Dr. Lewis Gordon, former director of the Center for Afro-Jewish Studies at Temple University, will give a talk about the complexities of identity for Americans of African descent who identify as Jews.
The Center for Afro-Jewish Studies at Temple University is a research and learning institution dedicated to scholarship on Afro-Jewish peoples and developing awareness of the historical, political, religious, and philosophical issues that arise from the convergence of the African and Jewish diasporas. These issues include the study of Black Jewish religious practices; the role of Black Jews in the fight against anti-black racism and anti-Semitism; the demography of Black Jews; the archaeological and historical study of Afro-Hebrew people in antiquity, the Middle Ages, and early Modern ages; the development of resources for the study of Afro-Jewish people; the cultural diversity of Afro-Jewish people; the political plight of Afro-Jews; the unique problems faced by the Israelite and related New World Afro-Jewish communities; and the invisibility of secular Afro-Jews. The Center for Afro-Jewish Studies will also aim to offer the largest archive of materials on Afro-Jews worldwide for any one interested in their study.
