'We were here together'

The annual Congregation Beth Israel Shabbat Service honoring Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. inspires now more than ever

Temple Beth Israel was packed Friday for the annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dignitaries present included Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and many state and local officials. Photos by Erin Hoover Barnett

On the Friday before the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday—for the last 18 years—Congregation Beth Israel and the Vancouver Avenue Baptist Church have partnered on a special Shabbat service in Dr. King’s honor.

Brought to life with hand-clapping gospel singing by the Northwest Freedom Singers, joined by the Beth Israel’s Kol Echad Choir and a full band—and each year featuring a Civil Rights Era or racial justice luminary—the service at the Northwest Flanders Street synagogue brings inspiration and grounding.

The Northwest Freedom Singers and Congregation Beth Israel’s Kol Echad Choir set the tone at the Congregation Beth Israel Shabbat Service honoring Dr. King with gospel hymns and songs of protest and unity.

This year, amid so much turmoil, felt like no other.

The 1,000-seat sanctuary was packed. Elected officials at every level were there. And most of the crowd stayed through … for … three … hours.

The service demonstrates unity across the Jewish and African American communities. This year, Rabbi Michael Cahana and Senior Pastor J.W. Matt Hennessee and their teams delivered at a new level.

Leaders from the Ecumenical Ministry of Oregon, the NAACP and the Urban League joined in weaving a message from the bimah: This is not the time to pull apart.

“The arc of justice is bent by our hands, by our commitment to each other,” Rabbi Cahana said. “To stand for civil rights puts your community at risk. And it’s the right thing to do.”

Musse Olol, president of the Somali American Council of Oregon, takes in the congregation’s standing ovation.

A powerful moment came when Musse Olol, president of the Somali American Council of Oregon, stepped to the microphone with a message of gratitude: “We know all the people who are here support us, and we are part of this community.”

The crowd rose in a standing ovation.

Civil Rights activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, now 84, made the Freedom Rides and Woolworth’s sit-ins come alive. She is interviewed here by her son, filmmaker Loki Mulholland.

After much speechifying and singing, the guest speaker, Civil Rights activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, gingerly took her seat and a microphone center stage. Her Emmy-winning filmmaker and activist son, Loki Mulholland, led their conversation.

A white woman, Trumpauer Mulholland joined Black students as they sat in at the Jackson, Miss., Woolworths in 1963. She participated in the Freedom Rides, the Selma-to-Montgomery march and much more, earning a statue in the National Civil Rights Museum. She’s now 84 years old.

She concluded with a call to action: “I can’t do everything, but I can do something.”

Pastor Hennessee ended the service with a call and response that could likely be heard on Glisan Street:

“We are brothers and sisters, and we need to fight together because their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We are not free if they are not free. We are not loved if they are not loved. We have to be the people who stand up and say, to get to them, you have to go through me. Do I have a witness somewhere?”

His summary captured the vibe of the evening.

“Tonight felt like a Baptist revival,” he said. “But one of the things that felt so important about tonight is that we were here together.”

Rabbi Michael Cahana led the call to service and lighting of the Shabbat candles.