Shared Dreams: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Jewish CommunityThis book is much more than a discussion of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Jews. It is an attempt to show how Jews and African Americans worked together in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Where they differed in perspectives, which Jews were most active, how southern and northern Jews differed from one another, and how, after King's death, African Americans became more radical in pursuit of their goals are the major focal points. Schneier is remarkably straightforward and honest in his assessments as he retells well-known events. Unfortunately, he is less subtle and nuanced in his description of the relationships between King and many northern Jews, where an extraordinarily complex relationship existed. King depended on the financial support of Jews and Jewish organizations, and this meant that both his public utterances and private conversations had to be tailored to the needs of backers (Jews) and followers (African Americans and many other Americans).Most Jews favored civil rights, but Reform and unaffiliated Jews predominated as activists in the public sphere. Northern Jewish community relations organizations had agendas that differed significantly from their counterparts in the South. Southern Jews, especially in small communities, were frightened that they, too, would be victimized if they came out publicly with positions on civil rights that differed from those of their white Christian neighbors. Northern Jews had no such concerns; they did not fear adverse publicity for standing with others in the forefront of the civil rights movement. Thus sharp conflicts arose between southern Jews who feared for their lives in small towns and northern Jewish organizations that had a different agenda. Schneier is quite clear in explaining this.Despite the author's intent to show how much cooperation existed between African Americans and Jews, there is little record in the movement that shows how members of the two groups worked together. To be sure, their goals may have been similar, but when Jews and blacks got together Jews often took the lead; they felt that they had the savvy and know-how about how things should be done properly. Nothing seems to be said in this book, however, about Jews' patronization and arrogance. Nor is there much exploration of why blacks had no patience for Jews who claimed that they too had suffered and therefore could understand the plight of African Americans. …