FEBRUARY 9 • 2023 | 25

any other church in the country.” She 
returned to the Second Baptist Church 
of Detroit 17 years ago. 
She shares that interfaith collabo-
ration is critical toward developing 
solutions and consistent with King’s 
organizing, activism and leadership. 
“Solutions cannot be developed in 
isolation. We need to come together 
as equals and come up with solutions 
to what is going on in the world,” she 
said.

Smith’s goal is for interfaith events 
and conversations, like this panel, to 
take place throughout the year, not just 
in commemoration of King’s birthday.

THE UNITY COALITION’S 
MUSICAL CELEBRATION 
A Musical Celebration of the Dream at 
the First Baptist Institutional Church, 
presented by the Coalition of Black 
and Jewish Unity, featured a true 
collaboration between the Black and 
Jewish communities in commemorat-
ing and committing to MLK’s example. 
The Coalition for Black and 
Jewish Unity, the event sponsor, is a 
collaboration of the Jewish Community 
Relations Council/AJC, the Council of 
Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity, 
the ADL and the Urban League. 
Coalition Co-Chair Rev. Dr. Deedee 
Coleman and Coalition Co-Director 
Mark Jacobs welcomed the hundreds 
who gathered. Jacobs repeated King’s 
often-spoken commitment and 
solidarity to the integrity and plight of 
the Jewish people, “I solemnly swear to 
do my utmost to uphold the fair name 
of the Jews because bigotry in any form 
is an affront to all of us.”
Coleman enumerated the countless 
obstacles and pains endured by King. 
She stressed that despite them, “He 
kept going, and everywhere he went he 
left his mark.” 
Jacobs plainly stated that the 
Coalition of Black and Jewish Unity 
exists to serve and deliver on King’s 
dream.
The celebration continued with 
Rev. Michael Kennedy leading “Lift 
Every Voice and Sing,” followed by 
Hazzan David Propis of Congregation 
Shaarey Zadek in Southfield leading 

“Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem.
“If God gives you a dream, will 
you give your life for it?” asked Rev. 
Dr. Robyn D. Moore. She persisted, 
“When God gives you a dream, it is 
not the end, it is the beginning.” Moore 
called on all, regardless of ability and 
challenges, to keep moving forward in 
faith.
Hazzan Daniel Gross of Adat Shalom 
Synagogue wove together and chanted 
King’s words with the soulfulness and 
reverence of chanting the holy words 
of the Torah. 
He closed with King’s proclama-
tion, “We’ve got some difficult days 
ahead. But it really doesn’t matter 
with me now because I’ve been to 
the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. 
Like anybody, I would like to live a 
long life. Longevity has its place. But 
I’m not concerned about that now. I 
just want to do God’s will. And He’s 
allowed me to go up to the mountain. 
And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the 
Promised Land …”
The Adat Shalom choir, joined by 
the audience, sang “Tzedek, Tzedek, 
Tirdof,” which translates to Justice, 
Justice, You Shall Pursue, in Hebrew 
and English.
Addressing the gathered community, 
Rabbi Marla Hornsten of Temple Israel 
and co-chair of the Coalition of Black 
and Jewish Unity, implored, “
As we 
stand here today, we need to do more 
than simply remember. To best serve 
the memory of Dr. King, we must con-
vert our remembrance into action, into 
activism.” 
Hornsten repeated King’s call to 
action: “Our lives begin to end the day 
we become silent about things that 
matter.”
Hornsten shared a parable of two 
people individually lost in a forest. 
Upon encountering one another, one 
asks the other for the way out, who 
responds that he does not know the 
way out but does know the paths not 
to take. The two take hands and forge 
forward in unity toward the shared 
goal of freedom. Hornsten connected 
the story to the community gathered: 
“Let us join hands and look for the way 
together.” 

Rev. Lawrence Rodgers 
was on the panel at 
the JCRC/AJC MLK 
commemoration event.

Hazzan David Propis 
of Congregation 
Shaarey Zedek sings 
“Hatikvah” at the 
Coalition for Black and 
Jewish Unity event.

Rabbi Ariana Silverman of the Downtown 
Synagogue and Dr. Saed Kahn share a laugh 
during the panel discussion.

