As reported by the New York Times, African-Americans and Orthodox Jews have had a history of disagreements. Black Jews usually fly low on the radar; up until a few days ago, when Yoseph Robinson, a Jamaican-born Orthodox Jew, was killed at his job at a kosher liquor store.
This brought attention to black Orthodox Jews in America. Although blacks are not the majority of Jews in America, they are rising in numbers. Some say they are proud to be both black and Jewish, when others believe their Judaism takes away from their ethnic roots. A young Orthodox Jew named Yochanan Reid said,"Where do I live? I live where the Jews live. I speak the language that the Jews speak. You eat kosher food because you are a Jew. You dress a certain way. I am also black, but how does that define me? I am a Jew first."
I believe Reid was right. His religion defined who he was and what he stands for, not his ethnicity. He was "a Jew first", meaning his soul is that of a Jew, his color came later and in no way effected his beliefs.
I had no idea blacks and Orthodox Jews had troubles. As time goes on and inter-racial families form, the distance between blacks and Jews won't be so large.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/28/nyregion/28blackjews.html
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