Today is .’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr birthday. For the nation and the world it serves as a reminder of the trans-formative efforts of one man which spawned a movement. Our nation, separated by race, was very reluctantly twisted, pulled and pushed in many directions leading to a new era which has yet to unfold.
Years ago I came across the attached picture and was immediately struck by its intensity and strength. It remains a very important powerful mental image. The White man (second from right) is Rabbi Dr. Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the foremost Jewish minds of the past 200 years. During very turbulent times, Dr. Heschel and other Jewish people contributed their energy to a movement that belonged to all people- a movement for Civil Rights.
Recently, the new movie ‘Selma’ was released. Already different Jewish voices from across the spectrum have complained about and championed the film. Those complaining, criticize ‘Selma” for not highlighting enough the Jewish contribution to the Civil Rights marches and other elements of the movement. Well-tendered-voices from the other side of the divide assert that while Jewish people certainly contributed to the metamorphosis of modern America, the Civil Rights movement was not a Jewish movement, but a movement primarily for those Blacks who had been systematically, collectively and wholly oppressed.
Respectfully, I disagree with both perspectives. Civil Rights were not owned by Whites or to be obtained by Blacks or shared by Jews or disseminated by those in power to the powerless. All humans deserve to be treated as humans. Our Jewish tradition loudly shouts this message through the description of the entire human race’s arising from Adam (and then again from Noah-post the flood). Twice Torah teaches that all people were and are personally created by G-d -in effect we all share a common origin!
As I consider Dr. King's famous speech, now nicknamed “ I have a dream”, I believe he would not see the movement as a Black movement, a White movement, a Christian movement or a movement wherein a small community of Jews held some or perhaps more disproportionate significance; rather it would be a human movement, an essential movement,a necessary movement,a just movement, the only proper and right movement, a movement of righteousness and a movement of vital concern to all people everywhere.
Today, I gaze upon this photo which I have attached for your attention and I've also attached a link to other photos. How can we best mark MLK day? By not seeking, with excessive pride to make Civil Rights something that Jews accomplished. By not closing off our ears to the needs of today simply because some Jews were active 50 years ago and other Jews were not. It is not enough to be proud of a well-respected rabbi who marched in Selma when the nation as a whole was sorely divided as to how treat all of the humans in its midst. We must do more to deserve this day, named in his honor. We must walk together.
Shalom,
Rabbi Steve Silberman
(P.S. The power of this photo comes from people of different backgrounds marching together in one direction and towards a common goal. Let us reflect upon a march which took place last week throughout France, wherein people of many different backgrounds joined together –hoping to open the minds of others to begin overcoming the harsh realities of religious intolerance.)
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