- When I was growing up, I only thought of race in terms of Black and white.

It wasn't until much later when I learned about antisemitism that I realized Blacks and Jews face common enemies.

But when we stand together, we are a formidable force.

- The relationship between African Americans and Jews in the United States, it's not a simple story and it cannot be a simple story.

- It's got a really long history.

- When these two communities get together and they synergize creatively or politically, they're a juggernaut and they can't be stopped.

- Jewish people have always been some of the first outside of the culture itself to embrace Black music.

- A white Jewish producer and the greatest Black jazz singer of all time.

Why can't the world be like this?

(crowd shouting) - Rabbi has told he might not live, because they're killing folk in Selma.

- I think the civil rights movement healed our souls after Nazi Germany.

- There was a very visible Black-Jewish alliance during the civil rights movement.

- That relationship accomplished incredible things.

- But I don't wanna romanticize the alliance because it wasn't an untroubled relationship.

- We want Black power.

- There is a profound sense of the Jews are the haves, the Blacks are the have-nots.

- Nothing has separated the Jewish and the Black community more than this issue of affirmative action.

- It's dangerous to make it all the same.

We're not the same.

We come from different histories.

- I don't consider myself white and when I once told our class that they laughed in my face.

They were you laughed in my face.

- I did.

- Blacks and Jews in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn clashed, inflamed by the death of a young boy.

- The old alliance between Blacks and Jews is that in jeopardy now?

Very much so.

We must not allow the relationship between Jews and African Americans to suffer.

- The whole purpose of this meal is to let you know we are Jews too.

- [Reporter] In Charlottesville violent protests broke out at what was supposed to be a white nationalist rally.

- When you see Charlottesville, you see that most people that are antisemites are also racist.

(crowd chanting indistinctly) - When everything blew up on campus, I wasn't sure about how I would navigate the conversation.

- We have to find a way to listen to all the ranker, even when it makes us uncomfortable.

- It's dangerous 'cause it's a really hard time to talk about either Black people or Jewish people.

It's just become fraught in so many ways.

But anything that's dangerous is worthwhile.

(dramatic music)