The struggle for civil rights for all Americans was a pivotal time in our history. Now you can witness with your own eyes the places that history was made.
You may have seen the televised footage of the fire hoses and the dogs turned against Black southerners and those who chose to stand with them. The scenes from the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the courage of Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are etched in the life of our country — and for some of us, in our memories.
The Jewish community was deeply involved in that effort. It was a time when we stood together — brothers and sisters — facing the forces of bigotry and racism. Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner gave their all with their colleague James Chaney as they tried to register Black people to vote. When Dr. King was preparing for a march, he would say to an organizer, “Get me a couple of rabbis to walk with us.” And they came; Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel linked arms with Dr. King as they marched from Selma to Montgomery. They walked to fulfill the words of the Torah: Justice, Justice Shalt Thou Pursue.
You can gain an understanding of that experience. Congregation Beth Torah, the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee and The Kansas City Globe are sponsoring a historic opportunity for Black and Jewish adults to make that trip together.
At a recent meeting at St. James United Methodist Church, members of the Black community expressed sincere interest in sharing this journey with the Jewish community. The response was heartwarming and rewarding. We need an equal response from the Jewish community to make this trip a reality.
We will leave Kansas City on Thursday evening, Feb. 10, and visit historic sites in Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham, Ala., as well as Atlanta. We will join with our fellow Kansas Citians at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, at the 16th Street Baptist Church, the King Center for Non Violent Change and the Rosa Parks Museum. The itinerary also includes attending services at the Ebenezer Baptist Church
The cost for the weekend includes travel from place to place in a luxury bus, three-nights in hotels, meals and entrance to all sites. The land costs are $650, double occupancy, (single supplement $130). Air travel round-trip from Kansas City is approximately $300.
Please consider being part of our group; you will not be disappointed in the experience. What better time than now to come together in the spirit of that time in our history?
For more information, including an itinerary, contact Sarah Levinson, JCRB/AJC assistant director, . You may also contact me at .
The time is short; a deposit of $100 is due by Jan. 1 and final payment is due by Jan. 15. I look forward to seeing you!
Judy Hellman recently retired as the associate director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee.
