The Black-Jew Dialogues

In celebration of the upcoming Black History month and in keeping with our traditions of exploring and discovering cultural freedoms and expressions, Hart House is pleased to host an evening of performance and discussion. Told through a series of comedic sketches, The Black-Jew Dialogues features Larry Jay Tish and Ron Jones as they take the audience on a hysterical and poignant ride through a discussion of their own experiences, the history of their people, and why there has been a growing rift between the two groups since the early 70's. Through their stories the audience gains insight to the true nature of prejudice and how our inability to face our own biases separates us in ways that we may not even think about.

In the words of the artists: "Our great hope in writing the show was to use it as a catalyst to reunite our cultures. The black and Jewish communities in America share a history of pain, oppression, pride, and a deep commitment to civil rights and justice. In the past several decades our communities have slowly drifted apart." Both the performers and the piece are distinctly American, but through the discussion and shared experiences from the students at U of T it will be contextualized to a truly Canadian experience. This event is made possible through enormous cross-campus collaboration from several different groups. We are proud to say that U of T students are leading the charge in creating and producing events such as this to break down stereotypes and open up cultural conversations that can often be difficult.  "We are excited to bring in The Black-Jew Dialogues project because of its ability to discuss sensitive topics in a creative way, which helps open them up for discussion. This project allows us take the lessons of the Black and Jewish history in America and apply them to a broader experience of prejudice and racism in a diverse society. The ultimate goal is to continue the conversations and strengthen the ties within our culturally diverse university." - Tamar Berger: Special Projects Coordinator, Hillel of Greater Toronto.

Following this extraordinary two-actor play on the history and absurdity of prejudice will be a discussion with the performers and creators of the piece led and faciliated by Kevin Lunianga the Political Director of the Black Students Association with opening remarks by Dr. Njoki Wane, Special Advisor on Status of Women Issues at the Status of Women Office, Director of the Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies at OISE, Director of the Centre for Teaching Learning and Support at OISE, Professor in Sociology & Equity Studies in Education at OISE.

"The Black-Jew Dialogues were an eye opening, and jaw dropping experience at Bryant University. Ron and Larry were hilarious, yet got their point across when it came to more serious matters. Not only did I learn something new in a fun way, I also took away lessons that can be applied to not only Black-Jewish relations, but to race relations as a whole. I highly recommend this hilarious trunk show for your school." - Bryant University, Multicultural Student Union, President '08-'09

"The conversation created the opportunity for discussions on race and racial issues in our school community that we had not been able to do on our own." - Principal, Northampton High School

When: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 7:30pm
Where: Arbor Room, Hart House
Cost: FREE! (no advance tickets)

Please note: Sammy's Student Exchange will be open during the event and offers a limited menu and a licensed bar.