Call to Service Stressed in Commemoration of Dr. King
- Posted on:
- January 14, 2011
“Everybody can be great, because everyone can serve,” said Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as part of his famous “Drum Major Instinct” sermon in 1968.
A recording of him saying those words set the theme of service as UJA-Federation of New York held its annual commemoration on January 13th celebrating the work and legacy of Dr. King.
“Dr. King may have passed on, but his dream is very much alive,” said Tami Smith, one of UJA-Federation’s staffers who chaired the event.
Keynote speaker Dennis Walcott, deputy mayor of New York for education and community development, talked about how he has tried to put his life in the mold of Dr. King, helping the community first as a kindergarten teacher and then at a series of nonprofit organizations before becoming deputy mayor in 2002. Walcott, who praised UJA-Federation for “its service and making the world a better place,” said the King holiday is “time for us to rededicate our lives.”
John S. Ruskay, executive vice president and CEO of UJA-Federation, praised Walcott as someone “who has lived a life of service,” and said the King holiday is “an extraordinary day on our calendars.” Ruskay reflected on a treasured encounter he had with Dr. King in the 1960s, when he helped in the civil rights struggle in Alabama, and called on people to increase their service now, saying, “If we serve together, we can bring about a better world.” Both Ruskay and Walcott also paid tribute to work in the field by Michael Miller, a guest at the program and executive vice president and CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
Meaningful life
“A fulfilling and meaningful life is achieved through service to others,” said Janeen Ettienne, an AmeriCorps service member working at UJA-Federation. She said she and an AmeriCorps colleague also assigned to UJA-Federation, Mark Rosenthal, are aiming to build sustainable volunteer programs in the community. One of the projects planned, she said, is Pack It Up for Purim, a community effort to create 1,000 food packages for the needy later this winter.
Cara Berkowitz of UJA-Federation, also a chair of the event, asked the audience of several hundred people to make a personal pledge of increased service in the year ahead in the spirit of Dr. King.
The event also included a musical performance of “We Shall Overcome,” with Idella James of UJA-Federation singing, accompanied by Ruby Visaya. A slideshow of historical photographs of Dr. King was shown with a soundtrack of Mahalia Jackson singing “Amazing Grace.”