While every Shabbat is special, there is one as a Jew in America that I look forward to with special intention: UNITY Shabbat.

As we mark a day of service to honor the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., we recognize that in our common traditions, we share sacred texts focusing on freedom.

This year, we are partnering with Pastor Terrance Taylor and Breath of Life Seventh Day Adventist Church. Perhaps it is no coincidence that on the Shabbat of Martin Luther King Day Weekend, we read of God’s promise to redeem the people. The Torah tells us four different ways God will do so, corresponding to the four cups of wine we drink at our Passover Seder.

So too today, there are various avenues to redemption. We use our voices and we use our actions, but ultimately, we build relationships that grow into true friendships as we learn about each other to create a kinder gentler world.

At the conclusion of tonight’s service, we will sing, “We Shall Overcome.” We will put our arms around each other, praying the way our ancestors did in Egypt, praying the way so many in the world over the course of history have done.

For deep in our hearts, we do believe, we shall live in peace someday. Come and experience a UNTIY Shabbat and participate in a piece of God’s redemption.