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Spanning The Great Divide

"You are recognizing in the true spirit of our Judeo-Christian
heritage that the agony of the poor diminishes the rich and
that the salvation of the weak enriches the strong — and that
we are inevitably our brother's keeper"
—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., May 20, 1965

T

Detroit operate in the city. And suburban synagogues contin-
ue to nurture partnerships with black urban churches.
Jews lead ecumenical events, social action projects and
diversity walks. They give to black causes and tutor in black
schools. They also are key players in Detroit's politics, corn-
merce, redevelopment and cultural arts.
At the very least, Detroit Jewry echoes what Dr.
King called "the truth that all life is interrelated and
all men are interdependent." But have we done
enough? Frankly, no — not since we live in the
nation's most segregated metropolitan region.

he American Jewish Committee has
found an archival copy of the speech
that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave
in accepting the AJC American
Liberties Medallion on May 20, 1965, the voice-
mail message related.
"Would you like to see it in advance of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day?" asked the caller,
Making Inroads
Ruth Lipnik Beitner, assistant director of the
Still, I'm moved by the friendships many Jews have
Detroit Chapter of the AJC, a New York City-
struck up with blacks, both in the central city and
based national advocacy group.
the suburbs. These bonds offer hope for a deeper
Curious, I responded "yes."
connection between two groups forever linked 85
Like so many others by the
years ago when blacks first followed as Jews began
martyred civil rights leader, this
to move their neighborhoods northwesterly
speech didn't endure. Still, it
through the region.
abounds with the wisdom of an
I'll know this odd pursuit is over when more of
inspiring, selfless man who
us live side by side. The thousands of Jews who
became an American hero after
still live in Southfield, home now to more blacks
his 1968 murder at age 39.
than whites, have what Dr. King saw as the faith
Rabbi Prinz
Given the civil unrest at the
ROBERT A.
"to transform the dangling discords of our nation
time in the South, America was
into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood." The
SKLAR
lucky that Dr. King survived so
number of Jews on Jan. 21 at Southfield's Dr. King
Editor
long in public life — 15 years,
Day observance was noticeably less than the per-
starting with the 1955
centage of Jews who like in the city, however.
Montgomery bus-line boycott. This seminal event
Melvin "Butch" Hollowell, a black partner with
in civil rights history was set in motion when a
the Detroit-based law firm Butzel Long and a civic
future Detroiter, Rosa Parks, a black seamstress
rights activist whose circle of friends includes many
and a former NAACP secretary, refused to give up
Jews, says, "The African American community and
her bus seat to a white man because she was too
the Jewish community were joined at the hip in
Butch Hollowell the fight for civil rights. My hope and prayer for
tired to get up after a long day's work, and was
arrested.
the new year, for my children and all children, is
In honoring Dr. King at the 1965 AJC annual meeting,
that we will continue to build on our shared history by
Irving Engel, the group's honorary president, said this son
reaching out to one another — across racial, religious and
of a Southern Baptist minister "has not commanded the
geographic boundaries — recognizing that we are all in
waters to divide, not even those of the Mississippi, because
this together."
divisiveness is alien to his nature. His are greater miracles
In his 1965 speech, Dr. King quoted Rabbi Joachim
— calming turbulent cross-currents, changing their
Prinz, the German refugee who spoke just before the "I
abortive courses and bringing separate streams together in
Have A Dream" speech in Washington, D.C., in 1963.
a mighty flow to nourish the freedoms of our land."
The rabbi, head of the Berlin Jewish community under
Dr. King was a man who, by deed, responded to a self-
Hitler, said "the most urgent, the most disgraceful, the
described "audacious faith" in the human spirit to make
most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence" —
equality and dignity real for everyone.
not "bigotry and hatred."
In accepting the medallion, Dr. King repeated a line that
In 1967, Rabbi Prinz, then chairman of the Conference
resonates from the AJC founding statement: "Jews cannot
of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, urged Dr.
ensure equality for themselves unless it is assured for all."
King, and "all responsible Negro leadership," to "speak up
clearly and unequivocally on the tragic crime of Negro
anti-Semitism." The urging came at a time when more
Then And Now
Jews were breaking with indifference and embracing civil
As I read Dr. King's speech, I reflected on what we're doing
rights. It served to underscore how lasting black-Jewish
here in metro Detroit in 2002 — 37 years later — to bolster
harmony required a two-way commitment.
bridges of black-Jewish understanding:
Dr. King closed his 1965 speech by saying "we can gain
More and more Jews and blacks live near, or work with,
consolation from the fact that we have made some strides"
one another. Some Jews have moved back to the central city,
toward getting to know and respect one another.
or never left it in the wake of the 1967 riots. The Downtown
He ended with a quote, from an "old Negro preacher,"
Synagogue and the Reconstructionist Congregation of
that aptly sums up the state of black-Jewish relations in
metro Detroit today: "Lord, we ain't what we want to be;
For the full text of Dr. King's 1965 speech to the AJC, please
we ain't what we ought to be; we ain't what we gonna be,
log on to www.eletroitnews.com
but, thank God, we ain't what we was." ❑

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