The Jewish Struggle for Justice on MLK Day

By Nina Fondiller Woldin

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., the chief advocate of nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement. We focus on racial discrimination in federal and state law, and society at large. 

Jewish people provided grassroots activism, financial support, and legal expertise to support the Civil Rights Movement nationwide. These actions were rooted in the the daily Jewish commandment to remember that we were slaves in Egypt and therefore should never turn a blind eye to injustice.

For this reason, tonight we will hold the first meeting of our new six-session virtual group studying the curriculum: Because We Were Slaves: The Jewish Struggle for Justice in Making America Home. 

We do not in any way equate the Jewish experience to Black slavery, nor do we attempt to discuss Black slavery in all of its grim and horrific history. Our goal is to spark discussions that examine the topic of prejudice through a Jewish lens and core Jewish values, both throughout our nation’s history, and today – a time of a global rise in antisemitism.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marching with
Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama, 1965

Our goal is to spark discussions that examine the topic of prejudice through a Jewish lens and core Jewish values.

The materials focus on how Jewish people dealt with their precarious position – sometimes accepted and sometimes not – as they endeavored to make America their home. In order to understand the broad experiences of Jewish struggle in the United States, one must also fully understand the begrudging acceptance Jews have experienced from the moment 23 Sephardic refugees arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654, to the present day challenges faced by the Jewish community.

The sourcebook is supplemented by first-person accounts through the eyes of people who have taken this journey, and augmented by links to further reading, videos, and music. The 60-page digital book costs just $18, or the printed set of six booklets is available for $36.

We hope that you will join us tonight, to discuss the connection to our lives today! Here is the link to register.