• About Hillel
    • Mission & Vision
    • Hillel Staff
    • Marcus Hillel Center
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
  • Get Connected
    • Students
      • FYSH First Year Students of Hillel
      • Leadership
        • Student Board
        • Student President Election
        • JHealth Leadership Institute
        • JBiz Roundtable
      • Student Groups
    • Alumni
    • Parents
    • Support Hillel
  • News & Events
    • Blog
    • icon-calendar.png Calendar
  • Jewish Life
    • Shabbat
    • Holidays
      • Passover
      • High Holidays
    • Jewish Learning
    • Israel
    • Art Gallery

February 07, 2011

Exploring the Jewish History of Civil Rights in Atlanta

Written by Deborah Schlein, Posted in Student Life

Exploring the Jewish History of Civil Rights in Atlanta
Over the past few months, I worked with Hillel to organize a group to tour some of the many Civil Rights sights in Atlanta in the midst of Black History Month. I wanted to explore the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the Jewish involvement in this period of progress while seeing the very places where this history unfolded. Our visit this past Sunday afternoon included a trip to the pencil factory of Leo Frank, a Jewish man whose rights were ignored as he was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. We then visited Auburn Avenue, the home to Martin Luther King, Jr - his birth house, his burial site, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the King Center.
Billy Planer, the founder and executive director of Etgar36, led our small group. It was fascinating to learn of the struggle for Black Civil Rights and to find out that Jews held such a positive role in their struggle. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel being one of the key players among the Jews who marched with Dr. King at Selma, Alabama, was a prominent supporter of civil rights during this time. He is even featured in a new mural at the MLK center depicting Dr. King's struggle for civil rights.
Everyone who went on this trip took away from it a sense of inspiration. We were challenged to make the world a better place through tikkun olam, and we fully intend to do so. As Dr. King worked to better the world, so can we.

Deborah Schlein ('13C) is from Houston, TX.

Social Bookmarks

Comments (0)

Leave a comment

You are commenting as guest. Optional login below.

Facebook

Cancel Submitting comment...

Marcus Hillel Center at Emory

CALL (404) 963-2548
for more information
Click icon for map, parking information, and directions to
735 Gatewood Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30322
  • Hours: Mon-Thurs 9:30am to 9:00pm, Fri 9:30am to 4:00 pm, closed Sat-Sun
  • Open for activities and special events - see our calendar


Weather in Atlanta
Partly CloudyPartly Cloudy 79 oF
Humidity: 47%
Wind: SE at 5 mph

News Categories

  • Alumni News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Religious Life
  • Student Life
  • Thoughts & Musings

Tag Cloud

  • alumni
  • business
  • food
  • goodfriend's
  • israel
  • jewish learning
  • jhealth
  • leadership
  • music
  • social justice
  • student board
  • students
  • support Hillel
  • weddings

Comments

  • Michael
    Erika is an awesome student and a strong asset to Hillel at Emory. An award well deserved

    Michael, 16. November, 2011 | #

  • Joel Alan Katz
    Sounds like a fantastic course! Wish I could have attended such a course when I was a student at Rutgers.

    PS. For the class on...

    Joel Alan Katz, 02. March, 2011 | #

  • Robin Faber
    Great article! The author gave a unique take on the rally and her experience. She is obviously a talented writer and her opinions...

    Robin Faber, 16. November, 2010 | #

  • Michael Rabkin
    Randi- thanks for the positive feedback. We are definitely looking at ways to draw parents to the new site. I don't know how many have...

    Michael Rabkin, 26. August, 2010 | #

Hillel International   |  Hillels of Georgia   |   Emory Religious Life   |  Contact Us
© 2011 HILLEL AT EMORY