Resources
Video Resources
Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
- From Compton to Jerusalem: Bishop Michael Fisher Leads Black Jewish Alliance Post BLM & October 7th
- Van Jones on Democracy, The Presidential Election & the Power of the Black Jewish Alliance
Event Resources
The Exodus Leadership Forum is an initiative founded by CNN political commentator Van Jones in partnership with the Dream Machine Innovation Lab.
Its primary mission is to revitalize the historic alliance between Black and Jewish communities by bringing together leaders from both backgrounds to share history, confront difficult truths, and build a collaborative future.
Official Links & Resources
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Main Project Site: EXODUS Over Dinner
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This is the central hub for their “Exodus Over Dinner” gatherings, where you can find information on their mission and how to get involved.
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Organization Profile: Dream Machine Innovation Lab
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Since the Forum is a project of Van Jones’ Dream Machine, this site often hosts updates on their broader social impact initiatives.
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Media Coverage: Jewish Insider – Exodus Leadership Forum Archives
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Useful for tracking recent delegations (such as their 2025 trip to Poland) and public events.
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Key Initiatives
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Exodus Over Dinner: Intimate gatherings designed to create a “sacred space” for transformative conversations between Black and Jewish leaders.
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Leadership Delegations: The forum organizes high-profile trips, such as the recent delegation to Poland for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, to foster shared understanding of historical trauma and resilience.
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Youth Engagement: Recent efforts have focused on partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to engage the next generation of leaders.
Books
Want to learn more about this subject? Here is a list of books to explore and share which includes suggestions from program producers, series contributors, and interviewees.
- Partners to History: Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph David Abernathy, and the Civil Rights Movement by Donzaleigh Abernathy
- Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights by Keisha N. Blain
- Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood by Donald Bogle
- Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging by Angela Buchdahl
- Fires in The Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith
- Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing the Alliance in the 1960s by Marc Dollinger
- Double Negative: The Black Image and Popular Culture by Racquel J. Gates
- If It Wasn’t for the Women: Black Women’s Experience and Womanist Culture in Church and Community by Cheryl Townsend Gilkes
- The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American History by Eric L. Goldstein
- Troubling the Waters: Black-Jewish Relations in the American Century by Cheryl Greenberg
- The Soul of Judaism: Jews of African Descent in America by Bruce D. Haynes
- Abraham Joshua Heschel: Essential Writings by Susannah Heschel
Broken Alliance: The Turbulent Times Between Blacks and Jews in America by Jonathan Kaufman - Blacks and Jews in America: An Invitation to Dialogue by Terrence L. Johnson & Jacques Berlinerblau
- Stokely: A Life by Peniel E. Joseph
- Jews and Blacks: A Dialogue on Race, Religion, and Culture in America by Michael Lerner and Cornel West
- A Right to Sing the Blues: African Americans, Jews, and American Popular Song by Jeffrey Melnick
- There Was a Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream by Ben Sidran and Howard S. Baker
- KosherSoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew by Michael Twitty
*Listed in alphabetical order by author
Resources derived from:
Gates, H. L., Jr. (Host). (2026). Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History [TV series]. McGee Media; Inkwell Media; WETA; PBS. https://www.pbs.org/show/black-and-jewish-america-an-interwoven-history/
PBS. (2026, February). Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History community engagement & discussion guide. http://blackjewishalliance831.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Black-and-Jewish-America-Discussion-Guide_FINAL-2.3.26.pdf