LAJH Pays Tribute to MLK Jr. and Reflects on His Powerful Legacy
Los Angeles Jewish Health Pays Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Reflects on His Powerful Legacy
A shared focus on the pursuit of justice made the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contemporaries in the American Jewish community natural allies. This past January, Los Angeles Jewish Health honored their historic collaboration with a special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event that brought together a diverse audience to celebrate Dr. King and help carry his legacy forward.
Overseen by Rabbi Karen Bender, LAJH’s chief mission officer, the gathering featured timeless music blending Jewish songs and themes with gospel sounds rooted in the African American tradition. The program was led by Hazan Mike Stein, who served as cantor of Temple Aliyah—now HaMakom—in West Hills for more than two decades and included contributions from Cantor Jenni Asher, HaMakom’s current cantor; Broadway actress Deborah Sharpe-Taylor; singer Fumani Thomas-Schwartz; pianist David Cohen; and numerous others.
“Our goal was to present a fusion of music and ideas about the melding of the two cultures, Jewish and African American,” Stein says. “We sang a song I wrote with Deborah called ‘Shalom, Shalom’; ‘Wade in the Water,’ a traditional African American spiritual that was combined with ‘Mi Chamocha’; ‘We Shall Overcome’; and ‘When the Rain Comes Down,’ which speaks to the universal struggles we all go through, no matter our faith or background. Rabbi Bender also offered a beautiful d’var Torah.”
Rabbi Bender’s words of wisdom helped ground the emotionally uplifting musical tribute, emphasizing how the values of Dr. King align completely with Jewish values.
“Our resident community at LAJH intuits the profundity of a message that relates to the principles of justice, equality, and loving-kindness,” she said.
A highlight of the event was Sharpe-Taylor’s performance as Harriet Tubman. She offered a first-person portrayal of the iconoclastic activist and brought to life her role in the Underground Railroad.
“The residents loved Deborah’s reenactment. She tried to embody Harriet, talking about her life, missing her husband, and bringing people to freedom,” Asher says. “When she was finished, Rabbi Bender got up and said, ‘I almost feel as if I met Harriet Tubman today!’”
During the program, Asher, the first Black female cantor to be ordained in the United States, offered insights into her own experience as a Jew of color.
“It’s amazing to be visible: I have people come up to me all the time to say they’ve never seen a Black or even a female cantor,” she says. “But Jews and Judaism have moved so far in terms of diversity, and I think it’s impactful for seniors to witness this evolution for themselves. The residents of Los Angeles Jewish Health were so warm and happy to see me, which was wonderful.”
Also on hand for the event were William “Mickey” Stevenson and his wife, Michelle. Mickey, a legendary producer at Motown Records and one of the principal architects of the “Motown Sound,” talked about the outstanding partnership at the label between Black artists and its executives, some of whom were Jewish.
Cantor Stein says the program was particularly resonant for many of the LAJH residents in the audience.
“A lot of the seniors remember the ‘60s and were politically active, some of them playing important roles in advancing civil rights in their local communities,” he says. “In fact, my wife, Kelley, an LAJH resident, was actually at the “I Have a Dream” speech march! When Rabbi Bender talked about how Black and Jewish people are connected by traditions that encompass both being slaves and being free, you could see people nodding along. It’s a powerful link that gives us all common ground to stand up for what’s right.”
