January 23, 2014
By bethmordecai
no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
I was given the task of reflecting on Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence and chose to connect his philosophy, which is both a spiritual and a physical approach to cleansing one’s soul, to the Jewish process of tikkun olam. When we are non-violent, both to our selves and to others, we are taking the steps needed to make the world (olam) into the place we want it to be by doing acts that “fix” (tikkun) our inner and outer lives to conform with our highest sense of who we are and what God wants us to be.
I hope that the words I spoke gave credit to Dr. King’s philosophy, remained faithful to our Jewish tradition, and gave a “good name” (shem tov) to the Jewish people. It seems from the reaction of both the clergy and the congregants in the pews that this experience helped foster a deep desire to continue to build this relationship between our communities and to continue the legacy of strong Jewish-Black partnerships that in many ways was built upon the backs of faith communities during the days of Martin Luther King Jr.. There is so much that we can learn from one another, not just in learning about one another but in learning how to build vibrant communities that make a difference in our larger community.
My hope and prayer is that this spiritual and physical encounter on Monday is only the beginning of what can truly be an amazing relationship between our communities in the future.
Kol Tuv,
Rabbi Ari Saks
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Rabbi's Journal
Tag : african-american baptist black cathedral international dr. martin luther king jr. rabbi rabbi's journal tikkun olam
