January 15, 1986, Portland Observer, Page 11
The Rev. M artin Luther King, Jr.
Synagogues urged to observe
Martin Luther King Sabbath,
Reaffirm Black-Jewish ties
“ I f you think I came to tell you
to hate white people,
you have the wrong man.
Our goal is not to defeat or humiliate
the white man,
but to win his friendship and love. ”
—The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Governor I'icAliyeh
Seventeen years ago, I clipped a newspaper story that quoted a number o f
Oregon grade-school pupils on their Christmastime prayers to God
Some o f the children were th a n kfu l fo r their blessings, one asked for a
doll, and another asked that his uncle not be hurt in Vietnam.
I was struck by the prayer o f a five-year-old boy named C lifto n C la rk,
who sard, "G o d , give me a good day—just a good d a y ." He was Black
Corncidently, the story appeared only a few months after the assassination
o f the Rev. M artin Luther King. Jr. in Memphis
I filed the item in my desk at the Capitol, and remembered it the other day
as I considered the new n a tio n a l h o lid a y , h o n o rin g K ing, w hich we w ill
celebrate on Jan. 20.
The civil rights struggle o f King and others, begun in earnest with a Mont
gomery, A L , bus boycott in 1955, was asking fo r exactly that: " a good day”
for Black people.
As we prepare fo r the first time to celebrate King's birthday, we have a
chance to give it the significance that some o f our holidays may have lost
I encourage Oregonians to observe the day in a way that reflects the goals
o f equal rights for each and every American.
That may mean attending a com m unity celebration that honors King's
life. O r reading something about King and talking about him at the dinner
table. O r flying the American flag outside your home or business.
Although slam at age 39, M artin Luther King. Jr left lessons enough for
all o f us.
Among them are lessons in seizing opportunities, in developing and using
our God-given skills to help hum anity, and in fighting inhum anity w ithout
resorting to violence.
A Baptist m inister in M o n tg o m e ry, K ing had been influenced by his
clergyman father and by Gandhi, who died while King was a college under
graduate. King was only 26 when he responded to the courage o f Rosa Parks, a
department store seamstress, who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery
bus to a white man.
Nor only were Blacks like Mrs Parks expected to give up then se a ls io
whites, but Mrs Parks also could not cal in the restaurant ol the department
store where she worked
Nor was discrimination unknown in Oregon
A successful bus boycott was organized in Montgomery, followed by mai
ches, freedom rides, and the violence against which King preached He received
the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35, little more than a century alter President I in
coin signed the (-mancipation Proclamation
King, who earned a Ph I) degree from Boston I Diversity, is remembered
by friends for writing many o f his speeches in long hand and memorizing them
Despite K in g 's ce le b rity , an O regon m inister w ho knew him gives
testimony to his h u m ility He says that one example was a tune when King
waited until last to board a 12 passenger commuter airplane, taking an uncom
lortable seat near the door o f the plane.
In conversations, he recalls. King often was a listener
But King was anything but passive in mobilizing the nation to pass laws
(such as the Givil Rights Act o f 1964 and the Voting Rights \ c t o l I96M and to
understand that injustice anywhere is a threat to our wav ol hie
King is perhaps best known lor his " I Have a Dream " speech, delivered in
the shadow ol the 1 mcoln Memorial to a massive rails in August 1 96 J.
" I have a dream ," said King, "th a t my lour little children w ill one day live
in a nation where they w ill not be judged by the color ol then skin but bv the
content o f their character.”
C lifto n C la rk, the young Oregonian featured in the article I clipped in
1968. is now 22.
He drives a school bus for the Portland Public Schools, but he savs Ins
dream is to get a good enough job that he can plan lor his future
On the King holiday, Clark savs, he hopes people w ill "sit down and think
about what he did and said "
I agree.
How we observe the day may vet a lone for how much we are willing Io do
to insure a "g ix x l d a y " lo r ( fregonians ol all backgrounds
lire A m e rica n Jewish H e ritage C o m m itte e (A J H C ) appealed to
synagogues throughout the nation to designate Jan 17 1« or Jan. 24 25 as
M artin I uther King Sabbath." and " to religiously celebrate Dr. King's birth
day, recall his legacy to his people and to all Americans, and re a ffirm Black-
Jewrsh relations."
Dr King's birthday
Ian 15, 1929 is now a national holiday, to be ob
served this seat on Jan 20 I he civil rights leader was slam in 196H
1 o encourage Jewish religious observance. Rabbi W illia m B e rko w itz,
national president ol the A JH C , has sent to some 3, (KX) Conservative, O r
thodox and R eform rabbis a sample sermon, program ideas, and suggested
pravers and responsive readings
I he materials include an array o f projects that synagogues can undertake
to help carry on Di King's w ork Among them aie Black Jewish dialogues,
pulpit exchanges with Black ministers, joint rallies on human rights (including
protests on behall ol Soviet lews and South African Blacks), and fund-raising
e llo rts lor the M a rtin I uther King I enter lo t Non violent S ix ia l A ctio n in
Atlanta, which is headed by Dr King's widow, C oretta Scott King.
