UNIVERSAL MESSAGE; CONGREGATIONS WILL HONOR KING, HESCHEL.Byline: Holly Andres Daily News Staff Writer Spirituals will raise the roof of Temple Kol Tikvah during a special Shabbat service honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (January 11, 1907, Warsaw, then Russian Empire – December 23, 1972) was considered by many to be one of the most significant Jewish theologians of the 20th century. Friday. Calvary Baptist Church of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and the Reform temple in Woodland Hills will renew their unique friendship as they praise the men who advocated similar messages of brotherhood and nonviolent persuasion to achieve social change in America. Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs is looking forward to this joint spiritual reunion with the pastor and congregation of the 70-year-old Baptist church. In May 1992, during the riots following the Rodney King Rodney Glen King (born April 9, 1965 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an African-American taxicab driver who was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers (Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Sargent Stacey Koon) after being chased for speeding. verdict, the rabbi and his son ventured into the devastated dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. area in hopes of offering help. ``I saw a man with a religious collar standing on the street. I noticed his hands were dirty. I knew by his hands that here was a man actually physically helping his community. I was drawn to him and I knew I had to talk to him and offer my help,'' the rabbi said. ``The pastor's name was John Bowie John Bowie (born May 11, 1984 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American football cornerback for the Oakland Raiders. He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and high school football at Northland High School. Timed at 4.36 in the 40 yard dash. . This is how the relationship started between Calvary Baptist and myself.'' Their personal relationship led to each religious leader being invited to speak before their counterpart's congregation. After the Rev. John Bowie's move to Texas, the relationship was continued by the Rev. Clinton A. Benton, who became Calvary Baptist's pastor about three years ago. ``This is really a reunion service with their congregation and us,'' Jacobs said. ``It's a great opportunity to show what our community is all about. ``We're remembering Dr. King's birthday and the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest Jewish minds of the 20th century, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel,'' he added. For Benton, the service at Kol Tikvah will be a positive event that will cement the deep fellowship that the two congregations have strived for over the last five years. ``There is a new challenge for us to foster brotherhood in our community, the greater Los Angeles community,'' Benton said as he reflected on his plans for explaining the continuing relevance of King's message today. ``There is hope for our community and that is the message the congregation should come away with that night,'' Benton added. In pondering the moral and civil rights messages of King and Heschel, Jacobs said, ``The message is that they reminded us that some are guilty, but all are responsible as far as race relations race relations Noun, pl the relations between members of two or more races within a single community race relations npl → relaciones fpl raciales . ``Both Dr. King and Rabbi Heschel taught us that the opposite of good is not evil, but indifference, and that silence in the presence of evil amounts to consent.'' ``This Shabbat service is where we can publicly stand together, our two congregations, against racism and anti-Semitism. My hope is that we will all come away feeling renewed,'' Jacobs said. Heschel, a Jew born in Poland in 1907, was a theologian, an author, civil rights and anti-war activist, and supporter of interfaith gatherings. He was a professor of Jewish ethics and mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . He joined with King in voting rights Voting rights The right to vote on matters that are put to a vote of security holders. For example the right to vote for directors. voting rights The type of voting and the amount of control held by the owners of a class of stock. marches in Selma, Ala., in the early 1960s. He died in 1972. King was born in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 1929. He was ordained or·dain tr.v. or·dained, or·dain·ing, or·dains 1. a. To invest with ministerial or priestly authority; confer holy orders on. b. To authorize as a rabbi. 2. as a Baptist minister at the age of 17. He gained nationwide attention in 1955, when he was asked to lead a bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., after a young African-American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. King was inspired to develop his nonviolent persuasion campaigns by the teachings of Indian nationalist Mohandas K. Gandhi. His famous ``I Have a Dream'' speech was delivered after a March on Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963. The Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. was awarded to King in 1964. King was assassinated as·sas·si·nate tr.v. as·sas·si·nat·ed, as·sas·si·nat·ing, as·sas·si·nates 1. To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons. 2. on April 3, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn. In 1983, the third Monday in January was declared a federal legal holiday in his honor. The tribute will feature the Calvary Baptist choir and Cantor Caren Glasser, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 16 at Temple Kol Tikvah, 20400 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Rabbi Steven Jacobs, left, and the Rev. Clinton Benton will lead a service honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel for their messages of peace and brotherhood. Terri Thuente/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion