Jewish Federation and Culture Changing Christians Announce Jewish-Black Partnership

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Members of New Golden Age, the Black-Jewish alliance organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and Culture Changing Christians, visited the Pennsylvania State Capitol in November. (Courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia)

On Oct. 9, two days after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, Pastor Carl Day led a prayer at a rally with more than 1,000 Jews in attendance at the Kaiserman JCC in Wynnewood. Day, the pastor at Culture Changing Christians in Philadelphia, posted a picture from the event on his Instagram. He got backlash for it. He didn’t care.

Day stood with the Jewish community again when there was a resolution before the Philadelphia City Council to condemn Hamas.

It is that commitment to solidarity that will form the basis for New Golden Age, a new partnership between the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Jewish Community Relations Council and Culture Changing Christians. The Black-Jewish alliance will focus on “combating hate, enhancing security and strengthening the local community’s social safety net,” according to a news release. New Golden Age is a reference to the Black-Jewish alliance during the Civil Rights Movement.


First, people involved with JCRC and Day’s church will meet and get to know each other, according to Jason Holtzman, JCRC’s director. Then they will focus on advocacy in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and perhaps Washington, D.C. They also will make like Day and stand with each other during outbreaks of antisemitism and racism.

“The New Golden Age alliance’s ultimate mission is to cement the Black and Jewish communities’ relationship as neighbors, working to provide for our neighbors what we wish for ourselves,” Holtzman said. “Together, we know that we can make a meaningful impact for both of our communities.”

“History has shown that when united, we have accomplished a lot together,” Day added. “This alliance will help strengthen Black-Jewish relations and to build a foundation of open dialogue and understanding between us.”

The partnership has already started. On Nov. 14, representatives from both groups visited Harrisburg to meet with elected officials, including leaders of the Black-Jewish Caucus, to discuss “funding for violence prevention groups, hate crime legislation and increased support for economic advancement for underprivileged groups,” according to the news release.

Holtzman also said the group would visit Philadelphia City Council members to discuss legislation “that would make Philadelphia safer.” That could include safety checks and training for gun ownership and more money for groups that deal with community violence.

“We definitely want to be specific in our advocacy,” Day said. “We’re talking to our group about things they would like to see.”

A future joint advocacy trip to Washington, D.C. may involve more than just meetings with lawmakers, according to the news release. It could also allow the communities to learn about each other through visits to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.

In general, the partnership will focus on three “priority areas,” according to the news release.

The first is “Rebuilding the Bridge to Beat Bigotry.” “The JCRC and Culture Changing Christians will work towards rebuilding and repairing the symbolic bridge built by the Black and Jewish communities, reminiscent of the one crossed in Selma (during the Civil Rights Movement), for both communities to stand united against racism and antisemitism and commit to working together to combat these hatreds,” the release said.

The second is “Enhancing Security and Violence Prevention.” “In 2023, violence has surged to alarming levels, and hate crimes, gun violence and attacks on synagogues, churches and other religious institutions have gravely impacted the local community. United, the Black and Jewish communities will confront this escalating violence and work to ensure the safety of all Philadelphians,” it said.

And the third is “Amplifying the Social Safety Net in Greater Philadelphia.” “To ensure that communities have the support and resources needed to thrive, the New Golden Age will also focus its efforts on building communities with access to safe living and food, quality senior services and equitable employment and entrepreneurial opportunities,” the release said.

To launch those initiatives, the groups will “meet monthly to engage in thought-provoking discussions, guided by the wisdom of Pirkei Avot 1:14, ‘If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And, if not now, when?’ These conversations will explore critical subjects, including Jewish and Black history, modern-day racism, the persistence of antisemitism and the daily struggles that these communities face today.”

Alliance activities may include trips to Israel and Civil Rights Movement landmarks in the U.S., history tours focusing on Black and Jewish Philadelphia, Black-Jewish conferences modeled after the one held by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, a “freedom seder” and a clergy study incorporating texts from both faith traditions.

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