Photo courtesy of Mural Arts Project
To honor the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with services and volunteer projects, members of our Jewish communities spread out to various Philadelphia neighborhoods. Observed on the third Monday of January each year, MLK Day has become an opportunity for people to volunteer as a tribute to the man who changed a nation and whose life was cut far too short. Our Jewish communities, long known for their close allegiance to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, has often taken an active role in organizing or participating in MLK Day of Service projects.
Some of the activities that will take place over the MLK weekend in our Jewish communities are:
Repair the World—Philadelphia
“Repair the World” is an English translation of the Hebrew phrase, tikkun olam, which some say is the very foundation of Jewish tradition: the responsibility we have to transform and ‘repair the world’ around us. Repair the World aims to mobilize thousands of young Jewish adults who want to help improve lives and neighborhoods—especially on this weekend in order to honor the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To help to accomplish this, Repair The World—Philadelphia is partnering with various other local programs to mobilize participation on this important weekend. There are volunteer activities being carried out each day of the weekend: January 12th-15th.
To see a full list all of RTW-Philadelphia’s volunteer opportunities for MLK weekend click here (You can see details under “register”).
Friday, January 12, 2018
Name: MLK Weekend Kick-off: Social Action Shabbat
Partnering Sponsors: Main Line Reform Temple
Date and Time: Friday, January 12, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Location: 410 Montgomery Avenue, Wynnewood, PA 19096
Religious School families will join with members of our Tikkun Olam Network to “Rise Against Hunger.” Come for the Mitzvah Project and stay for dinner and Shabbat services, or just for the Mitzvah Project! RSVP to Beth by January 5, 2018.
Also at 7:30 p.m. there will be a Sabbath of Interfaith Harmony service partnered with the members of Main Line Reform Temple, Beth Am Israel and Zion Baptist Church. Spirited music by the Unity Choir at the service.
Name: Martin Luther King Shabbat Dinner & Service
Partnering Sponsors: Har Zion Temple and the Anti-Defamation League
Date and Time: Friday, January 12, 2018 from 5:45 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Location: Har Zion Temple, 1500 Hagys Ford Road, Penn Valley, PA 19072
Join us for Joy of Shabbat dinner followed by an engaging program with the Black-Jewish Alliance of the ADL.
Name: Shabbat Service Commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Partnering Sponsors: Congregation Rodeph Shalom
Date and Time: Friday, January 12, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Location: 615 North Broad Street, Philadelphia PA 19123
Join us for a Shabbat service with guest speaker Reverend Nicolas V. O’Rourke, Assistant Pastor at Living Water United Church of Christ.
Name: MLK Weekend Shabbat Dinner
Sponsor: Repair the World
Date and Time: Friday, January 12, 2018 from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Location: The Gershman Y, 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia 19147
Kick off MLK Weekend of Service by joining RTW for a Shabbat dinner to honor and celebrate the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Participants will enjoy a delicious meal as they delve into a conversation with Guest Speaker Malaika Hart about the enduring racism in our country and how people can all Act Now for Racial Justice. Suggested $5.00 donation. All proceeds from the dinner will be used to purchase supplies to include in Welcome Kits for newly arrived refugees and immigrants including victims of human trafficking and unaccompanied children. RTW volunteers will be packaging the Welcome Kits on MLK Day in collaboration with Nationalities Service Center. Feel free to bring any of the items on the NSC Welcome Kits list to donate as well.
Name: MLK Event
Partnering Sponsors: Congregation Or Shalom and First Baptist Church of Wayne
Date and Time: Friday, January 12, 2018 from 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Location: Congregation Or Shalom, 835 Darby Paoli Road, Berwyn, PA 19312
Congregation Or Shalom is having an MLK service. RSVPs requested to Or Shalom office at 610.644.9086.
