Planting for the Next Generation on MLK Day and Tu B’Shevat
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
It is right and just that the legacy of Dr. King is now celebrated not with a day off but with a day ON: MLK Day of Service, the first federal holiday designated as a national day of service. This is a great opportunity to volunteer as a family to make a difference in our world, and the best way to honor and continue Dr. King’s work.
“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”
—Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Ancestors), 2:21
The work of Dr. King and so many others continues today, with a new generation picking up the mantle of social justice and activism. The work is not done, but we can all participate in the process. How fitting that the MLK Day of Service (Monday, January 17th) and Tu B’Shevat (the Jewish “Birthday of the Trees,” which starts Sunday, January 16th at sundown) fall on the same day this year. Both have themes of planting the seeds (both metaphorical and literal) for future generations. There’s a story of Honi the Circle-Maker, who was flabbergasted to find an older neighbor planting a carob tree, since these trees do not bear fruit for 70 years. However, the reply he received was:
“Just as my ancestors planted for me, so I will plant for my children.”
—Babylonian Talmud Taanit 23a
As our predecessors worked for a more just world, we can do the same. See below for ideas for books to read before and after participating in community service, and a full list of MLK Day of Service opportunities. Check them out and share with us how you’re celebrating Tu B’Shevat and MLK Day of Service this year!
Additional Resources
- MLK Day of Service Opportunities in Greater Washington
- 7 Books About Making the World A Better Place | PJ Library
- Everything But the Turkey At-Home Guide to Service | Edlavitch DCJCC
- The Story of Honi and the Carob Tree
- Jewish Books to Read for MLK Day
- Honoring the Legacy of Dr. King Through Action | Here’s the Story post
Books to Share
To learn about the life of Dr. King and his legacy, try one of these books:
- Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky
- As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March Toward Freedom by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Raúl Colón
- I am Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos
- Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester, illustrated by Karen Barbour
- We March by Shane W. Evans
- The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Discussion to Have Before Volunteering
- What do we care about as individuals in our family?
- What do we care about as a family?
- What kinds of activities are we involved in that might relate to this activity?
- Do we have a personal connection to one of these issue areas? Is someone we love directly affectedby one of these issues? (The only exception is, of course, the environment which affects all of us!)
Please make sure every member of the family gets to speak up and share during this conversation.