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Was Martin Luther King Jr. an anti-semite? If so, or even if not, is it ok to teach about him in a bais yaakov school? I am planning my day for tomorrow…
MLK is AOK by me. I have a paid day off from work due to him.
From a letter Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in 1967 (bolding mine):
“. . . You declare, my friend, that you do not hate the Jews, you are merely ‘anti-Zionist.’ And I say, let the truth ring forth from the high mountain tops, let it echo through the valleys of God’s green earth: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews–this is God’s own truth.
“Antisemitism, the hatred of the Jewish people, has been and remains a blot on the soul of mankind. In this we are in full agreement. So know also this: anti-Zionist is inherently antisemitic, and ever will be so.
“Why is this? You know that Zionism is nothing less than the dream and ideal of the Jewish people returning to live in their own land. The Jewish people, the Scriptures tell us, once enjoyed a flourishing Commonwealth in the Holy Land. From this they were expelled by the Roman tyrant, the same Romans who cruelly murdered Our Lord. Driven from their homeland, their nation in ashes, forced to wander the globe, the Jewish people time and again suffered the lash of whichever tyrant happened to rule over them.
“The Negro people, my friend, know what it is to suffer the torment of tyranny under rulers not of our choosing. Our brothers in Africa have begged, pleaded, requested–DEMANDED the recognition and realization of our inborn right to live in peace under our own sovereignty in our own country.
“How easy it should be, for anyone who holds dear this inalienable right of all mankind, to understand and support the right of the Jewish People to live in their ancient Land of Israel. All men of good will exult in the fulfilment of God’s promise, that his People should return in joy to rebuild their plundered land.
This is Zionism, nothing more, nothing less.
“And what is anti-Zionist? It is the denial to the Jewish people of a fundamental right that we justly claim for the people of Africa and freely accord all other nations of the Globe. It is discrimination against Jews, my friend, because they are Jews. In short, it is antisemitism.
“The antisemite rejoices at any opportunity to vent his malice. The times have made it unpopular, in the West, to proclaim openly a hatred of the Jews. This being the case, the antisemite must constantly seek new forms and forums for his poison. How he must revel in the new masquerade! He does not hate the Jews, he is just ‘anti-Zionist’!
“My friend, I do not accuse you of deliberate antisemitism. I know you feel, as I do, a deep love of truth and justice and a revulsion for racism, prejudice, and discrimination. But I know you have been misled–as others have been–into thinking you can be ‘anti-Zionist’ and yet remain true to these heartfelt principles that you and I share.
Let my words echo in the depths of your soul: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews–make no mistake about it.”
Some people on this board may have theological oppositions to Zionism, but that is really irrelevant as far as this quote from Dr. King is concerned.
The Wolf
MLK stood up for his people, he didn’t use them like many others did. I think its totaly ok to teach about him. Tomous Edison was an anti-semite, so you won’t teach about the light bulb? In any case please always double check with your superiors so you don’t find yourself in truble.
Good job Wolf! I never before heard anything about MLK being anti-semitic and I wonderd what I was missing, I geuss I wasn’t missing anything.
Whether we respect Reverend King or not it won’t matter to the principal of the school. Prepare your lesson but make sure it is OK with the school that you teach the kids about him. You don’t want to have a rash of phone calls and dressing down from the principal.
Let freedom ring!
OP, are you confusing Martin Luther King Jr. with Martin Luther?
MLK Jr. hugely pro-Semitic.
He worked with many Jews combating social injustices that are all-but-unimaginable today.
He repeatedly put himself in harm’s way while defending the oppressed, all the while adhering to Ghandi’s principle of refusing to consider any type of violence to achieve his ends.
He was unfairly arrested and beaten numerous times, but bravely continued his struggle against legal and institutional racism.
His life was ended by a racist murderer who gunned him down in 1968.
I would suggest that if you’re interested in teaching a class about him, at a minimum you read his Wikipedia article.
You may also want to:
-See the famous Norman Rockwell painting “The Problem We All Live With”.