Name: Special Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Shabbat Service
Sponsor: Old York Road Temple – Beth Am
Date and Time: Friday, January 12, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Location: 971 Old York Road, Abington, PA 19001
There will be a viewing of the documentary of Rabbi Prinz’s extraordinary life: “Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent.” Rabbi Prinz was an organizer of the August 28, 1963 March on Washington. His dramatic speech, alerting all Americans to the disgrace of silence in the face of injustice, immediately preceded the famous speech of his good friend, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at that march. Pizza will be offered. Please let the synagogue know that you will be there for pizza and this special film. Email Bonnie Marks at bmarks@oyrtbetham.org or call the office by January 9, 2018. Seating is limited.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Name: 34th Annual Ralph Granger Memorial Shabbat
Sponsor: Germantown Jewish Centre (GJC)
Date and Time: Saturday, January 13, 2018 from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Location: Germantown Jewish Centre, 400 W. Ellet Street, Philadelphia, PA 19119
This Shabbat service is dedicated to the topic: “After Charlottesville: Reexamining Racism, Anti-Semitism and White Supremacy.” The congregation rededicates itself to advancing race relations. The program will take place as Kiddush winds down. It is a highly participatory program. Contact at office@germantownjewishcentre.org or 215.844.1507.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Name: JRA –1st Food Distribution of 2018 & MLK Day of service
Sponsor: Jewish Relief Agency
Date and Time: Sunday, January 14, 2018 from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Location: JRA Warehouse, 10980 Dutton Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154
Special MLK Day volunteer opportunity at JRA. Volunteers are needed to deliver boxes of fresh produce and non-perishable pantry items to families in need in the 5-county Philadelphia region. You must reserve your delivery route in advance. To RSVP: email jra@jewishrelief.org or call 610.660.0190.
Name: MLK Day of Service Preparing Meals and Lunch Bags
Sponsor: Adath Israel
Time: Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 8:30 a.m.
Location: 250 N. Highland Avenue, Merion Station, PA 19066
Join AI for its annual weekend of service to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cook for a Friend—Volunteers will prepare meals for people who are homebound and in need. Contact Nina Kinick at ninakitnick@gmail.com or Deb Srulevich at dylmes@gmail.com
Name: Organize and Pack Donations for Our Closet—Powered by JFCS
Partnering Sponsors: Rodeph Shalom and Our Closet-JFCS
Date and Time: Sunday, January 14, 2018 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: 615 North Broad Street, Philadelphia PA 19123
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, help organize and pack donations for Our Closet with Jewish Family Children’s Services (JFCS). Before MLK Day, please donate the following items and bring them to the Levitt Gershman collection bin: new underwear and sports bras, tampons, sanitary napkins, razors, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving cream and moisturizer. Questions? Contact: Julia Engel at juliafe@comcast.net.
Name: MLK Educational Activity
Sponsor: Jewish Children’s Folkshul and Adult Community
Date and Time: Sunday, January 14, 2018 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, 8000 Cherokee Street, Philadelphia, PA
The program will include: 1. Short assembly for children and adults; 2. Story telling sessions for children featuring picture books about Jewish ethics and values and how they connect with MLK Jr. Day; 3. Book drive collecting books to be distributed to underpopulated Philadelphia school libraries; and 4. Organizing and labeling books for distribution to needy libraries.
Name: Sabbath of Interfaith Harmony
Partnering Sponsors: Main Line Reform Temple, Temple Beth Am Israel & Zion Baptist Church
Date and Time: Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.
Location: Zion Baptist Church, 221 W. Spring Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003
Join members of Zion Baptist Church and Beth Am Israel for their Annual Sabbath of Interfaith Harmony featuring spirited music by the Unity Choir at the services.
Name: The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Forum
Sponsor: Adath Israel and Beth Am Israel with the Interfaith Forum
Time: Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Location: Waldron Mercy Academy, 515 Montgomery Avenue, Merion, PA 19066
Join the Interfaith Forum: A conversation with Congressman Dwight Evans, U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania’s 2nd congressional district.
Name: Solidarity Walk for Peace and Justice
Partnering Sponsors: Congregation Beth Or, Bethlehem Baptist Church & North Penn Mosque Wissahickon Faith Community Association
Date and Time: Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 2:45 p.m. for 3:00 p.m. march
Location: Meet at Wissahickon High School Parking Lot
Service at 4:00 p.m. at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Spring House, PA 19477
Join us as the Wissahickon Faith Community comes together for the Solidarity Walk for Peace and Justice, on Sunday, January 14 at 3:00 p.m. The walk will be led by Rabbi Marx, Rabbi Gerber, Reverend Quann and religious leaders throughout the greater community. We will gather at the Wissahickon High School parking lot at 2:45 p.m. where the walk begins at 3:00 p.m., traveling along Dager Road, concluding at Bethlehem Baptist Church. A service remembering and celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. follows at the church at 4:00 p.m. and ends at Bethlehem Baptist Church.
Name: 5th Annual MLK Bucks County Teen Peace & Social Justice Summit
Partnering Sponsors: Bucks County Jewish Coalition is one of the sponsors
Date and Time: Sunday, January 14, 2018 from 4:00-7:30 p.m.
