04/04/2018
Reflecting on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Impact
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The Federation's Community Relations Committee (CRC) works with people of all faiths and ethnicities to build a more just and civil society through advocacy, volunteer, and community building initiatives. 50 years after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, members of the CRC commemorate his life and reflect on his impact.
"Martin Luther King said, 'An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.' The Community Relations Committee tries to be true to these words in all we do." – Brad Schlang, Community Relations Committee Chair
"When Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, he said he was praying with his legs. We continue to pray with our legs for causes MLK inspired." – Gregg Levine, Community Relations Comittee Vice Chair
"Rabbi Joachim Princz, speaking before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., at the 1963 March on Washington noted, 'the most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.' Fifty-five years later, Dr. King’s granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King, stood on a podium in Washington DC alongside other students who, in the wake of another mass shooting, refused to be silenced about the scourge of gun violence. The CRC understands the tragedy of silence and inaction, and heeding the call of our great leaders, joins forces with our partners to speak out against bigotry, hatred, and violence in our community and beyond." – Cheryl Davis, Past Chair, Community Relations Committee
"Leadership matters. Whether we are talking about Martin Luther King Jr. on the anniversary of his death and his powerful messages of hope; Nelson Mandela and his message of reconciliation; Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin whose bravery and foresight should be a model for other leaders; Ghandi and his stand for the under-represented; or Malala who has leveraged her notoriety for the betterment of especially, young women; this is good time to be thankful and thoughtful, for the world is a better place because of them, and to remember that character also matters." – Andrew Kohn
"Martin Luther King Jr. said 'Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable...Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.' So many in our community work tirelessly toward this goal, what an example." – Cindy Duber
For more information on the Community Relations Committee, contact Jessica Cohen jcohen@jcfcleve.org or 216-593-2782.
