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."

The dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. challenges America, and ourselves, to face even subtle racist inclinations. He also led a movement that transformed the beliefs of millions. Our children are so removed from this magic moment in American history. Our challenge, as Jewish parents, is to make this history relevant.

The pursuit of justice and peace is a fundamental theme in Jewish text and law. In Genesis we are taught that men and women are created in God's image. The Exodus story of the freeing of the Israelite slaves has been an inspiration for all oppressed peoples. In Deuteronomy (16:20) we are commanded, "Justice, justice shall you pursue." Coming from a long history of persecution and discrimination and a tradition that emphasizes human dignity, Jews understood the work of Dr. King and rallied behind him.

Now many of us live in suburbs that lack racial diversity. If we send our children to day schools, it is likely that they may never have friends of different races and religions. As the Jewish community struggles to give our youth more and better Jewish educational experiences, we must beware of the danger of over insulating our children from the richness of the American racial tapestry.

Here are some ideas to help you live Dr. King's dream as a family:

1. Volunteer. Dr. King's birthday is not only a time to rededicate ourselves to his dream of equality and justice, but could also be a day for volunteering. As a family, choose a location for volunteering where your children will see for themselves how much work still needs to be done to accomplish Dr. King's dream.
2. Talk about racism. Your children have no doubt heard racist or anti-Semitic remarks or jokes or have encountered instances of prejudice and discrimination over the past year. Ask them about what they have seen and heard and role-play situations to help them combat stereotyping and prejudice.
3. Participate at school. Does your child's school have a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday? Are your children involved as participants or organizers? Encourage them to assume leadership positions and attend those activities.
4. Demonstrate. Take your children out of school on any days throughout the year when there are demonstrations about issues you care about passionately. Just as it is a religious obligation not to attend school on certain Jewish holidays, our tradition also mandates involving ourselves in important social issues as a religious obligation.
5. Drive the extra mile. If your children take ballet classes or participate in sports, make an effort to enroll them in leagues that involve children of different backgrounds.
6. MLK challah. Prepare a braided, multicolor challah, made with pumpernickel, whole wheat and white flour strands. Crumble some matzah into the dough to symbolize the struggle for freedom and justice.

There are precious few examples of black-Jewish collaboration today. This means that if we do not teach the history of the civil rights movement, our children will lack any models of coalition building between blacks and Jews. Dr. King—and now his widow and children—are black leaders who support Israel, condemn anti-Semitism and reach out to Jews as traditional partners in repairing the world. The civil rights movement inspired a generation of American Jews. It has the power to inspire the next generation as well.