Abstract
Explores the role of religious and cultural space in the formation, maintenance and dissolution of relationships between Blacks and Jews in Boston by examining the transfer of Temple Mishkan Tefila, a Conservative Jewish Synagogue, to Elma Ina Lewis, a Black Arts educator for the purposes of transforming it into an arts school in 1968. This research was based on archival findings, and made use of collections held at the American Jewish Historical Society in Boston, MA and the Elma Ina Lewis Papers at Northeastern University. It demonstrates how space can serve as a site of integration and contestation. Additionally, this study considers the role of gender and how it shaped relationships between Blacks and Jews, particularly the actions of Elma Lewis and her engagement with the leaders of the Jewish community during this time.