'We're better together': How Black and Jewish communities are building historic bonds

The meeting ran a little longer than anticipated, and even after it ended, many participants lingered in the conference room at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

They asked after one another's families and talked about a welcome rise in temperatures after a snowfall and several cold days. Jason Holtzman, director of the federation's Jewish Community Relations Council, offered sandwiches and cookies from the catered lunch for people to take home. Carl Day, pastor of Culture Changing Christians and a Black community organizer, offered goodbye hugs and handshakes.

No one seemed to be in a hurry to leave, and that was the point: Jewish and Christian, white and Black people were talking, laughing and enjoying one another's company after a session sharing their hopes, concerns and thoughts on how to make Philadelphia − and the world − better.

On a whiteboard, they'd written some very ambitious goals and brainstormed ideas: "violence prevention" and "anti-racism," along with "amplify Black voices," "support affordable housing for POC (people of color)" and "push for investment back into the community."

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