Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day is a chance to honor the legacy of Dr. King and draw inspiration from his life and leadership. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the gaps between our country and the world as they are now and the ways we know they could, and should, be — just as he imagined.
Last week, I had the privilege of speaking at an interfaith Morning of Hope breakfast as part of Mayor Michelle Wu’s inauguration. The gathering reminded me of Dr. King’s notion of “beloved community,” in which love and respect of one another creates deep connections that can “transform opposers into friends.”
In the spirit of MLK Day, here are the blessing and reflections that I shared at the breakfast, which you can read and watch below. This event was a powerful moment that reaffirmed all the incredible work we do here at CJP. We support the Jewish community and build relationships across our Commonwealth between so many different groups of people. You can find out more about the different ways to honor the legacy of MLK in the community here.
Together, let’s keep working with hope and passion to build relationships — within and beyond our Jewish community — that will enable us to realize our vision for the future.
I'm sure it's not lost on any of us that today is January 6 — a harrowing day in the history of our country, that reminds us of the fragility of our democracy. What better way to mark this day and to begin a new year than to come together across faiths and backgrounds, united by our shared commitments to the values of this country and to the safety, dignity, and belonging of everyone who calls Boston home.
At a time of toxic polarization, when too many forces threaten to turn us against one another, engaging across differences is a sacred act, a form of spiritual resistance. When the challenges we face are great, and none of us can solve them alone, building bridges and working together for the common good is also profoundly pragmatic. We need one another and we are stronger together.
When faith leaders stand together, we model what we want this city to be. A place where we are stronger because of our differences, not in spite of them, where we choose curiosity and empathy over fear, solidarity over division.
Right now many communities — including the Jewish community — are feeling vulnerability, anxiety and uncertainty, which is why it matters so much to know that Mayor Wu, the City Council, law enforcement and other elected officials take seriously their responsibility to protect and support the safety, security and dignity of every one of us.
We are grateful to all of you for your partnership, leadership, and service. May God bless you with continued strength and courage, compassion, and wisdom. And may God bless us with patience, resilience, collective responsibility, generosity of spirit, and hope — may be the citizens our leaders deserve.
This week, Jews around the world begin reading the book of Exodus. After fleeing Egypt and finding refuge in his new father-in-law's home, Moses is tending his flock in the wilderness when he has the famous encounter with God in the burning bush. There is so much to say about this text, but I want to focus on one detail.
During that encounter, Moses asks God his name. God answers, in Hebrew: “Ehyeh asher Ehyeh.”
This is often translated, “I am that I am,” but the late Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory calls this “the great mistranslation” In Hebrew, the phrase is actually “I will be what I will be.” Our God’s name is in the future tense. That is because our God is a God of possibility, of potential, of still-unfolding relationship with each of us. The Hebrew Bible taught the world the radical notion of hope: History does not have to repeat itself. Things do not have to stay the way they are right now. Tomorrow can be better than today, and we all have a responsibility to partner with God to help make that future a reality.
Mayor Wu, in your speech yesterday, you offered a vision of hope and possibility and called all of us to join you in realizing that vision.
Thank you for leading with courage and hope, and for setting a tone that reaches far beyond City Hall, that is a model for our whole country.
We are grateful, and we are with you. May God bless us with the faith and the imagination to see what is possible, and to keep working to build a better future, together.