Location: William Tennent High School, 333 Centennial Road, Warminster, PA
Open to all 7th through 12th graders. Featuring inspirational speakers, youth empowerment, meaningful & safe discussions on race, prejudice and bias. Pizza dinner will be provided. Schools, churches, community organizations and the public are welcome to this free event. For registration and Information, visit www.thepeacecenter.org or call 215.750.7020 or 215.833.7877 by Monday, January 9, 2018.
Monday, January 15th, 2018
Name: MLK Day of Service Preparing Meals and Lunch Bags
Sponsor: Adath Israel
Time: Monday, January 15, 2018 at 9:00 a.m., Blood Drive from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Location: 250 N Highland Ave, Merion Station, PA 19066
Join AI for its annual weekend of service to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cook for a Friend—Volunteers will prepare meals for people who are homebound and in need. There are limited cooking spots and supplies available. Children 10 and older are welcome, but must be accompanied by a parent. Contact Harriet Gross at harrietpg@aol.com to sign up.
And: It’s a mitzvah! Sign up for an appointment to donate blood at redcrossblood.org using the sponsor code: “Temple Adath Israel.”
And: Cases for Smiles service activity (time tbd). Volunteers meet at the Church of St. Asaph (27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd) to make bright, cheery pillowcases for children at area hospitals. More information coming soon.
Name: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Partnering Sponsors: Beth Am Israel
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018, 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Place: 1301 Hagys Ford Road, Penn Valley, PA 19072
Join us for an Interfaith Day of Action & Fellowship with experiential & hands-on activities for all! Bring a friend to help with creating book plates for donated books, cooking for a friend, recording audiobooks, constructing toys for shelter dogs, helping our planet with a green activity and much more! E-cycling available: Bring anything with a cord to E-cycle. Engage in meaningful interfaith dialogue. Church and Mosque groups welcome. For more information, email mitzot@bethamisrael.org.
Name: Cemetery Clean-up
Partnering Sponsors: Beth David Reform Congregation and Main Line Reform Congregation
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018 from 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Location: Meet in the parking lot of Beth David, 1130 Vaughan Lane, Gladwyne, PA
Volunteers are needed to help continue this meaningful clean-up effort. Even if you choose not to participate in the clean-up, all are welcome to visit this historic and sacred site first-hand. he morning of the 16th we’ll gather in the parking lot of Beth David Reform Congregation in Gladwyne at 9:30 for the short walk to the cemetery. Dress warmly and wear gloves and sturdy shoes. Some tools are available, but bring your own if you have them. For questions, contact Steve Handleman at shandleman@comcast.net.
Name: Martin Luther King, Jr, Family Day
Sponsor: National Museum of American Jewish History
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Location: 101 South Independence Mall East, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a day filled with family-friendly performances and arts and crafts activities, spotlight talks about social justice, and more. FREE Museum admission. Contact Programs at programs@nmajh.org or 215.932.3811.
Name: MLK Day of Service
Sponsor: Main Line Reform Temple
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
Location: 410 Montgomery Avenue, Wynnewood, PA 19096
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?'”-Martin Luther King, Jr. Join fellow MLRT congregants for a day of connection and service to our community. For a list of the day’s on-site and off-site activities, visit http://www.mlrt.org/martin-luther-king-jr.html or contact 610.649.7800.
Name: Northeast NORC Day of Service
Sponsor: Northeast NORC
Dates and Times: Monday, January 15, 2018 from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Location: Start at: 8546B Bustleton Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19152
Volunteers are invited to do minor home maintenance and repairs for seniors who can no longer do these things for themselves due to their frailty or poor eyesight. We provide directions to the homes of older adults in need, also any tools or supplies that are needed. Projects may include weatherizing windows, changing smoke detector batteries and hard to reach light bulbs, moving furniture to clean behind, cleaning and reorganizing kitchen cabinets, help going through household paperwork. Contact Abby Gilbert at 215.320.0351 or agilbert@jewishphilly.org.
Name: Food Packing and Meal Service
Sponsor: KleinLife
Dates and Times: Monday, January 15, 2018 from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Location: KleinLife, 10100 Jamison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19116
Volunteers will be packing blizzard bags and meals for our Home-Delivered Meals program. Volunteers will also be serving meals for the Congregate Meal Program.
Name: Day of Service
Sponsor: Kol Tzedek
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018, 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: 801 S. 48th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Join us to act tougher to make a difference in the lives of people in our community. Exact projects and times to be decided. Contact: socialjustice@kol-tzedek.org.
