Tamar sparkles with energy in everything she says and does - and that's a lot. She is fighting on many fronts since the road to equality is still long - not only in America, but also in the Jewish community.
Although she is deeply steeped in the Jewish faith and tirelessly engages in grassroots work with her project MASK (Mothers Against Senseless Killings), she nevertheless encounters reservations and racism. Ashkenazi communities still struggle to recognise African Americans.
Tamar Manasseh doesn't dwell on theoretical trench warfare for long however; she takes action. With her socio-cultural center in the middle of what is a crime hotspot, she provides spiritual guidance, education and solidarity in the community. And at the same time fights for her big dream: to become a rabbi.
Text: Rainer Mende
English: Peter Rickerby