NEW YORK – In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the revered civil rights leader’s work and lasting legacy, the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative/Masorti rabbis released the following statement:
As a community committed to fulfilling God’s command to pursue justice, we are charged by the Reverend Dr. King’s message that ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Jewish community must recommit ourselves to honoring Dr. King’s legacy. While we have come a long way in the fight against racism and prejudice, we must work more effectively to overcome the systemic legacy of structural discrimination.
Just as many of our rabbis marched alongside Dr. King and countless other civil rights leaders from Selma to Montgomery fifty years ago, we must continue the march toward a better, more equal society for all. As Jews, we have an obligation to end racism and bigotry, and to continue the holy work of Dr. King.