Name: Little Hands Make a Big Difference
Sponsor: Jewish Learning Venture
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Wesley Enhanced Living, 100 Halcyon Drive, Media, PA 19063
Put a smile on someone’s face! Join jkidphilly as we create beautiful stained glass wall hangings and other crafts to bring joy to the lives of the residents of Wesley Enhanced Living. This is an intergenerational program. Families will join together with the residents to create sun catchers and wall hanging for the residents.
Name: POWER March for Justice
Partnering Sponsors: MLK D.A.R.E. Coalition (of which Germantown Jewish Centre is part)
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018 at 11:30 a.m.
Locations: Corner of 6th and Market Streets (starting location for the March)
Mother Bethel Church, 6th and Lombard Streets (March end point & rally)
Organizations across the region have joined together, as the MLK D.A.R.E. (Day of Action, Resistance, and Empowerment) coalition, to prepare for the “March for a Better America.” We continue the push for a progressive agenda for the United States in these trying times as we honor and move forward the unfinished business begun by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The “March for a Better America” will begin at the slave quarters on Independence Mall (6th and Market Streets) at 11:30 a.m. and conclude at historic Mother Bethel AME Church (419 S. 6th St. Philadelphia, PA) for an outdoor rally. At the rally, we will unveil our 21st Century Declaration of Rights which calls on politicians, community leaders and common citizens to support the basic human rights we cherish, such as affordable housing, health care and quality public education for all.
Name: Martin Luther King Day of Service
Partnering Sponsors: Har Zion Temple and the Anti-Defamation League
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018 from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Location: Har Zion Temple, 1500 Hagys Ford Road, Penn Valley, PA 19072
Various Service Projects offered:
Request donations of clothing, household goods, pet Items, books, personal items and non-perishable food. Activities on the day include donation sorting; Cook for a Friend; crafting and more; service-related fun activities for children and parents; and an American Red Cross Blood Drive. Also, in the “Open a Book, Open Your Mind” program, Michelle Edwards will share her book, A Hat for Mrs. Goldman during the Martin Luther King Day commemoration. Open to all of our communities!
Name: MLK Day POWER and Teach-in
Sponsor: Germantown Jewish Centre (GJC) and POWER
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Locations: Dobbins High School, 2150 W. Lehigh Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132
Join POWER’s “People’s Call to Action” rally as we continue building a movement of strategic advancement, faithful confrontation and intentional connection with one another. The rally from 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. will be followed by campaign issue teach-ins from 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Name: MLK Day Commemoration
Sponsor: Congregation Beth Israel
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018 at 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Location: 542 S. New Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063
A variety of activities on January 15th for our members to participate! Come to B.I. to knit or crochet or use a knitting loom to make warm hats and scarves to donate to those in need. Simple patterns and instruction are available, as well as skeins of worsted weight yarn, knitting needles size 7, 8, or 9, crochet hooks size 3 or 4 and knitting hoops. Bring your own or borrow ours. Stay with your fellow congregants at B.I. to write postcards (blanks will be provided) to our elected officials, on urgent topics of the day, with addresses and sample scripts also provided. Paint walls with FUSE at The Learning Playpen daycare center, located at 222 West 8th Street in Chester, PA. The work entails preparing the second floor as classrooms where older children can go after school to get help with homework and have a safe place to stay while their parents work. Work will be done in shifts from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. To volunteer, contact Cory Long at Clong814@gmail.com or Bob McCauley at rmccauley19081@gmail.com. JoinFUSE for Martin Luther King Day celebration “A Dream Through the Eyes of Trauma, Community and Diversity” at the Market Street Ballroom, 801 Market Street, Marcus Hook, PA from 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. No charge to attend, bringing a dessert dish to share is encouraged. For more information and to register in advance visit FUSEDELCO.com.
Name: MLK Day Panel: The Role of Race in the Criminal Justice System
Sponsor: Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia–Jewish Community Relations Council, JSPAN, NCJW,
Philadelphia Jewish Labor Committee.
Date and Time: Monday, January 15, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Location: Jewish Community Services Building, 2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Join us for a discussion on race and the criminal justice system. This event is free and includes light fare. Confirmed Speakers: PA State Representative Jordan Harris; Keir Bradford-Grey, Chief Defender, Defender Association of Philadelphia; Nyssa Taylor, Criminal Justice Policy, American Civil Liberties Union PA.
