Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Shabbat Service

Always a highlight of the CBI calendar, our annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Shabbat Service honors Dr. King’s memory, work, and enduring legacy. The CBI and greater Portland communities come together for a service featuring CBI’s Kol Echad Choir, the Northwest Freedom Singers, and a keynote address.

Our 2024 speaker was lifelong activist Hezekiah Watkins. His remarks, “From Home to the Greyhound Station to Parchman Prison to Death Row: How I Became a Man at Thirteen,” detailed his experiences as the youngest freedom rider arrested in Jackson, MS, for demonstrating against segregation.  A recording of our 2024 service, which took place on January 12, 2024, is below; Mr. Watkins’ remarks begin at 1:12:24.