Community service builds a shared understanding of a problem; it eases barriers between those who serve and those served. Service is functional, creating a more compassionate nation. It does so by providing more than just an opportunity for self-edification; it engages participants in work that mends our communities, our relationships, and our divides. But I am not convinced that our nation's annual day of service is a sufficient tribute to Dr. King's legacy. The great civil rights leader advanced many strategies in his pursuit of social justice. But a mass call to service barely appears in Dr. King's speeches and sermons. Dr. King addressed what he saw as "the most pressing problem confronting mankind today" in his 1964 Nobel lecture to the University of Oslo. "The time has come for an all-out world war against poverty. (We) must use (our) vast resources of wealth to develop the underdeveloped, school the unschooled, and feed the unfed. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for "the least of these." Deeply etched in the fiber of our religious tradition is the conviction that men are made in the image of God and that they are souls of infinite metaphysical value, the heirs of a legacy of dignity and worth. If we feel this as a profound moral fact, we cannot be content to see men hungry, to see men victimized with starvation and ill health when we have the means to help them. (We) must go all out to bridge the gulf between the rich minority and the poor majority."
As partners in the civil rights movement, the Jewish community has experiences that provide us with deeper insight into Dr. King's approach. For decades, many Jews helped to build the infrastructure and mobilize the resources that undergirded the movement's successes.Today, millions here at home face disturbing economic deprivation. To solve our economic crises, from unemployment to foreclosures, we would be wise to turn to Dr. King's life and legacy for wisdom and guidance. But if we reduce Dr. King's vision to one day of volunteerism, we have turned a deaf ear to his call for an America that is truly just and truly free. At JFSJ, we are proud to be partners in the movement for Jewish service learning. We also recognize that service alone will not solve the problems before us. On our trips, we reinforce the idea that service is not the end in itself; it is but one tool in creating a more just society. We have learned first hand from our service learning participants that is isn't service learning as such that draws them in. Rather they are inspired by the opportunity provided through service learning to heed the call to help America live up to its promise. This is a subtle yet crucial distinction. Dr. King spoke movingly about the Constitution, and the promise of America. Yet he also asserted that America had failed to live up to its promise "that all men ... would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The people we help through our service should not be dependant on volunteers to put a roof over their heads, or a park for their children to play in. The "great vaults of opportunity," as King called them, must be open to all. That is why we seek to have those one hundred plus young people - giving hours of themselves to improve the lives of people they've just met - do so in partnership with local nonprofits that JFSJ has known, funded, and collaborated with for years. We support these community organizations because they, like Dr. King, employ integrated strategies to create lasting change. We place volunteers in these organizations because we believe that ongoing relationships are the best context in which to pursue lasting change. Ours is hopeful work. We face each day with optimism that justice is attainable, even if it is not attained in our lifetime. We look for inspiration to the lives of those whose struggles were much more fraught than ours - particularly when those struggles bear fruit. We look to Dr. King, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Ella Baker and their peers because doing so lights our path. What Dr. King represents today is the rich legacy of philosophies, tools, and institutions that, combined, radically altered how America functions. It is incumbent on us to adapt Dr. King's legacy and the philosophies of the civil rights movement to our modern work for justice. It is equally incumbent that we embrace the truth of his legacy - even when it is uncomfortable. If Dr. King were alive today, he would require more of all of us. As he said in 1967 at Riverside Church in New York City, "true compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring." I am humble in celebrating Dr. King's life, and humble in recognizing our impact. But I celebrate that we can continue his struggle, and stand tall for his legacy. The content of this post originally appeared as the February 2010 Jewish Funds for Justice President's Report. |
