using a customized 
Haggadah written for 
the occasion. Each of 
the 28 participants 
read a section while 
sitting at a long 
dining room table. 
Gov. Whitmer recited 
“First They Came” 
by German Pastor 
Martin Niemöller, the anti-
apathy poem displayed at 
Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. 
Others read selections from 
Harriet Tubman and Martin 
Luther King Jr., along with 
traditional seder standards 
of prayers, texts and songs, 
including “Go Down 
Moses,” and an enthusiastic 
rendition of “Dayenu,” led 
by Hazzan Daniel Gross of 
Adat Shalom.
I was proud to represent 
JCRC/AJC as a board 
member, as well as the 
Coalition Series, an effort 
that I co-organize to 
unite Black and/or Jewish 
Detroiters through a 
shared love of food, art and 
music. Our past event in 
March brought together 
75 participants, including 
retired Congresswoman 

Brenda Lawrence, for 
a “Passover Freedom 
Party” where we shared 
a kosher Shabbat meal, 
explored four introspective 
questions about freedom 
and co-liberation and 
danced the night away to 
the groovy sounds of DJ 
Bernan Bush. This program 
was made possible with 
generous support from The 
Coalition for Black and 
Jewish Unity, The Well and 
JCRC/AJC. 

The Coalition for Black and Jewish 

Unity’s mission is to speak out 

against bigotry and promote 

solidarity between Black and 

Jewish communities in Southeastern 

Michigan. For more information, 

follow “Coalition for Black and 

Jewish Unity” on Facebook.

Jacob Evan Smith is a board 

member of the Jewish Community 

Relations Council/AJC. 

ABOVE: Coalition for 
Black and Jewish Unity’s 
Mark Jacobs speaking 
with the governor.
RIGHT: Lt. Gov. Carlin 
Gilchrist reciting the 
Kiddush

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MAY 4 • 2023 | 31

