Following the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas on Nova music festival concert-goers and Israeli residents, the Atlanta Jewish community was seeking allies. It took some prodding for schools and organizations to recognize how the news in Israel affected Atlanta residents.
Statistics from the Anti-Defamation League show a sharp increase in antisemitism, more than doubling in 2023 from the year prior. Locally, antisemitic acts have been displayed through multiple incidents at an Emory Village cookie shop, protests at Emory University, flyers, and demonstrations. In response, an Atlanta exurb passed a law banning threatening flyers and Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law defining antisemitism.
In the days after Oct. 7, Israel activist and author Noa Tishby – who reported through the night to get the news out about the attack – said the most important thing anyone could do was to check on their Jewish friends.
Tishby and sports analyst Emmanuel Acho are co-authors of “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew,” a new book that explores the experience of the Jewish people.
“Don’t just show that you care by a simple social media post, show that you care by genuinely showing up. Show up by breaking bread, by listening to pain, listening to hurt. Show that you care by having a conversation,” said Acho.
Acho will dive into uncomfortable conversations on Sunday, Aug. 18 in Atlanta with The Temple’s Rabbi Peter S. Berg and Ebenezer Church’s Rev. Dr. John H. Vaughn.
“Just as Black people are not a monolith, neither are Jewish people. Your experience is your expertise,” Acho writes in the intro. “I won’t necessarily agree with everything … but that’s not the point.”
Acho told Rough Draft that the safest way to bridge a gap between communities is to extend a hand – literally or verbally. Acho and Tishby wrote the book to dive into real spaces, not safe spaces, as she says in the introduction.
“I think there has been a lot of silence by so many individuals. Silence stems partly from ignorance and not knowing what to say,” Acho said. “I think to clear up both the ignorance and the indecision on what to say is by educating yourself, by talking to someone in the Jewish community.”
Acho believes it would benefit the Black and Jewish community if Black individuals went to Shabbat dinners on a Friday night with their Jewish friends, and if Jewish people joined their Black friends for church service and brunch.
The best way to bridge the current gap between Black Atlantans and Jewish Atlantans, which are not mutually exclusive communities, is “to show that you care.”
Known for its role in Atlanta race relations, The Temple was bombed by white supremacists on Oct. 12, 1958 when 50 sticks of dynamite exploded in the oldest, most prominent synagogue in Atlanta. The incident led to leaders of the Civil Rights movement joining the Atlanta Jewish community to fight together against bigotry.
Berg said bringing Acho to The Temple is a natural fit due to the history of the synagogue, its deep relationship with Civil Rights activism, and the fact that Acho’s book is “on every rabbi’s desk.”
“It models asking tough questions and answering them. That’s really the model that we think is so unique. If you want to get to know somebody and understand who they are and what’s important to them, you have to be able to ask tough questions and answer them,” Berg said.
Berg said he has a difficult conversation every day about antisemitism, whether it’s with a member of the community or a school administrator. He’s constantly trying to work through and navigate a difficult or complex situation.
“It’s all about relationships,” Berg said. “When I’m engaged in tough conversations because I’m in a relationship with somebody else and I feel comfortable asking those questions and hearing the answer no matter how uncomfortable it might be … That’s the secret sauce.”
Uncomfortable Conversations with Emmanuel Acho at The Temple on Sun., Aug. 18. Tickets are $18.