JTA — Passover may still be months away, but PBS is seating a diverse set of Jews down for a Seder this week — casting the communal storytelling meal as an ideal entry point for exploring the complicated history of Black-Jewish relations in the United States.

The meal can be seen in “Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History,” which begins airing on Tuesday evening, and it features a diverse set of Jews — including many who are Black — discussing the role that the Exodus story plays in both Black and Jewish traditions.

The conversation does not avoid difficult topics that challenge the conventional wisdom that having gained freedom from slavery represents a clear parallel for Jews and Black Americans.

“Something that I often think about during Passover is every year we commemorate our freedom as Jews,” says Nate Looney, director of community safety and belonging at the Jewish Federations of North America, in a clip shared exclusively with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “But as Black Americans, we’re often told to ‘get over slavery,’ and ‘forget about it.’”

The four-episode docuseries explores the........

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