-Read about the Little Rock integration. Look at some of the photos taken that day.
-Read about what happened to Schwerner Goodman and Chaney.
-Read about Medgar Evers.
-Read about Emmet Till.
MLK’s personal life wasn’t exemplary, but that isn’t unusual in the secular world.
His bravery in the face of personal danger, true desire to obtain justice for others, and admiration of Jews is in marked contrast to the Anti-Semitism and self-aggrandizement of leaders such as Jackson, Sharpton, Farakhan and others.
You will probably have to sanitize any lesson for elementary school yeshiva students.
Jews have always been in the forefront of the American Civil Rights movement, because it always has been a movement committed to Jewish ideals. After all, we were slaves too, and we suffered pogroms, and we acutely remember the misery brought about by that state.
Much of the early funding and leadership and many of the early board members and early leadership of the NAACP (National Ass’n for the Advancement of Colored People) were Jews, including Jacob Schiff, Jacob Billikopf, and Rabbi Stephen Wise. Early Jewish-American co-founders included Julius Rosenwald, Lillian Wald, Rabbi Emil G. Hirsch and Wise.
About half of the Freedom Riders in the late 50’s and early 60’s were Jews of yet another generation. Two of the three civil rights workers beaten and murdered in Mississippi in 1963 were Jewish.
Dr. King’s struggle has been our struggle, and has resulted in the greatest freedom for Jews ever experienced in the Galus. Dr. King’s sacrifice has benefited all Americans AND made the world a more just place and what could be more Jewish than that?
plus, what subject are you teaching? How can you teach American History, for instance, and avoid mention of Dr. King?
The letter posted by Wolf turns out to be a hoax. It took a long time to realize that it was a hoax because it in fact does accurately reflect Dr. King’s beliefs. He spoke out against the oppression of Jews in the former Soviet Union before American Jewish leaders did. (One can seriously argue that this created a chilul HaShem as a Protestant Christian minister was expressing more interest in the fate of oppressed Jews than were any prominent Jews at the time.) He was outspoken in his support for the State of Israel. He spoke out on these matters at a time when they were not popular causes and there was little to be gained politically by doing so. And he welcomed the support of Jews in the civil rights movement. Far from being an anti-Semite, he was truly a righteous gentile.
The semi-official Bronx celebration of Martin Luther King Day is held in an orthodox synagogue. That is entirely appropriate.
of course you should teach about him; why wouldnt you?
Wolf, I’d like to use that quote for an email if you have a source I can check.
charliehall, Similarly, if you have a source that suggests the quote is inaccurate, please let me know.
Thanks to you both.
The Jewish people should feel indebted to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was Hashem’s messenger to the American people about ‘Civil Rights.’ He is to be credited for true religious freedom in this country and, by large, the insignificant amount of anti-Semitism on this side of the globe. His essence was pro-Semitic. He was a man who understood that the differences between people don’t make them different. Although the letter may be a hoax, as many claim, it is largely based on a speech he gave. Nevertheless, he didn’t have to say it; he did it. Unlike the NAACP and other ‘Civil Right’ groups that preach civil unity all day but don’t practice it, MLK was a man of honor and truth. His ‘dream’ enabled for many of us to achieve the ‘American dream.’ He should be honored today as an hero for all. We ought to carry on his legacy for a color-blind society where no one “will be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Homeowner,
Here is my source; camera.org is pretty reliable:
so the words were spoken but not written…
I learned about him in yeshiva growing uo and dont understand why (a school that teaches history/has english) wouldnt teach about him.
So, L613, what happened?
Well, you learn something new every day. I was not aware that the letter was a hoax. Thanks for the info, Dr. Hall.
The Wolf
I’d not heard about this letter (hoax or not) but I did read the “I have a dream” speech in the prospect park skating rink.
Its a very eloquent speech and if nothing else, it should be taught, so kids can see how one can take an idea and truly bring it to life
(Not that yiddishkeit is short on well written pieces, but if you need to teach something secular, I suppose MLK is as good a choice as any)
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