Aligning for Shared Justice: UNCF Unity Dinner Connects Black and Jewish Students in Pittsburgh during NFL Draft
As the NFL Draft brought energy and excitement to Pittsburgh, another powerful gathering took place in the city: A Unity Dinner, with student-athletes from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and students from Hillels at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), part of UNCF’s Tikkun Olam initiative, which fosters meaningful relationships between Black, Jewish and Black and Jewish students at HBCUs and PWIs.
The Tikkun Olam initiative is a collaboration between UNCF, Hillel International and Blue Square Alliance Against Hate (formerly the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism), which donated $1 million in 2024 to support the program. “Tikkun olam”, a phrase in Hebrew that means repairing the world, is a Jewish concept of responsibility to transform and address systemic issues and promote social justice.
The Unity Dinner in Pittsburgh centered on connection, allyship and shared histories among these communities. Students from Pennsylvania State University Hillel, Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon attended. Two students who participated in the Unity Dinner—Yishai Selig, from Penn State, and Maxwell Jones, from Carnegie Mellon—announced the Seattle Seahawks’ 2026 NFL sixth round draft pick.
Dr. Yolanda Page, president of UNCF-member institution Stillman College, represented UNCF and moderated the conversation among Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL; Governor of PA Josh Shapiro; and Robert Kraft, founder and CEO of the Kraft Group, founder of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and majority owner of the New England Patriots.
The evening featured a fireside chat between Kraft, Gov. Shapiro and Charles Batch, former Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion, highlighting what is possible when we come together to build bridges and stand united against antisemitism and hate.
At UNCF Unity Dinners, students from HBCUs and Hillels engage in dialogue and learn about the historical and contemporary challenges faced by both communities. By confronting legacies of hate and discrimination, Unity Dinner participants explore narratives of resilience, advocacy and the intertwined struggles for justice. Dr. John Eaves, a Black and Jewish American and former chairman of Fulton County, GA, is the UNCF program director of the Tikkun Olam initiative.
On the same day, nearly 700 miles away, UNCF held a second Unity Dinner at The Temple in Atlanta, GA, the oldest synagogue in the city. Before the dinner, a “Black and Jewish America Fireside Chat” took place between Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF, and Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., also known as “Skip,” Alphonse Fletcher University professor and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Dr. Lomax and Dr. Gates, Jr. explored the deep and evolving relationship between Black and Jewish Americans, shared histories, cultural connections and opportunities for continued partnership and progress.
For more coverage from the event, view articles in The Washington Post, on WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR news station and on the Steelers’ website. Steelers Now also shared a video from the event.