Last Friday, January 15 on what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King’s 87th birthday my family joined our neighbors and friends Rabbi Steve and Loren Weisman and their son David for Shabbat. Every year the Interfaith Clergy Council of Bowie, MD has a service on MLKing Day to mark the contributions of Dr. King. This year Rabbi Weisman invited my husband to share the Shabbat meal in his home and to speak at the Temple Solel for service on the legacy of Martin Luther King.
My family’s relationship with the Weisman’s family goes back to 2002, when our daughters met in the third grade at Rockledge Elementary School. They became friends and were classmates until they graduated from high school. Their friendship enveloped both families and it continues to bless our lives.
And so, on the birthday of Dr. King, my family was excited to dine with the Weisman’s on the delicious Shabbat meal prepared by Loren. Though the Weisman’s daughter and our daughter continue their studies away from home, their son David, a freshman at Anne Arundel Community College and our son Henry kept us laughing during the meal. After dinner, we went to Temple Solel for the service. It was a delight to meet members of the congregation. Henry got to participate when Rabbi Weisman invited him and another boy in the 7th grade to share the challah. Pastor Davis motivated everyone with a message about the redeeming power of love and the capacity in everyone to make a difference especially in the face of challenges. He spoke about the ways we can live the message of Dr. King, he also cited Rabbi Heschel and the example he set in honoring the value of black lives. It was a wonderful night and I was grateful to have the time to reflect on all that has happened since Dr. King’s I Have A Dream sermon.