Rev Martin Luther King, Jr and Rabbi Dick Hirsch
As we plan for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, we are invited once again to ask a central Jewish question: What does our faith demand of us in this moment?
This year, Spill the Honey offers congregations a powerful opportunity to engage that question through Shared Dreams, Shared Promise, a moving reflection on the enduring alliance between African American and Jewish communities in the pursuit of justice. Rooted in history, faith, and moral courage, these materials are designed to be meaningfully incorporated into Shabbat worship, learning, and community-wide programming.
At the heart of this offering is a remarkable archival video: a 10-minute recording of Rabbi Richard (Dick) Hirsch, z"l, founding director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, reading the eulogy he delivered in 1968 for his close friend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The eulogy was originally delivered before 2,000 people at Washington’s largest synagogue just days after Dr. King’s assassination. More than half a century later, Rabbi Hirsch’s words still resonate with urgency, humility, and hope.
In the eulogy, Rabbi Hirsch reminds us that Dr. King’s dream was never a solitary one. It was rooted in interfaith and interracial partnership, in the belief that moral progress is forged when communities stand together in sacred solidarity. He reflects not only on Dr. King’s leadership, but on the responsibility of those who walked alongside him—and those who inherit that legacy today.
“He would not let us forget that there were human beings who were being treated less than human,” Rabbi Hirsch proclaimed. “From bus to waiting room to lunch room, to hotel room to voting room, to slum house, to school, the university campus to employment offices, he had confronted us with the America we had refused to believe existed. He shattered illusions but he restored our dream, the American dream… His pulpit was the street, his congregation all mankind and his message universal.”
For Reform Jewish leaders, these words speak directly to our theology of action: the inseparability of worship and justice, prayer and protest, Torah and tikkun olam.
A Resource Designed for Congregational Life
Spill the Honey has thoughtfully paired this video with toolkits to integrate into a wide range of congregational settings. Communities can use the eulogy and accompanying resources in:
- Shabbat sermons or readings
- MLK Day or Black History Month programs
- Torah study
- Adult education classes
- Youth group discussions
- Board meetings
Whether shown during services or as part of a longer learning session, the video opens space for reflection on faith’s role in combating racism, renewing moral courage, and strengthening multiracial alliances in our own time.
To learn more or access the video and study materials, visit the Spill the Honey MLK Eulogy webpage.
Additional Spill the Honey Offerings
Congregations seeking to deepen their engagement will find additional, complementary resources through Spill the Honey:
Shared Legacies: The African American–Jewish Civil Rights Alliance
This 60-minute educational documentary explores the historic partnership between African American and Jewish leaders during the Civil Rights Movement. It is accompanied by a five-session curriculum for grades 6–12 and a study guide for schools and congregations—ideal for religious school, confirmation classes, or intergenerational learning.
Hip-Hop Music Education Program
Spill the Honey also offers an innovative program in which high school and college students write their own hip-hop music celebrating multicultural partnerships today. Through creativity and storytelling, students explore how shared struggle and shared hope can help create a stronger, more just society.
A Sacred Invitation
As we approach MLK Day, Spill the Honey invites Reform Jewish communities to honor Dr. King not only with memory, but with meaning—by lifting up Jewish voices that stood at the crossroads of faith and justice, and by recommitting ourselves to the shared promise of dignity, equality, and moral responsibility.
In the words of Rabbi Hirsch, Dr. King’s congregation was “all mankind.” May our congregations, too, rise to that sacred calling.
Related Posts
Defense Is Not Defeat: How the Reform Jewish Community Helped Stop the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act
Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month: Fund the IDEA Act
