Blacks & Jews

Blacks and Jews were once united at the barricades of social justice, but since the '60s both groups have turned inward and a formerly shared dialogue has been replaced by mutual blame and name calling. This film examines pressure points between the minorities, such as the 1991 unrest between Hasidic Jews and poor blacks in Brooklyn's Crown Heights, charges of Jewish real estate speculation and exploitation in Chicago's Lawndale section, and Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March. Compounding the tensions are old myths and stereotypes, such as the alleged Jewish control of Hollywood and the media. A joint effort of black and Jewish filmmakers, Blacks & Jews shows attempts on both sides to restore racial harmony and "increase the peace," and it's a worthy effort (though overlong and perhaps more ambitious than any one project can handle). Recommended for larger civil rights collections. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)