1. His Black–Jewish advocacy predates October 7

At the UJA-Federation of New York’s Wall Street Dinner on December 5, 2022, Jones began his keynote address with the following statement:

“I apologize for the silence of my community.”

In the talk, he addressed the concern regarding the failure of prominent Black voices to respond forcefully enough to rising antisemitism. His particular concern was the lack of a response after Kanye West’s statements praising Hitler and attacking Jews. Jones promised that “the silence is over” and a stronger Black response to anti-Jewish hatred would be furthered. He then devoted much of the speech to the historic Black–Jewish civil-rights alliance. He spoke about his Jewish godmother, Dorothy “Dottie” Zellner, who had been active in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He also praised the role Jewish activists played in the fight against Jim Crow. He argued that Black and Jewish Americans helped shape American democracy as they stood together in support of one another through some of the country’s most difficult moments.

This speech matters because it was delivered 10 months before October 7, 2023. His concern for Black–Jewish relations was therefore not merely a reaction to the Gaza war.

2. He founded the EXODUS Leadership Forum

Jones founded the EXODUS Leadership Forum, an organization specifically intended to renew the historic alliance among Black, Jewish, and Black-Jewish leaders, combat antisemitism and racism, reduce polarization and strengthen democratic cooperation. Its “EXODUS Over Dinner” program brings members of the communities together for structured conversations about history, prejudice, Israel and other difficult issues.

By January 2026, those dinners were taking place in multiple cities. Jones told the Forward that EXODUS expected to host more than 300 dinners in 2026 together with local organizations. The dinners gave participants an opportunity to share their personal experiences. This, of course, is a key ingredient........

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