MLK’s dream is now our task to realize, says archbishop
Archbishop Nelson Pérez speaks at a Jan. 18 archdiocesan interfaith prayer service in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. hosted by St. Dorothy Parish in Drexel Hill. During his reflection, the archbishop said the dream envisioned by the slain civil rights leader is now the task at hand for each one of us to make it come true.” (Photo by Sarah Webb)
By Gina Christian • Posted January 19, 2021
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that “pure love in the imitation of God the Father” remains the ultimate antidote to racism, said Archbishop Nelson Pérez.
In 1989, the rapper known as Professor Griff made anti-Jewish comments that derailed his career.
More than 30 years later, when Griff appeared on the actor Nick Cannon’s podcast in July, their conversation about that moment nearly derailed
The divergent paths these two men traveled offer a kind of test case of celebrity
teshuvah, or repentance the broad theme of the Jewish High Holidays, which begin this weekend and show the role that Jewish leaders can play in legitimizing, or not, the
teshuvah of Black entertainers who have offended Jews.
Cannon, after issuing two public apologies for referencing antisemitic ideas, was embraced by rabbis and leaders of Jewish organizations who saw the podcast as a teachable moment. They spent hours with Cannon on private phone calls and public Zoom conversations to show him why his comments had been unacceptable.
Growing up in a hate-filled world
January 15, 2021
Sometimes I feel uncomfortable sharing my Judaism in public. Why should I have to be though? Judaism has had such a profound impact on my life and has shaped me into the person I am today. I attended a Jewish preschool, have been participating in local Jewish events since a young age, attend synagogue regularly, and have endless Jewish friendships made through Jewish youth groups and summer camp. Judaism is so special to me and creates a community that I am proud to be a part of. So why is it that I am so cautiously aware of the hamsa hanging around my neck, why am I sometimes embarrassed t.
There is nothing like hugging a cuddly stuffed animal
January 1, 2021
William McNarney (center) with his sister, Rebekah, (l), Orlando Day Nursery Director Liz Franqui and some of the 144 donated stuffed animals he collected for Orlando Day Nursery.
For his bar mitzvah project, William McNarney collected stuffed animals to give to children at Orlando Day Nursery in Parramore, an early childhood center where many families are experiencing trauma and economic hardship. They could lose a family member to the virus. A parent could lose work. They could lose the few things that they have, said William, 13, an eighth-grader at Howard Middle School. This gives them something to hold onto.