event. The coalition, a 
partnership between the 
Jewish Community Relations 
Council/AJC and the Council 
of Baptist Pastors of Detroit 
and Vicinity, shares similar 
goals as the Congressional 
Caucus.
Coalition Executive Board 
member Hazzan Dan Gross, 
along with Dr. Pauline 
Plummer, an accomplished 
pastor and singer, capped 
off the evening by leading 
the group in an emotional, 
arm-clinging rendition of the 
civil rights ballad “We Shall 
Overcome.
”
In what was possibly a first 
on Capitol Hill, Gross sang 
the first verse of the song in 
Hebrew. It was an extraor-
dinarily moving and unfor-
gettable display of solidarity 
for two communities who 
now have re-committed to 
each other through this new 
Congressional Caucus. 

Mark Jacobs is co-director of the 
Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity.

Mark Jacobs
Contributing 
Writer

Jews in the D

Blacks & Jews Unite

COURTESY OF LINDA JACOBS

Congressional Caucus for Black and 
Jewish Relations held its kickoff event.

Local Coalition for 
Black and Jewish Unity 
Executive Committee 
members Hazzan Dan 
Gross, Mark Jacobs, 
Rabbi Marla Hornsten, 
Pastor Samuel Stephens, 
U.S. Reps. Brenda 
Lawrence and Andy 
Levin, Dr. Pauline 
Plummer and Executive 
Committee members Rev. 
Glenn Plummer and Rev. 
Kenneth Flowers

Registration:

November 
13 
- 
December 
20 
 
 

mitzvahdaydetroit201
9.
eventbrite.
com

Questions? 

Call 248-642-2649 or 
email slippitt@jfmd.
org

Wednesday 
December 
25

Together we will celebrate the 
strength of our community.

Participate in a 
volunteer service 
project of your 
choice at one of 
many locations 
in metro Detroit.

