ECHOES OF SOLIDARITY: THE LEGACY OF DR. KING AND RABBI PRINZ

It’s been 28 years since the first and, until now, the only time Inauguration Day coincided with the day to honor the work and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On that day, Bill Clinton began his second term. This Monday, another returning president will begin his. Each of these presidents has been a lightning rod for our nation’s divisions.

I have heard some people lamenting the confluence of Dr. King’s holiday with Inauguration Day. Personally, I think having the spirit of Dr. King hovering over the inauguration is a good thing. Today—perhaps more than ever—his message of justice and unity is one our nation can draw upon. After all, his work was never done in isolation. It always relied on partnerships and mutual support.

Perhaps none was more iconic than his friendship with Rabbi Joachim Prinz.

If that name rings a bell, it’s because Rabbi Prinz (1902–1988), a refugee from pre-war Nazi Germany, spoke just before Dr. King at the 1963 March on Washington. Drawing upon his experiences as a Jew and his appreciation of the American promise, he said:

I speak to you as an American Jew. As Americans, we share the profound concern of millions of people about the shame and disgrace of inequality and injustice which make a mockery of the great American idea.

... From our Jewish historic experience of three and a half thousand years, we say: Our ancient history began with slavery and the yearning for freedom. During the Middle Ages, my people lived for a thousand years in the ghettos of Europe. Our modern history begins with a proclamation of emancipation [Israel's Declaration of Independence].

It is for these reasons that it is not merely sympathy and compassion for the black people of America that motivates us. It is, above all and beyond all such sympathies and emotions, a sense of complete identification and solidarity born of our own painful historic experience.

When I was the rabbi of the Jewish community in Berlin under the Hitler regime, I learned many things. The most important thing that I learned under those tragic circumstances was that bigotry and hatred are not the most urgent problem. The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful, and the most tragic problem is silence.

Prinz knew what silence in the face of bigotry and hatred could unleash. It is the reason that here, in his beloved adopted homeland, he refused to be silent. Seeing the civil rights movement as an existential moral cause, he became a champion of its principles.

The two men met in 1958 when Dr. King spoke at the American Jewish Congress’s convention. Five years later, not long before the March, Dr. King also spoke to Rabbi Prinz’s New Jersey congregation, Temple B’nai Abraham. Throughout those years and beyond, their friendship grew into a partnership dedicated to combating both racism and antisemitism, exemplifying a deep mutual respect and commitment to justice.

Lately, the Jewish partnership in the civil rights movement has been minimized and even derided. Some have circulated harmful narratives that distort Jewish involvement, framing it solely in terms of self-interest or exploitation. These harsh distortions sow division and obscure the profound mutual respect and shared struggle that underpinned this alliance.

Rabbi Prinz’s experience belies these falsehoods. The partnership between Jewish and Black communities during the civil rights era was built on shared values, a common fight against oppression, and a mutual belief in justice. And it wasn’t one-sided. Dr. King’s devotion to the Jewish community was heartfelt and clear. He recognized the shared history of persecution that bound Black and Jewish Americans and spoke out against antisemitism in its many forms. He also saw the demonization of Israel for what it was. In one of his clearest statements of solidarity, he said: “When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You’re talking anti-Semitism.”

This partnership has not been without tensions, some of them quite fraught. The celebratory reception of the October 7 massacre by many in the Black Lives Movement comes to mind. But such hateful ignorance must not be permitted to erase our shared commitment to the principles that Dr. King, Rabbi Prinz, and countless others marched to achieve.

Today, as we face renewed challenges—of continuing racism and rising antisemitism—echoes of our once-solid alliance can still be found.

On social media and in public forums, Black voices are speaking out against antisemitism, calling for solidarity in the face of hate. From prominent leaders to everyday citizens, we see a recognition that the fight against antisemitism is part of a broader struggle against bigotry in all its forms.

One such voice is Dr. Clarence Jones, now 94, who served as Dr. King’s personal attorney, strategic advisor, and speechwriter. In a documentary marking the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer last year, he spoke emotionally about the Black-Jewish alliance. He also addressed the anguish of the Jewish world in the wake of the October 7 Hamas massacre, calling for renewed solidarity.

On an Inauguration Day bristling with division, I have chosen to focus on the enduring friendship between Dr. King and Rabbi Prinz. Their alliance is not just a memory of the past; it is a model for what is possible when communities refuse to remain silent in the presence of hatred and bigotry. It reminds us that justice is not owned by any one ideology—it is a shared value.

Let their legacy inspire us to rebuild bridges, amplify voices of unity, and rediscover the power of supporting one another across our differences.