Wayne shul to mark MLK Day
Temple Beth Tikvah in Wayne will hold its annual Martin Luther King lecture series on Friday, January 13, at 7:30 p.m. A dedication ceremony of the shul’s paving stone pathway in honor of the late Rabbi Emeritus Israel Dresner will precede erev Shabbat services at 7 p.m., and there will be a festive oneg Shabbat following services.
The MLK annual series was created by the late Rabbi Dresner to honor Dr. King. Rabbi Dresner, who was a Freedom Rider and was arrested along with the civil rights icon, was a strong supporter of civil and equal rights.
Jimmy Richardson of Paterson will present “All King’s Men,” a story about the people who stood shoulder to shoulder with MLK. Mr. Richardson was an archivist in the New York Times microfilm department who researched and produced a documentary, “Freedom Fighter,” that looked at the decision to make Dr. King’s birthday a national holiday. “Freedom Fighter” premiered at the grand opening of the Paterson Museum in 1982. The film led to an exhibit at the New Jersey Historic Society in Newark, followed by the historic designation of the Community Baptist Church of Love in Paterson, the last place MLK spoke before his last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” and his 1968 assassination in Memphis. Mr. Richardson has achieved landmark status for several African-American churches with cultural and architectural significance to black communities. Ronald A. Foster, the director of worship at Madison Ave. Christian Reformed Church in Paterson, the guest musician, is a conductor, composer, arranger, and keyboardist.
Jay Arrington of Washington, N.J., the guest soloist, is a singer, songwriter, author, playwright, and substance abuse counselor. He is the founder of Poetry Emotion by Jay, an inspirational greeting card company, and the founder and president of Poetry Emotion Productions, LLC, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that focuses on the cultural arts.
For more information or to register, go to www.templebethtikvahnj.org or call (973) 595-6565.
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