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January 14, 2015 (MLK Day)

January 14, 2015 by HCRJ Web Admin

Please join us this Friday night as we welcome Martin Cominsky to the pulpit for a special presentation in honor of the MLK holiday weekend. 

Martin Cominsky is the Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League.  He is an inspiring speaker and a dear friend to HCRJ.  In the spirit of the MLK weekend, Martin Cominsky will address ways we can continue to partner in our ongoing efforts in building a communities of respect.

As Jews, we have long recognized that it is our moral responsibility to stand up against injustice, hatred and intolerance in society.  Using the teachings from the Torah and the Prophets, we find inspiration as we seek to navigate injustice in every generation.  Messages of social justice are replete in Bible, and the following teachings are just a few of many passages that challenge us to understand the world through a lens of righteousness and truth.

Thou shalt not stand by idly by the blood of thy neighbor.
– Leviticus 19:16

If your brother becomes poor,…uphold him.
– Leviticus 25:35

Justice, justice you shall pursue.
– Deuteronomy 16:20

 

Happy is the just man, for he shall fare well;
He shall eat the fruit of his works.
Woe to the wicked man, for he shall fare ill;
As his hands have dealt, so shall it be done to him.
– Isaiah 3:10-11

 

This weekend our nation will pay tribute to the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who, through his words and actions, brought these biblical teachings to life.  Guided by that which he knew to be right Dr. King set in motion a series of events that would eventually change our world for the better.

 

During his short life the Reverend could only dream of a time when the injustices that surrounded him would give way to a world that cared about the plight of his people and where the laws of the land protected the freedoms and the rights of all peoples regardless of the color of one’s skin, the beliefs of one’s heart or the origins of one’s heritage.  He preached passionately about a time when justice and mercy would come to supplant intolerance and indifference.

 

We share Dr. King’s dream today, and seek to honor his message and his legacy on Friday night with a service reflecting our ongoing desire to eradicate barriers perpetuated hatred and prejudice in society. It is our hope that as we remember him, we will find a renewed sense of courage and strength to fight for what is right in every generation.

L’Shalom–Steve

Filed Under: All Rabbi's Messages, Weekly Reflections

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