Black-Jewish Unity Dinner Series Continues in Baltimore
The Black-Jewish Unity Dinner series is back 鈥 this time in Baltimore!
On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, about 50 students gathered in the J. Millard Tawes Center Ballroom at , one of the nation鈥檚 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), located in the heart of Baltimore. An opportunity to 鈥渂reak bread and build bridges,鈥 the dinner brought together Black, Jewish, and Black and Jewish students from multiple schools to highlight shared values, build new connections, and deepen understanding between communities.
鈥淏lack and Jewish communities have had a connection for a really long time, especially in the civil rights movement,鈥 said Abby, a Jewish student at Johns Hopkins University. 鈥淸And] both the Jewish students and the HBCU students I met tonight joined our respective institutions looking for a sense of belonging and we鈥檝e found that through our communities.鈥
This unity dinner was the latest in the Black-Jewish Unity Dinner series, organized by 精东影业 in partnership with the and (United Negro College Fund). These gatherings, now in their second year, connect Jewish students with students from HBCUs to build on the historic bonds between the Black and Jewish communities. The goal?
To create opportunities for a new generation of young leaders to connect, communicate, build relationships, and work together on the issues that matter to both communities.
Like the other dinners in the series, the evening鈥檚 program included both speakers and interactive activities. Dr. John Eaves, founder of BJLOT, emceed the event, and Dani Levine, senior director of social impact at 精东影业, facilitated an activity for students to use discussion cards to share their experiences and connect with one another on social, communal, and intellectual topics.
鈥淪tudents, you are center stage today,鈥 Dr. Eaves said. 鈥淵ou are the reason we鈥檙e here. We can hold complex identities and have complex conversations and reforge our historical communal ties.鈥
While students had many different reasons for signing up to attend the dinner, from wanting to learn more about other cultures to wanting to make new connections, the takeaways seemed universal: Our communities have a lot in common, and we need to stand together against those who would try to divide us.
鈥淲e鈥檙e actually really very similar,鈥 said Dasani, a student at . 鈥淓ven though we formed our connection during the civil rights movement, now we can use our voices to speak out for people and focus on our connections and similarities.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see young adults from other religions and cultures and connect to each other. We are the face of the future,鈥 she added.
In addition to conversations about racism, antisemitism, campus climates, and civil rights history, students were able to discuss their own perspectives on the issues that have made it harder to build relationships between Black and Jewish communities, and how they can work together to heal those connections.
鈥淢isinformation has pulled our two communities apart, and we want to fight that and bring each other together,鈥 said Gabrielle, a student at Morgan State.
Rabbi Josh Snyder, executive director at Goucher College Hillel, agreed. 鈥淲e can talk about why it鈥檚 important to join together to fight hate, but we have to be in relationship with each other,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t has to be about our relationships.鈥
Students, faculty, and administrators from seven institutions participated in the dinner, including , , , , , , and .
The Baltimore event was the seventh installment in the unity dinner series, which has engaged hundreds of students as of this spring. To invest in the ongoing connections and collaborations between Black and Jewish students, students who attended are eligible to receive up to $1,000 in microgrants to host a follow-up event of any kind, as long as it is organized by at least one Hillel-participating student and one HBCU student.
鈥淭o our students, we need your leadership right now. We need you to answer the call to fight for justice and community,鈥 said Dr. Jenkins. 鈥淏e the agents of change 鈥 even when it鈥檚 not easy.鈥
We鈥檙e excited to continue the series this spring with students from across the country. Learn more about past unity dinners.