In 1924, Martin Luther King was only a boy, and the KKK was still a powerful force throughout the country. The heart of a bigot will always find a target, and so it was in our community in October of that year. A fundrasier dance for The Mount Melchisedech Seminary was being held in the Oakland Municipal Hall, and at the height of the party an explosion was heard out front causing the dancers and music to stop. As all rushed to the front windows to investigate the noise, they came face to face with a burning cross. The shock of the image had barely registered when another cross was set ablaze in the back of the building.
The seminary itself had suffered a suspicious blaze just two night before, and it can be assumed they were the target. It could also be assumed that the target was Tolerance itself. The fundraiser had been weeks in the planning and was organized by area leaders of both the Catholic, Jewish and Protestant communities; and the hundreds of party goers from surrounding towns were of various faiths. Reports at the time indicated up to sixty men had taken part in the perversion of burning the crosses.
The need for communities of faith to stand together in the face of bigotry, intolerance, violence and hate continues and the need will always be with us. The Ramapo Valley Baptist Church continued in this tradition of religious leaders working together by hosting a celebration for Martin Luther King’s birthday with leaders from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths leading a communal prayer service of hope. Amongst the religious leaders present was Rabbi Finkelstein of Temple Emanuel in Franklin Lakes, a temple founded in 1906 in Paterson, who gave the benediction. His predecessor, the Rabbi Rueben Kaufman followed in the tradition of religious tolerance when he joined with other religious leaders in the 1940s for a brotherhood meeting in the local library.
The Dr. Mohammad Qatanani, a Muslim Imam, also is one who understands that religious differences take a back seat to what religions hold in common. Dr. Qatanani recently faced deportation as the federal government sought to associate him with Hamas. He was defended by Jewish and Christian leaders who testified on his behalf, as well as the County Sheriffs of both Bergen and Passaic County. He brought with him a message of of hope and unity, freedom and peace.
Pastor Herb Dorfman of the RVBC opened the service with a greeting, followed by a Prayer of Response from the youth of the Franklin Lakes Methodist Church. Christine Lovette, the Music Director of RVBC, led the Children’s Choir in an adorable version of This Little Light of Mine as well as directing the Adult Choir. St. Alban’s Church’s Youth Group did a presentation called “Dr. King Speaks”. The Scripture was read in both Hebrew and English by the youth of Temple Emmanuel. A presentation of Art Work and a video, while Marquis Francis, the Vice President of Student Council from Indian Hills High School, read Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday (Martin Luther King), was arranged by Principal George Villar and Art Teacher Jo Nicole Bradley of Valley Middle School and VMS students. Others involved in the service were The Rev. Deacon Barbara Harriman, The Rev. Cooper Conway and Mrs. Lorraine Knox of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, The Rev. Penny Gadzini of Creative Living Counseling Center, The Rev. Beth Quick of Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church and The Rev. Dr. Frederick Neiderhiser, Interim Pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church.
The new President of the United States, Barack Obama, exemplifies how far African-Americans have come in claiming their right to the American Dream. But bigotry and prejudice still exist, and as members of past generations have stood shoulder to shoulder against bigotry and prejudice, the children at the unity service learned that they too will need to stand one day.
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