Temple Avodah, in Oceanside, commemorated the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a Shabbat service last Friday that blended prayer, music and reflection, urging congregants to consider both the nation’s progress and the work that remains in fulfilling King’s dream.
The service drew worshippers of all ages for prayer, storytelling and song. Led by Rabbi Jeshayahu (Shai) Beloosesky and cantorial soloist Steven Wagner, the evening blended Jewish tradition with the moral language of the civil rights movement, linking ancient scripture to a modern struggle.
The Shabbat coincided with Parashat Va’era, a portion of the Torah centered on the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. As Beloosesky explained, the story of liberation is not confined to the past.
Redemption, he told the congregation, is both a divine promise and a human obligation.
“The parsha is about redemption — the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt,” he said. “And Martin Luther King Jr. also had a dream of redemption — the redemption of American society.”
Just as Moses carried a message of freedom to an exhausted people who could barely hear it, Beloosesky said, King carried a dream to a nation burdened by injustice. The question, he suggested, is not whether the dream was spoken, but whether it is still being heard.
“We must ask ourselves now: How many people are listening today?” he said. “How many truly want to hear Dr. King’s dream in our time?”
Throughout the service, that question echoed in many ways. Congregants were invited to share moments of gratitude, grounding ideals in everyday life. A mother spoke of her relief and gratitude that her daughter had traveled safely to and from Israel. A young student drew laughter when she expressed thanks that her science teacher had not assigned homework.
Between prayers, there was music. Featured soloist Sydney Williams delivered powerful renditions of “Lean on Me,” by Bill Withers, “Visions,” by Stevie Wonder, and “This Time,” from the musical “Now. Here. This.” The songs mirrored the evening’s themes of solidarity, perseverance and shared responsibility.
At one point, worship leaders invited congregants to close their eyes and reflect on the future they hope to build. “What would Martin Luther King say now?” Beloosesky asked. “What would Moses say now? If you were in their position, how would you move forward?”
The service’s most expansive reflection came from Nassau County District Court Judge Maxine S. Broderick, president-elect of the Nassau County Bar Association. Speaking not only as a jurist but also as a beneficiary of the civil rights movement, Broderick framed King’s legacy as both a moral inheritance and a call to action.
“That movement expanded freedom, dignity and opportunity for all people in this country,” she said. “It reminded us that justice is not the possession of one community, but the inheritance of all humanity.”
Broderick spoke of a nation grappling with war abroad, economic strain and a growing sense of disillusionment, particularly among young people. Rising costs, shrinking opportunities and a constant flood of misinformation, she said, have eroded confidence in institutions, and even the concept of truth itself.
“We live in difficult times,” Broderick said. “Young people are bombarded with information but starved for wisdom. Many ask, ‘What can I believe?’ A society cannot thrive when its young members doubt the very existence of truth.”
In that environment, Broderick argued, hope is not naïve. It is necessary.
“‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope,’” she said, quoting King. “Hope is not wishful thinking. It is a discipline. It is the belief that a better future is possible, even when the present is painful.”
Broderick reminded the congregation that the civil rights movement was sustained not by certainty but by determination — by ordinary people who marched, sat in, endured arrests and persisted despite fear and fatigue.
“They believed justice was possible,” she said. “They believed their children, and all of America’s children, deserved a better future.”
As a judge, Broderick said, she sees that same quiet hope every day. “The very act of coming before the law is an act of hope,” she said. “It is the belief that truth matters and that justice can be done.”
Congregants gathered after the service for oneg — a traditional post-Shabbat get-together — and there were more discussions about responsibility, dignity and what it means to live King’s dream in daily life.
The commemoration of Dr. King was not confined to remembrance. It was an affirmation that hope — disciplined, practiced and shared — remains a powerful force, capable of carrying a community and a country forward.
“Our children need to see that hope is not only a feeling,” Broderick said. “It is a practice — a moral choice.”