Rabbi Berkowitz also asked the rabbis to consider holding study sessions
w ith other Jewish and Black leaders on such issues as the b ib lica l basis o f
human rights, social justice and the role ol the clergy, and the future o f Black-
lew ish relations
King— “a modern
Moses fo r his people. ”
D escribing D r. K ing as " a m odern Moses fo r his p e o p le ," R abbi
B erkow itz said the c ivil rights leader " d id not view Ins struggle as a Black
struggle jx-r se, but as a human snuggle against all racism."
lo co n tm u e Dr K ing’s work. Rabbi Berkowitz called for a reaffirm ation
ol the relationship between Blacks and lews " I ar more unites our com m uni
ties than divides them ," he said.
"W e must also continue to involve our religious institutions and leaders in
the issues, I)r Berkowitz declared, "and we must all light racism and violence
on a |versonal level. He pointed out that Dr King "rejected the notion that
religion's role should be confined to the sanctuary," and said that Dr. K in g ’s
hie demonstrated the witness that an individual can make by taking on moral
responsibility."
I he A J IH president noted that Dr. King "believed that violence in the
pursuit ol lus goals was both wrong and ineffective He also realized that the
achievement o l human rights were de|x-ndenl on a rev/iuva a change hi a l
titudes and actions and not just in legislation." Rabbi Berkowitz added:
"H e recognized that the final goal was to bring an end to fear, prejudice
and irrationality the barriers to true integration."
I lie Am erican Jewish Heritage t om m ittee is com m itted to b u ild in g a
more moral sixiety. Its headquarters are hi New York
I
Dr. Martin Luther King Day is declared in Israel
In recognition o f the first
celebration o f the new American
federal holiday honoring Dr Martin
Luther King, Jr., Israel's President
Chaim Herzog has declared Jan. 20,
1986 to be Dr. M artin Luther King,
Jr. Day in Israel.
Dr. M a rtin Luther King, Jr. has
long been admired in Israel for his
courageous leadership o f the civil
rights movement in the United States,
his frequently demonstrated friend
ship for the Jewish people, Zionism,
and the State o f Israel, and his
eloquent rejection of anti semitism in
all its forms. His tragic assassination
in 1968 caused deep anguish among
all Israelis. Only ten days before his
untimely death. Dr. King declared:
/ sex* Israel, and never mind saying
II. as one o f the great outposts o f
democracy in the world, and a m ar
velous example o f what can be done,
how desert land almost can be trans
formed into an oasis o f brotherhood
and democracy. Peace f o r Israel
means security and that security must
be a reality.
In tribute to D r. M a rtin Luther
King, Jr., a special memorial forest
bearing his name was planted in 1976
in the Galilee, near Nazareth, it now
consists o f over 10,000 trees and is
growing
constantly
as
both
Americans and Israelis plant ad
ditional trees in his memory
On D r. M a rlin Luther King, Jr.
Day. Israel's highest political body,
the Knesset, will hold in his honor a
special afternoon session, which will
be opened by the Speaker o f the
Knesset and w ill be followed by a
reception in the Knesset’s Chagall
Hall. Participating will be the Presi
dent o f the Stale, membets o f the
Government o f Israel and the
Knesset, key Israeli public figures,
American diplomats, representatives
from the general diplom atic com
munity, and representatives of every
American organization with offices in
Israel.
Schools and universities in Israel
are expected to commemorate the day
with special programs which will pay
tribute to Dr. M artin Luther King's
bfe and works.
Other activities are also being plan
ned, including the naming o l a street
for Dr. King in Jerusalem and a cere
mony at the Dr M artin I uther King,
Jr. M em orial Forest. A ll events w ill
be open to the Isra e li and in te r
national media.
In advance o f Israel's own celebra
tions o f Dr. King's birthday, the I rn
bassy o f Israel — together w ith the
M a rtin L u th e r K in g , Jr Federal
H o lid a y C o m m is s io n , the Jewish
N a tio n a l F und, the In te rn a tio n a l
Association o f O fficial Human Rights
Agencies, and the A m e rica Israel
F rie n d sh ip League— w ill host a
special com m emoration in Washing
ton on Jan 15. I eading figures from
the Black, Jewish, and general com
mutinies w ill be invited to participate
rh is w ill be the second consecutive
year in which such an embassy event
w ill be held In the first one held last
January, several hundred prominent
Americans joined with Israeli citizens
to honor Dr King.
In h o n o rin g D r M a rtin 1 uther
K in g , Jr
a great A m erican and
great h u m a n ita ria n leader in the
struggle fo r human d ig n ity Israel
w ill be jo in in g the U nited States in
keeping his message alive.
I still have a dream today that one day the industries
o f Appalachia will be revitalized, and the empty
stomachs o f Mississippi will be filled, and brotherhood
will be more than a few words at the end o f a prayer, but
rather the first order o f business on every legislative
agenda.
Martin Luther King, Jr. — 1968
Help Keep the Dream Alive
Come share with us in this event.
Singing
Talks
Excerpts from famous
"I Have a Dream" speech
Birthday Cake will be served
January 19, 3:00 p.m.
Greater Solid Rock C O G IC
1705 N.E. Dekum Street
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
Guest Speaker
The staff of the
Margaret Carter
Representative
B randel's Foods, Inc.
Serving the community as Alameda Food* • Killingsworth Fooda
2416 N .E . Fremont* 1616 N .E . Killingsworth