Metro
Cold, But 'Warm-Hearted
Martin Luther King Day activities draw those dedicated to unity.
DON COHEN
Special to the Jewish News
D
espite single-digit temperatures,
Jewish community members
participated in numerous trib-
utes to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. during the national holiday.
Local commemorations held to honor
the assassinated civil rights leader began
with the annual United We Walk can-
dlelight vigil at West Bloomfield High
School Sunday night, where about 80
people heard Rabbi Norman Roman of
Temple Kol Ami charge them to be
"devoted to the memory and messages
of Martin Luther King" and committed
to his dream.
Rabbi Roman on guitar, along with
Kol Ami cantorial soloist Susan Greener,
then led the group in song.
Michael Rubyan, a West Bloomfield
High senior and the event's co-chair,
spoke about "wanting a future of hope,
a future of peace, a future of prosperity,
a future where each of us deeply cares
about each other." He urged participants
"to rise above our differences of opinions
and find our unity of cause. The only
thing that stops us is ourselves."
Other student co-chairs were Samit
Sheth and Sawdayah Brownlee.
The group also honored 11 world
leaders dedicated to the cause of peace.
This year, the late former U.S. Rep.
Shirley Chisholm of New York, a feisty
feminist, and civil rights activist, was
added to the roster. A video of the
Children ofAbraham, an original play
promoting diversity, also was shown.
Finally, outside in the cold, candles
gave off some warmth as the group sang
the anthem of the civil rights move-
ment, "We Shall Overcome."
Memorial walks, involving thousands
of people, were held simultaneously in
West Bloomfield and Southfield on
Monday, Jan. 17. Though a light snow
was falling, participants — covered in
scarves, gloves, hats and mittens — kept
warm in groups.
"I've been going since eighth grade at
Hillel," said K'tanaw Schiff of
Huntington Woods, a senior at the
Jewish Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit. "JAMD gives us choices of
what we want to do, and I always chose
MARTIN LUTHER ICING
on page 22
Student co-chai• Michael
. Rubyan Of:W./est Bloomfield,
center; participates in the
candlelight vigil.
Temple Emanu-El Cantor
Emeritus Norman Rose and his
zc ife, Euni, lead the national
anthem. Storyteller Gerald
featured speaker;
is in the background.
~
giN
1/20
2005
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