Jewish community honoring MLK’s legacy with virtual Shabbats, volunteer activities

South Florida’s Jewish community will celebrate and honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy throughout the holiday weekend of Jan. 15-18 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the local Jewish organizations honoring King’s legacy are synagogues which will host virtual MLK Shabbat services on the evening of Jan. 15.

Congregation Kol Tikvah’s Social Action Committee in Parkland will present its annual MLK Shabbat service at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. The service will include readings from King’s speeches.

The synagogue’s Cantor Malcolm Arnold said, “Musically, in addition to texts that encourage social action as a commandment rather than as a generously motivated act, we also include Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘You’ve got to be carefully taught,’ - a warning against profiling others that was years ahead of its time when the duo wrote it for their musical, ‘South Pacific.’”

“The loss of Dr. King was indeed a profound loss to mankind and his death was memorized in the 1960s song, ‘Abraham, Martin, and John,’ three leaders cut down in the prime of life,” Arnold continued.

Arnold added, “Finally, as Mi Chamocha’s melody often changes according to holiday nusach, I present a brilliant setting by Cantor Jonathan Comisar that sets the text to the special Torah trop of the ‘Song of the Sea’ [Shirat ha-Yam] as the piano accompaniment plays the melody of ‘We shall overcome.’”

“All together, these memorialize Dr. King, and more important, keep his messages alive,” he said.

Arnold said the service also includes a brief presentation by the chair of synagogue’s Social Action committee who reports on this past year’s accomplishments and announces some of the upcoming year’s plans.

Visit koltikvah.net for more information.

Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton will partner with Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Boca Raton to host an interfaith MLK Shabbat service at 7 p.m. on the synagogue’s YouTube channel.

The service will be lead by CBI’s spiritual leader Rabbi Robert Silvers, and Pastor Ronald Brown of the church. Both the synagogue and the church have been community partners for more than three decades.

“Just as in Judaism, where we reread every year the Torah to be inspired and never forget it’s lessons, so too do we need to commemorate each year Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,” Silvers said. “This 20th century prophet spent his life in pursuit of justice and righteousness -– as did our Jewish prophets.”

Silvers continued, “It is only fitting that we should observe this day year in and year out with our friends at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist church so that we too can continue to be inspired by his vision of a land where no man will be judged by the color of their skin, but rather by the content of their character.”

Other synagogues hosting virtual Shabbat services on the evening of Jan. 15 include Temple Beth El of Boca Raton at 7:30 p.m.,Temple Israel of Greater Miami at 7:30 p.m. and Temple Beth Am in Pinecrest at 6 p.m.

On the day of the holiday on Jan. 18, B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton partners with National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene to present “Soul to Soul” at 4 p.m. The virtual concert celebrates the music and shared experiences of the Jewish and Black communities. Among the performers include the synagogue’s Cantor Magda Fishman.

Rabbi David Steinhardt, the synagogue’s spiritual leader, said regarding the concert’s importance this year, “I think it’s as meaningful as ever, perhaps in my days being part of this event because of what we have seen happen in this country and what continues to happen.”

“It’s a very important reminder about King’s dream,” he continued.

Visit btcboca.org or facebook.com/BnaiTorahBoca for more information.

The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s Jewish Volunteer Center and its Jewish Community Relations Council, and Palm Beach Atlantic University will present the annual multi-generational MLK Day of Service on Jan. 18 that includes many volunteer activities throughout the community.

The volunteer events this year include virtual, contactless and small-group opportunities. According to the Federation, all in-person activities will meet COVID-19 safety standards, including distancing, mask wearing and a mandatory wellness check.

Melissa Hudson, the JVC’s director, said, “This program is something we’re so proud of every year in the way that we bring the community together.”

“In light of everything that has happened the past year in regard to social justice, the pandemic and people’s needs, it helps to really reaffirm how important this program is every year,” Hudson continued. “We have so much pride that we’re able to bring the interfaith community and the interracial community to really join together as a community in solidarity.”

The day of service will be followed by a virtual program at 6 p.m. to commemorate King’s vision of diversity and equality.

Visit jewishvolunteer.org for more information and to register.

Contact area Jewish institutions for information on other local MLK events that might be planned.