MLK's Message 2.0



Dear Friends and Family,

As we celebrate Shabbat in the week that we commemorated MLK Day, I wanted to share some meaningful quotes from Dr. King Jr which I believe provide us some guidance for challenges with which we are dealing in our world today.

First of all, Mahalia Jackson encouraged Dr. King to talk about his dream when he gave the iconic "I Have A Dream Speech."  He departed from his prepared text at one point and the rest is history.  I personally think that perhaps Mahalia's advice is important for all of us to consider.  We have our prepared speeches and thoughts about contemporary  issues ranging from the Middle East to Presidential politics.  Perhaps it is time for us to think about what our dreams are.  I believe that each of us share a dream for a more peaceful world and a world where people can talk to each other.  If I was adapting sections of the "I Have A Dream Speech" for today's world I would make the following changes.  (Please see the words of the speech in bold and the changes in red).


We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.

We can never be satisfied as long as anyone is the victim of violence, whether a  person of color, a child and/or teacher in a school, an immigrant at the border, a rich person or a poor person, or an Israeli or Palestinian in their homes.

.We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for whites only."

We can never be satisfied as long as anyone's children are stripped of their lives and robbed of their youth by the violence that permeates our society.

No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

No,no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.  We should  pursue righteousness in a righteous way, not just because social media or getting reelected causes us to feel that this is the righteous thing to do, but because we honestly  believe that our pursuit is righteous.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

Let  us not wallow in the valley of despair by GETTING INVOLVED IN A CAUSE THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO  US

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day this world will rise up and live out the true meaning of the American creed:  "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all PEOPLE are created equal.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day all people regardless of religious or political affiliation, regardless of gender, regardless of color, regardless of their ethnic group, regardless of socioeconomic class, will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood and build a world of peace and equality for all.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that one day that the Middle East can be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream that all of us will be judged only by the content of our character.

Finally, may we remember one of my favorite MLK quotes as we read about Moses approaching Pharaoh in this week's Scriptural/Torah reading on Shabbat to try to gain freedom for our ancestors.  It took 10 Plagues to free the Israelities.  May it not take plagues to free all those in need of freedom in our world.  May we all pursue freedom and justice for all in a righteous way by practicing the following:

"If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk.  If  you can't walk, then crawl, but whatever you  do, you  have to keep moving."

May we all keep moving in the direction of peace and justice.

Shabbat Shalom/Sabbath Peace...

Rabbi Bruce Aft


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