In commemoration with the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19, local synagogues will be engaged in their own acts of service in the community, trying to bring people together just as King did.
“We wanted to do something meaningful, and that has an impact,” said Gaby Lipkin, who’s been putting on a series of events at Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley on a volunteer basis for 15 years. “Trying to figure out what’s needed in the larger community and ways we can plug ourselves in, a way we can come together and make a difference. We want to honor the legacy of Dr. King and what he stood for and was able to do.”
In conjunction with that, the synagogue is joining forces with this year’s host, Main Line Reform Temple-Beth Elohim and the Zion Baptist Church, for an interfaith service with a unity choir.
Beth Am Israel and Main Line Reform Temple are also among the many shuls that will engage in MLK Day activities, ranging from collecting gently-used children’s books to blood drives to quilt-making to cooking for those in need.
“We’ve been doing this every year for a while,” said Emily Berton, assistant executive director at Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley. “We have a group of tikkun olam constituents who run all the programs. Our volunteers start working 4-6 months in advance. They have to find out from vendors what they’re accepting and who can come.”
Donations are dropped off in advance, and on MLK Day, volunteers sort through them to make sure they’re going to the right place. However, not everything takes place on Jan. 19.
On Shabbat morning, Jan. 17, Congregation Adath Israel in Merion Station will conduct a “pulpit swap” with Rev. Eric Goode of The People’s Baptist Church, who will give the sermon.
Then on Sunday, Adath Israel’s Rabbi Eric Yanoff will deliver the homily. They’ll be accompanied by a joint choir on both days.
“The idea of having friends across religious communities in alliance of common causes continues Dr. King’s legacy, and it recognizes the vulnerability both our communities feel at times,” said Yanoff, who originally formed this partnership while wearing masks during COVID. “I think I’m going to be talking about when Moses says, ‘Let my people go.’ It wasn’t just to get out of there, but going towards something, towards a feeling that we can build something better than this period where we are right now. That’s the message I’m going to be working with the shared community.”
Here’s what other synagogues on both sides of the river are doing to mark the occasion.
Beth David Reform Congregation, Gladwyne, PA
Sunday, Jan. 18, 3 p.m.
Interfaith service with Bethel AME
Old York Road Temple-Beth Am, Abington, PA
Friday, Jan. 16, 7-9 p.m.
MLK Erev Shabbat service with T’Filah Band
Main Line Reform Temple-Beth Elohim, Wynnewood, PA
MLK Weekend of Interfaith Harmony and MLK Day of Service
Friday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.: Shabbat of Interfaith Harmony with Beth Am Israel and Zion Baptist Church featuring the Unity Choir
Saturday, Jan. 17, 9 a.m.: Coffee and Doughnuts at Beth Am Israel, followed by a choice of an interfaith musical morning or a Torah study session
Sunday, Jan. 18, 10:30 a.m.: Service at Zion Baptist Church
Monday, Jan. 19, 10 a.m.: Mazon postcard campaign on behalf of people experiencing hunger and recycled book fair
Offsite: Gladwynne cemetery cleanup, Junior Jammers singing for seniors at The Quadrangle
Or Hadash Reconstructionist Congregation, Fort Washington, PA
Sunday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m.-Noon
Social Action Fair
Learn about compelling issues that challenge our world and the Jewish values that inform our response. Participate in a wide range of social justice activities.
Congregation Beth El-Ner Tamid, Broomall, PA
Monday, Jan. 19, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
MLK Day of Service Intergenerational Program at Wesley Enhanced Living
“We do intergenerational programming with the intention that Martin Luther King wanted everybody to live in peace and do good,” said Ellen Glassman, CBENT’s director of education. “We have a musician, Andy Joseph, who’ll be singing. We’ll be making bags to fit over the residents’ walkers, so they can keep personal belongings there with dignity. We’ll plant some seeds so residents can nurture them.”
Programs are done in coordination with the synagogue’s Love Thy Neighbor action group and jkidphilly, which provides families with young children a better awareness of Jewish values and issues.
Tiferet Beth Israel, Blue Bell, PA
Sunday, Jan. 18, 3-5 p.m.
MLK Jr. Service of Remembrance, Bethlehem Baptist Church
The event begins at 3 p.m. with a solidarity walk at Wissahickon High, site of a recent antisemitic incident, followed by a 4 p.m. remembrance service at the church.
Congregation Beth El, Voorhees, NJ
Monday, Jan. 19, 10 a.m.-Noon
Turning Pages, Building Community: Honoring the Dream Through Literacy and Belonging
This event will include quilt-making, creating books for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at Virtua and a book drive and sorting.
Congregation Kol Ami, Cherry Hill, NJ
Monday, Jan. 19, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
“We’ve got some adults and some teens that are going over to Lions Gate Assisted Living [in Voorhees] to have a Game Day,” said Amy Stanley, Kol Ami’s director of engagement. “So they can play mahjong, cards, Rummikub. And then in the building, we also have a number of service projects.”
Those include making placemats for Cathedral Kitchen, painting rocks for the Camden Children’s Garden and making chocolate-covered pretzels for the Gift of Life Howie’s House.
Congregation Adath Emanu-El, Mount Laurel, NJ
Monday, Jan. 19, 10 a.m.-Noon
MLK Day Tikkun Olam Day of Service
Congregants will perform in-person mitzvah projects to benefit local charities and organizations, as well as the Jewish Family and Children’s Service Food Pantry.
Jon Marks is a Philadelphia-area freelance writer.