Julius Lester and Jewish America

http://www.pbs.org/jewishamericans/

PBS had a show on the other night which I was watching a part of while on break at work. The documentary talks about this ethnic group and its religious roots in America. The story I found the most interesting was Julius Lester and the Poem of, "Hey there Jew Boy." There was a lot of ignorance and tension among the Blacks and the Jews at one time during his life where he lived over the usual, money/control/lifestyle. And the Blacks felt a bit betrayed as the Jews of all people were being prejudice when it came to jobs and the community. Since the long history of prejudice and crimes against the Jews, there was always a common bond among the two ethnic groups. Well Lester had a Poem that was read on the airwaves that spoke out against the Jews in anger, wishing the Jew was dead. What makes it an amazing story is that years later Lester would come to study the Jewish Religion and Convert. He would go on to teach and preach how ignorance and a person's lack of desire to learn and understand leads to anger and violence.

One of the things Lester said on the show that he liked about the Religion is that it "allowed him to question" himself and all things. Most religions dont allow you to question or think, there is just blind faith or however your spiritual leader wants to interpret the text and tell you what it means and how to act.