Van Jones cites Blacks, Jews for US democracy

American democracy owes its existence to the courage of Black and Jewish Americans, CNN commentator Van Jones told 500 guests at the American Friends of Magen David Adom gala on Oct. 27 in Cipriani Wall Street.

Jones, who received the organization’s Legacy of Unity award, noted that American Jews worked with Black leaders to found and support the NAACP and the National Urban League early in the 20th century.

“You would not have this thing you call American democracy if it were not for the courage of Blacks and Jews,” he said. “If you like American democracy, thank a Black. Thank a Jew.”

Jones warned about rising Jew-hatred and the danger of turning the Black and Jewish communities against each other.

“Jew-hatred is poison that’s being put into my community,” he said. “I’m trying to fight for my community, to not get tricked into turning against the only friend that we’ve ever had.”

After he began wearing a blue square pin to call attention to Jew-hatred, and a yellow ribbon for the Israeli hostages, people began approaching him with their own experiences of antisemitism, he said.

A mother told him that her daughter had changed her name on her Uber profile for fear of being identified as Jewish. A Jewish college student told him he was afraid to leave his dorm because of harassment. A rabbi told him about diverting communal funds from charitable programs to security.

Jones said he is most concerned about young people who are being swayed by messages that encourage hostility toward Israel and Jews.

“I’m not worried about Jews,” he said. “You survived everything. I’m worried about everybody else, who’s being tricked into attacking the most inspirational story in human history.”

Also honored was Aaron Dahan, founder of Caffè Aronne, whose Manhattan cafe became a gathering place for Jews and Zionists after the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

Dahan told JNS that he hung posters of Israeli hostages in the cafe’s windows after the attacks. Some employees objected, and a month later nearly his entire staff quit. That same day, customers lined up around the block to show support.

“It was very heartwarming,” he said. “It was a very, very special moment.”

The outpouring kept the business running. Customers waited in line for coffee, while volunteers and Israelis who had come to New York filled the staffing gaps, he said.

“Getting online and waiting for 30 minutes to buy a latte is a way to show support,” Dahan said. “The community is really what would allow us to stay open.”

One Israeli barista, whose apartment had been destroyed by a rocket, saw a newspaper story about the cafe while at John F. Kennedy International Airport. She took a taxi straight there, offered to work, and stayed on for 10 months, Dahan said.

He does not consider his own stand for Israel extraordinary.

“I don’t see a world where other people would not have acted the same way,” he said.

Asked what he would tell Jewish business owners who are afraid to show their support, Dahan acknowledged that it can be hard.

“Jewish people have seen scarier,” he said. “If you have the right message and you have the community behind you, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

The gala was hosted by actress and singer Tovah Feldshuh, who played Golda Meir in the one-woman Broadway show “Golda’s Balcony” and stars in the Netflix series “Nobody Wants This.”

“When there’s a terrorist attack, there’s a missile strike, there’s a car accident or there’s a medical emergency anywhere in Israel, it’s the men and the women of Magen David Adom who answer that call,” she told attendees.

“Israel is a miracle,” she said. “Magen David Adom is an organization that makes sure that miracle continues.”

Catherine Reed, CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom, told JNS that donations keep the organization ready for emergencies. Philanthropists help Magen David Adom train paramedics, maintain its ambulances and other vehicles, and sustain its blood supply, she said.

Magen David Adom operates what Reed described as the world’s only underground, shielded blood bank.

The organization also looks after the emotional and physical well-being of its paramedics and emergency medical technicians, who have faced traumatic scenes, particularly since Oct. 7, she said.

“We have to take care of the people who rush to the front line to save people,” Reed said. “They’re taking care of all of us. Without them, we wouldn’t have anyone.”

Magen David Adom treats patients regardless of religion or background, and its ambulance crews include Jews, Muslims and Christians.

“The commitment is we treat everyone who is in need of help,” Reed said.

She described the organization as a model of people from different backgrounds working toward a shared purpose.

“Magen David Adom is one of the best advertisements for the State of Israel,” she said. “It’s apolitical. We’re not part of the government, but we work with every government. We are every religion, every ethnic group, every gender.

“We have a really simple mission that binds everyone together. That is that we save lives.”