{Guest post by Lisa Rose}
In 1997, after years of education and training, I finally had my own classroom. On the first day of school, I looked out at my students. I really couldn’t tell one bald-headed black boy from the next. I had a horrifying thought: I am ignorant! How could I, a grandchild of a family who was slaughtered in the Holocaust, lack understanding of a minority? The answer is exposure.
This experience happened over 20 years ago, and since that time, I have taught in many schools where most of my students are African American. As a result, I have been immersed in both African American and Jewish communities and observe not only our differences but our similarities. Because of this immersion in both communities, I became intrigued by stories of Black and Jewish friendships. So, when I discovered the story about how -, I was not only interested—but excited. [Read more…]