Shared Dreams, Shared Promise Inaugural Archival Release of Eulogy Delivered by Rabbi Dick Hirsch for Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Do you need an educational program for MLK Day or Black History Month?  

Take time with your congregation, organization, with your leadership group, or with a friend to reflect on the enduring alliance between African American and Jewish communities in the pursuit of justice.

The centerpiece is a 10-minute video of Rabbi Richard (Dick) Hirsch—founder of the Religious Action Center—reading his moving 1968 eulogy for his close friend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Delivered before 2,000 people at Washington’s largest synagogue, Rabbi Hirsch’s words remind us that Dr. King’s dream was rooted in interfaith and interracial partnership.

"He would not let us forget that there were human beings who were being treated less than human. From bus to waiting room to lunch room, to hotel room to voting room, to slum house, to school, the University campus to employment offices, he had confronted us with the America we had refused to believe existed. He shattered illusions but he restored our dream, the American dream... His pulpit was the street, his congregation all mankind and his message universal." - Rabbi Dick Hirsch

To access the recording and transcript of the eulogy, as well as the clergy, organizational, and youth toolkits, please visit:  Toolkits | Spill The Honey. These resources include background information, inspirational quotes, and discussion prompts designed for use in worship, study, sermons, classes, or community meetings. We hope these materials help your community explore the role of faith in combating racism and renewing our shared moral mission.