Birmingham from the Archives
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This archival study examines the Rabbinical Assembly's participation in the 1963 Birmingham civil rights demonstrations through analysis of organizational records and participant correspondence. In May 1963, during the height of civil rights protests led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., nineteen rabbis representing the Rabbinical Assembly spontaneously organized and traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to demonstrate solidarity with the African American struggle for equality. The decision emerged during the organization's convention following discussions about the Institute for Righteous Acts and historical non-Jewish assistance to Jews during the Nazi regime. Primary source materials from the Rabbinical Assembly archives, including memoranda by Rabbi Jules Harlow and personal letters from participating rabbis, provide detailed accounts of the delegation's formation, activities, and reception. The rabbis participated in church rallies and community meetings, receiving overwhelming support from both local Jewish and African American communities. Participant testimonies reveal the profound impact of the experience on American rabbinical identity and interfaith cooperation. The study documents the Rabbinical Assembly as among the first official religious delegations to join the Birmingham demonstrations, establishing a precedent for continued organizational support of Dr. King's movement until his assassination in 1968.

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Published 1980
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Michael Schudrich