Martin Luther King Day – third Monday in January

Make Martin Luther King Day More Meaningful

Produced by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

“I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land.”
—Rev.Martin Luther King, Jr. (Noble Prize Acceptance Speech)

Martin Luther King Day is a time to build a more just and equal society within the larger community. The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism has a comprehensive Martin Luther King Day Resource Guide, including interfaith dialogues, websites and resources, a selection of writings and speeches (including “I Have a Dream”), and a tribute to Dr. King, plus Building Relationships: A Social Justice Program Guide for National Holidays (PDF 161.02 KB) that features a section on MLK Day.

Symphony of Brotherhood

In her recently released video, “Symphony of Brotherhood,” Miri Ben Ari takes us back to August 28, 1963 and combines the enchantment of her hip hop violin with the power of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. BabagaNewz.com is pleased to make Miri’s intoxicating tribute to the slain civil rights leader available.

Living Dr. King’s Dream, Jewishly

By YOSEF I. ABRAMOWITZ

In a society that equates heroism with physical strength, the non-violent legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. is an opportunity to teach our children important Jewish values. “Who is mighty?” our rabbis ask and then provide two counter-intuitive answers: A hero is “one who can conquer his or her own evil inclinations” and “one who can transform an enemy into a friend.”

Letter by Founder of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Rabbi Robert J. Marx

The JCUA was two years old in 1966 and Rabbi Marx was serving as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations’s midwest director. The piece details what he saw with King in Chicago’s Gage Park and why he, as a Jew, a rabbi, and as a human felt compelled to join the marches—putting his reputation and his personal safety on the line.

Jews and Civil Rights

Free lance writer, Doug Chandler, writes about the role Jews played in the civil rights movement 40 years ago.

Being Pursued: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Maimonides

By RABBI PHIL MILLER

A righteous scholar should be a nerdaf, one who is pursued, rather than being a pursuer. We must side with the underclass, the marginalized, the castoffs, and the pursued, even if it means that we too will be pursued.

Why Jews Should Invest Communally in Low-Income Non-Jewish Communities

By ABIGAIL WEINBERG

Community development financial institutions are essentially modern day Hebrew free loan societies. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., were he Rabbi King, would have taught that Jews’ identity and survival is inextricably bound to the destiny of all.

Quotes from Dr. King

(with special thanks to the Jewish Coalition for Service and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston.)

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. A true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life.”

“All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. He told us that whatever affects one directly, affects all directly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…This is the interrelated structure of reality.”

“Everybody can be great. Because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” (February 14, 1968)

A Tree Grows in Israel:
Replanting a Forest in Honor of Coretta Scott King

African Americans and Jews joined together to dedicate the replanting of a section of a forest in northern Galilee, destroyed by Hezbollah rockets during last summer’s war, in memory of Coretta Scott King. Speakers praised King as a social activist, proponent of equality, and friend to Israel. “We are continuing a legacy of repairing damages of war [2 million trees were destroyed in the Biriya Forest] and keeping alive the hope for peace,” said Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor, who was joined by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Reforestation is derived from the Jewish belief in tikkun olam—repairing the world. The Jewish National Fund is collecting donations for the Coretta Scott King Forest, which will hold at least 10,000 trees.

Planting Trees to Honor the Kings

Given that Tu B’Shvat follows directly on the heels of Martin Luther King Day, it is appropriate to pay homage to MLK and his wife Coretta Scott King, both of whom were distinguished human rights activists, by planting trees in their honor. A section of the Biriya Forest in northern Israel, which sustained extensive damage from Katyusha rocket fire that destroyed 2 million trees, is being replanted as the Coretta Scott King Forest. You can help rebuild Israel’s northern forest and carry on Coretta Scott King’s commitment to social justice. “Martin dedicated his life to the goals of peace and unity among all peoples, “Mrs. King once said, “and perhaps nowhere in the world is there a greater appreciation of the desirability and necessity of peace than in Israel.” The Jewish National Fund has also planted a forest in memory of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.