For the second year in a row Playing together, joined by other Jewish organizations in San Diego, participated in the Cooper Family Foundation's annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival in Memorial Park
It was great to have representation from Temple Emanu-El San Diego (which is where the Jewish solidarity tent originated last year in 2023), Matt Brown and Fabienne Perlov (Regional Director ADL San Diego), as well as board member Bruce Abrams. Temple Beth Shalom member Annick Salas, and Tifereth Israel member Miriam Reitman Ruchman and Playing Together Project founder and executive director, Barrett Holman Leak,
The Lawrence Family JCC generously sponsored our tent space and private donors also contributed to make the day possible.
Watching the drumline enter to open the festivities was heart-stirring. It was truly a family days as children played in playgrounds and activity areas designed especially for them. Food trucks stood nearly and if someone couldn't afford food from them, the Cooper Family Foundation maintained the tradition of providing a FREE sack lunch (hot dog, chips and soda) to everyone!
Nearly 150 vendors, non-profit organizations, politicians and political candidates were throughout Memorial Park from around the mainstage in the front to the backstage where more bands were playing and youth activities took place.
We were thrilled to have San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria stop by our tent to greet us.
and San Diego City Councilwoman Vivian Moreno!
Our tent this year was like 2023 - full of information about the Black and Jewish origins of the NAACP and all the people and milestone accomplishments both Blacks and Jews made by standing together into the 1970s. We also shared information on the formation of the ADL and the work it does today to educate about hate. Festival-goers could scan and download videos and articles about African American Jews, interviews on Black~Jewish relations (such as Russell Simmons' interview with Orthodox podcaster Berel Solomon). People could also browse the new book by African American sports analyst, former professional football player and author Emanuel Acho and Israeli activist, actress, model, producer, and writer Noa Tishby -- "Uncomfortable Conversations With a Jew"-- as well as scan and download the recent video in which they discuss their book. We gave out lots of love, unity and information.
The biggest attraction at our tent, which drew everyone who came by our space, was our board of Black Jews. Just as last year, people were amazed at how many people the did and did not know are (were, if deceased) African American Jews: Drake, Rashida Jones, Gina Belafonte, Tracey Ellis Ross, Daveed Diggs, Lenny Kravitz, Lisa Bonet, Zoe Kravitz, Lani Guinier, Rain Pryor, Lacey Schwartz Delgado, Walter Moseley and more!
The day was closed out with a rousing concert by the group Lakeside and they truly did take us on a fantastic musical journey as we sang and danced to some old school funk and then packed down our tent and went home. See you in 2025 in Memorial Park!!