First Jew in Alabama; Martin Luther King Jr., Israel & Alabama
MLK, ISRAEL & ALABAMA
As America honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, it's worth remembering that the late civil rights leader was a staunch supporter of Israel. In 1968, King, speaking to a Jewish group ten days before his assassination, said, "Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect her right to exist, its territorial integrity and the right to use whatever sea lanes it needs."
"Israel is one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy," he added. "Peace for Israel means security, and that security must be a reality."
As we remember Dr. King, particularly here in Alabama where he left an enormous legacy, let us continue to draw upon his memory to inspire us to be more accepting of others, and continue to look for ways to bridge differences of faith, color and ethnicity to build a better community, country and world for all.
Above quote information was taken from Jewish Virtual Library.
FIRST JEW IN ALABAMA
Alabama's Jewish community, though small, has had a tremendous impact on our state. The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life has an interesting article on its website about the history of Jews in Alabama and, in particular, the first Jew to settle in Alabama -- Abraham Mordecai, who arrived in Montgomery County in 1785. The writeup is worth reading. Here's more:
A colorful character who thought the Native Americans he encountered were one of the lost tribes of Israel, Mordecai established a post on the banks of the Alabama River to trade with the Creek and Chickasaw tribes. This post eventually grew into the state capital of Montgomery.
Mordecai spent several decades living among these tribes, often acting as the liaison between the natives and the growing number of American settlers in the area. He even married a Creek woman. Mordecai's status as a Jewish pioneer led to a life of isolation, as no Jewish community existed in the area yet. By the end of his life, he lived alone as a pauper in an abandoned Indian hut on the outskirts of Montgomery.
'THINGS ARE GOOD FOR US'
On behalf of the 2012 Birmingham Jewish Federation Campaign, we sent an email to a couple who'd given $1800 to last year's campaign. We told them about Operation Grassroots, an unprecedented BJF effort to raise 1000 increases and new gifts of at least $100 to receive a $100,000 challenge gift.
"Please, if possible, consider increasing your pledge by at least $100 and become part of Operation Grassroots," we wrote. "We also have funds from The Birmingham Jewish Foundation to match increases beyond $100, so any amount you increase will be matched."
Shortly thereafter, we received a great response.
"Thank you for your email. Things are good for us and we would be happy to raise our pledge to $2,000 for 2012. That way we can take advantage of both initiatives (Operation Grassroots and Foundation matching funds)," they wrote back.
"Hopefully, we can continue to be supportive of The BJF campaign for many more years to come. Our financial situation is solely dependent on our Social Security income plus what we can earn in investments. We appreciate the work that The BJF does for the Birmingham Jewish community."
