Shabbat service recognizes optimism of Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I Have a Dream” may be Martin Luther King, Jr.’s most widely recognized speech, but historian Walter Gilbert focused on another of his iconic sermons for a special Shabbat service on Friday at Temple Beth Israel.

King delivered his "How Long? Not Long" speech on March 25, 1965, sharing his belief that the prejudice and violence that plagued that era would soon come to an end.

Gilbert quoted, “Somebody’s asking, ‘How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?’ Somebody’s asking, ‘When will wounded justice, lying prostrate on the streets of Selma and Birmingham and communities all over the South, be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men?’”

King later concluded, “Not long.”

Multifaceted man

Gilbert, past president of the Sarasota County NAACP and current Selby Gardens vice president for diversity and inclusion, said this speech illuminates who he was as a man, a religious leader and a civil rights leader.

“He was pouring his heart out,” he added.

King delivered the speech in front of the Alabama state capitol, after marching from Selma. He described the physical toll the march took on participants, as the fierce sun burned their skin and driving rain left many soaked or covered in mud. Though their feet may be tired, he said, their souls were well rested.

"They told us we wouldn't get here," King declared. "And there were those who said that we would get here only over their dead bodies, but all the world knows that we are here and we are standing before the forces of power in the state of Alabama, saying, 'We ain't goin' let nobody turn us around.'"

Gilbert recounted the series of marches that drew attention to the dire state of civil rights for Black Americans at the time, and how the movement continued to grow.

“It gave a look into the mentality of people that didn’t want people to have equal civil rights in that part of the country,” Gilbert said. “It changed a lot of things. It changed the perspective that the entire nation had – to put in their minds, ‘Why are we like this, and what can we do to change it?”

Musical tribute

Rabbi Stephen Sniderman led the Shabbat service, which began with a selection of traditional spirituals and a candle blessing by Anne Lieberman and Deborah Nyman.

Choir soloist Kei Sulhi, who will be honored at the temple’s upcoming annual gala, also offered a musical tribute to King with her performance of “The King of Love is Dead,” sung by Nina Simone and written by Gene Taylor.

Simone first sang the original song three days after King’s assassination in 1968, mourning the loss of the beloved activist but reaffirming that the movement he inspired would live on.

Shared history

Gilbert said this was the first Jewish service he had ever attended, and he was honored to speak.

He was inspired to center his remarks on this particular speech because it speaks to the prevailing nature of justice, even in challenging times—a message he said is still relevant today. He noted people of Jewish faith and Black Americans have often shared a podium, with several rabbis accompanying King on his iconic march from Selma.

“I long knew of the history between these two groups,” he said. “To get a chance to speak to something along these lines really got my antennas up.”

Elaine Kaufman noted in her introduction of Gilbert that the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism played a significant role in the drafting of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. She also recognized Kivie Kaplan, who was Jewish and served as president of the national NAACP from 1966 to 1975.

“He marched and was jailed with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on many occasions, including at the Edmund Pettus Bridge crossing in Selma, Alabama,” she added.

The evening concluded with a communal dinner. 

The temple holds Shabbat services at 5:30 p.m. every Friday and 10 a.m. every Saturday.