Dear Black Jews

This message is for those Black Jews who came in from the secular world and into Judaism and found racism and left.

Coming to Judaism from the secular world, is like jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.  That can be a bad thing.  But it can also be a good thing.  Let me explain.

It can be a bad thing, of course, because that is not what we are looking for.  In our quest for truth, it seemed -- at least from the outside -- that Judaism offered the absolute truth, the straight, no chaser truth, deep knowledge and pious people all concerned only with performing mitzvoth and beautifying those mitzvoth.  But then we get the rude awakening; some of those very same people who looked so gorgeous from the outside, aren't so nice up close and personal.  It was all marketing.  Up close and personal, they find your skin loathful, something they must distance themselves from.  Their very holy books disparage black skin, so how can they, the people who read and learn from those books not do otherwise?  And there you have it.  A whole society based on books and teachings that slander black skin and there you are in the middle of it all.  Bad thing.

It can also be a good thing.  If you are a Black Jew that came from the outside, from the secular world, then that means you jumped through many hoops to get to where you are.  That means you observed the secular world and saw how harsh it was, how cruel it could be, and took action for yourself in the hopes of finding better.  And you did find better!  You jumped from the frying pan and straight into the fire.  Straight into the source for many of the racism that is going around.  The idea that Black people should be slaves, the idea that they are inferior, etc.  All of this can be backed up with midrashim. 

But here's the kicker.  The fact that you made it this far means that you are a fighter.  A tired one, but a fighter nonetheless.  The Matrix's red-pill taker.  Now you have the noble task of learning and growing in Judaism and becoming a talmid chacham, or your children becoming such talmidei chachamim that you can mitigate this ugly judgement that many so happily place upon Black folks.  You can come up with -- after you are well versed and learned -- droshim of your own, divinely inspired responsas, and mitigate the judgement that some Jews have placed on Black folks.  Sure, most would probably not accept it.  But once it's out into the world, they will have to recon with it and it will already be a powerful voice in shamayim in defense of Black people the world over.

You didn't ask for this fight.  But Hashem picked you.  Only be strong and courageous like Yehoshua ben Nun.  Study Torah incessantly.  Make it your friend.  The whole reason for the galut/exile is to bring in converts.  The whole reason that there are converts is so that they bring new things, fresh thoughts, new blood to Judaism. Of course, the born Jews won't be too happy about it.  But this is Hashem's plan.  Many of the apparent gatekeepers may not be happy with your convictions and may not even invite you to their homes.  but did you come for the gefilte fish or did you come for Hashem?

There is a reason why so many Africans are interested in Judaism, but yet very few are let in.  There is a reason why some Black Americans feel drawn to Judaism, but yet are not welcomed or once welcomed, are mistreated to the point that they walk right out.  Two reasons actually.  Erev Rav and old man Yatzer Hara.

Something is trying to be born.  Judaism is trying to give birth.  But the midwives want to kill the child before it's even born.  A yin-yang balance is trying to happen in the Jewish world.  As the Jews begin to embrace how beautiful blue eyes are on their babies, as they admire blond Jews, as they embrace the idea that maybe they can be accepted now into whiteness, Hashem brings the balance.  The Black Jew.  The strength, the steadfast, the solid black man and woman, well known for their spirituality, their honesty, their cool confidence (which could give way to strong emunah), and their blackness (uh-oh!) to keep the peyot in a spiral, keep the curls, keep the boxwood skin tone spoken of by Ishmael in the Talmud.

Erev Rav
However, the Erev Rav are busy massaging the Jewish people to sleep.  The last thing they want is Woke Black folks turning things up.  Black folks?  Those people who like to keep things real?  Keep things 100?  They'll ruin the jig! Not what the Erev Rav wants.  But the Jewish people need you more than you realize.  More than you need them. 

Yatzer Hara
The Yatzer Hara encourages them to follow the Erev Rav to sleep.  How long they have wanted Esav to love them.  To embrace them.  Some of them, of course.  This unrequited love affair has been danced for years only to culminate in the tragic holocaust.  The yatzer hara again is lulling the Jewish people to sleep again with the idea that if they team up with other countries -- land grabbing countries, then everyone will understand that they, Israel, is not like them - not a land grabber, but a tribal people who is reclaiming their land from foreign occupation.  The yatzer hara encourages that they push for western values in the name of acceptance by the Western world, the very place that packages and distributes global white supremacy (which even disparages Jews).

So you see, you've come to the right place if you were fed up with the cruelties of the world, fed up with its harshness, its racism, etc.  You have arrived at it's very doorstep.  Are you seriously going to turn away and not make a dent? After coming so far?