Episode 71: How to Rekindle spaces for difficult conversations with Matthew Fieldman

I wanted to share a conversation with Matt Fieldman, executive director of Rekindle, that proves sometimes the most powerful movements start with one simple observation: our communities should stop working in parallel and start working in partnership.Matt's career has been a winding road through Jewish communal work—from leading Hillel services at University of Florida to volunteering in Israel, working for Federation in Cleveland and the Joint Distribution Committee in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2020, standing on a Cleveland street corner watching the Jewish and Black communities run separate voter registration drives on opposite sides of the street, he had an epiphany: with so few resources and volunteer hours, we could be exponentially more effective working together.That observation became Rekindle, a space for Black and Jewish communities to build genuine relationships through difficult conversations. Starting with just his friends around a restaurant table, Rekindle now runs in 20 cities with over 400 alumni nationally and three full-time staff. Participants don't just walk away with good feelings. They start internship programs for Black youth at their businesses, join literacy programs, and invite each other to Shabbat tables and church services. Matt's lesson? Sometimes being a follower is just as important as being a leader, and there's a deep human need for connection that transcends our differences. When Black and Jewish folks ally, we become extremely powerful in fighting for democracy and civil rights.