TEANECK, N.J.—On Jan. 21, the sanctuary at Temple Emeth in Teaneck was filled to capacity.
Hundreds of Bergen County residents and dignitaries had come to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Joining the assemblage were: Attorney General Gurbir Grewal; New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg; Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton, with undersheriffs and officers; Bergen County Executive James Tedesco III; Bergen County Freeholders Mary Amoroso, Germaine Ortiz, Tom Sullivan and David Ganz; Bergen County NAACP President Jeff Carter; Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes; Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin; Englewood Council President Katharine Glynn; Councilman Wayne Hamer; and Temple Emeth Senior Rabbi Steven Sirbu.
The program was emceed by Anthony Johnson, an anchorman and senior correspondent for WABC-TV Channel 7 News.
Rabbi Sirbu began with a moving invocation, with the words, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness—only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate—only love can do that.”
He said that “Were he alive, Dr. King would have doubtless gone to Charleston to comfort his fellow African Americans after the horrific loss of life there [referring to the mass shooting in 2015], just as he went to Birmingham after the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four girls in 1963. I think that he would have gone to Pittsburgh too [referring to the Tree of Life shooting Oct. 27, 2018], because he believed in non-violence and he knew that pain was not felt differently by blacks or whites, by Christians or Jews. He understood that the only answer to hatred is love.”
Sirbu cited the Book of Leviticus, which says, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as you love yourself.”
During the evening, there was a candle lighting ceremony to honor victims of violence and a musical performance by the Teaneck Community Chorus.
As the speeches began, Tedesco praised the students who had performed community service that day in tribute to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service movement.
“This was a day that young people came together to do good for the people of Bergen County in the spirit of Dr. King. Although his life was short in comparison, the profound impact that he had, I saw today,” Tedesco said.
As we stand here tonight, I see Dr. King’s dream of bringing people together no matter what color we are, nor where we preach or pray from. Here in Bergen County, where we have at least a million people, I’m proud to say that every day we work to ensure that everybody feels included. In my mind, the community is color blind and we can work together to make this the greatest nation in the world.”
Tedesco was followed at the podium by Cureton, who thanked his father for being such a great role model and for embracing the entire community where he grew up in Englewood. He spoke about his service as president of the NAACP, how his admiration for King inspired him to make a trip to Montgomery.
“Then, in November 2018, it wasn’t Anthony Cureton who got himself elected sheriff, it was 150,000 voters who wanted change. I was the benefactor of the principles of Martin Luther King, and I challenge everyone with his words, ‘What have you done for others?’”
After Cureton, Grewal detailed his efforts to litigate against unjust laws, such as the travel ban and anti-immigration laws that harm the environment.
“I have advocated against workplace discrimination, for just non-discriminatory law enforcement, for the rights of women and for our neighbors in the LGBT community,” Grewal said. “At the end of the day, I am less interested in attacks from Washington and more interested in building our own affirmative agenda here in the Garden State. I am less interested in pushing back and more interested in pushing forward, because together, I’m sure that we can build something special in New Jersey that can serve as a model for the rest of the country.”
Grewal’s went on to describe his campaign to revise and update policies to support victims of sexual assault and said that these cases are most successful when law enforcement officers treat victims with dignity and compassion and respect.
Grewal concluded by stating “There are so many ways that we can carry on the dream of Dr. King, so many ways that we can make progress without sacrificing our principals. By working together, by sharing out stories and listening to the stories of others, we will find common ground and push our state forward. I am so confident that we are up to the task. Dr. King spoke about building a movement, a coalition of conscience to solve the great issues of our nation. We can build a coalition to build not only a better and stronger state but a better and stronger country, one that is truly worthy of Dr. King’s dream.”
In her remarks, Weinberg also praise King’s dedication to equality and she spoke heatedly against sexual abuse and other civil injustices.
Anna Wong, the keynote speaker, began by eliciting a roar of laughter from the audience when she quipped, “Here I am, a first generation Chinese-American gay woman speaking in a Jewish temple honoring a black minister! That’s what I love about America!”
Wong proceeded to give an enlightening speech about how women are under-recognized in society and how she admires people who refuse to give up. She said that when it comes to the civil rights movement, women have always been leading the way. Wong applauded seven such unsung historic female heroes who overcame gender and racial barriers by having seven students come up onto the stage, each holding a poster of a female pioneer as she recited that woman’s accomplishments.
For her grand finale, Wong called up and embraced Theodora Lacey, the 87-year-old civil rights activist who helped organize the Montgomery bus boycott and fought for voting rights, fair housing, and integrated schools. It was a show stopping moment!
Besides the evening’s speeches, there was a presentation of Martin Luther King Jr. Certificate Merit Awards to 24 students for their work honoring Dr. King, and three students received scholarships from the MLK Birthday Committee. The committee also presented the Lee Reid Award to the Women’s Rights Information center and it was accepted by WRIC Director Lil Corcoran.
The celebration ended with refreshments and socializing, a memorable medley of shaking hands and shared personal stories about King. The civil rights legend would have been proud of the diverse but united group that illuminated Temple Emeth on this night.