Alliance of Black Jews

The Alliance of Black Jews was an American organization that was started in Chicago, Illinois, in 1995 by a group of African American Jews. At the time, they estimated black Jews in the United States to number about 200,000, or about three percent of the American Jewish population. The figure, which included Black Hebrew Israelites not generally recognized as Jews by mainstream Judaism as well as black Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and Reconstructionist Jews by birth or conversion, was based in part on the 1990 Jewish Population Study, which gave figures ranging from 135,000 to 260,000, depending on the definition of a Jew.

The individuals involved in forming the organization included Robin Washington, Michelle Stein-Evers, and Rabbi Capers C. Funnye Jr.. [cite web |url=http://www.ortamerica.org/site/DocServer/Summer_1995.pdf?docID=921 |title=Black Jews: Changing the Face of American Jewry |accessdate=2008-03-16 |author=Miriam Rinn |date=Summer 1995 |format=PDF |work=The Reporter | publisher=Women's American ORT |pages=pp. 11-13 ]

The organization is no longer operational.

ee also

*American Jews
*Black Hebrew Israelites
*Jews and Judaism in the African diaspora

References

*cite web |url=http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/8426/ |title=Organization for black Jews claims 200,000 in U.S. |accessdate=2008-03-16 |author=Michael Gelbwasser |date=April 10, 1998 |work=j.
*cite web |url=http://www.ortamerica.org/site/DocServer/Summer_1995.pdf?docID=921 |title=Black Jews: Changing the Face of American Jewry |accessdate=2008-03-16 |author=Miriam Rinn |date=Summer 1995 |format=PDF |work=The Reporter | publisher=Women's American ORT |pages=pp. 11-13