Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

So monumental was the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that the only Federal Holiday named after an individual bears his name (though President’s Day is officially Washington’s birthday).

Reverend Dr. King, a Baptist minister who was the leader of the civil rights movement in the United States and became nationally known as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, always advocated non-violence in the quest for racial equality.

Yet, rather than read about him, it seems more appropriate to read his words. The following is a sampling from his speeches:

Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?

Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all of our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel, and never mind saying it, as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how the desert land almost can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality.
(Delivered at an annual Rabbinical Assembly gathering of Conservative Rabbis.)

Reverend Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on August 28, 1963, is one of the most memorable speeches in history. It is roughly 17 minutes and, despite the poor quality of the video, watching and listening to it is a meaningful way to honor him and his ideals for our nation.

— Rabbi David Woznica

Rabbi David Woznica can be reached via email here.