We are thrilled to announce that the Jewish Experience of the Civil Rights Movement Living Legacy Pilgrimage is confirmed, November 14-18, 2022!*
And it is with great joy, we also announce that Rabbi Jonathan Kligler, a powerful community leader with a gift for touching hearts and minds, as well as an accomplished singer and folk guitarist is joining the staff this Pilgrimage.
Rabbi Jonathan Kligler has been building bridges between the African American and Jewish communities for decades. A singer and guitarist, Rabbi Jonathan, as he is known, and his dear friends Kim and Reggie Harris produced the CD “Let My People Go: A Jewish and African American Celebration of Freedom.” In spoken word and in song, the album explores the shared connection of the African American and Jewish communities to the Biblical tale of the Exodus, and the deep involvement of Jews in the modern African American struggle for civil rights. Kim, Reggie and Jonathan have performed the Let My People Go concert throughout the US and in Europe. Rabbi Jonathan recently retired after serving the Woodstock Jewish Congregation in Woodstock, NY for 34 years.
In 2019 Rabbi Jonathan and his wife Ellen Jahoda participated in a Living Legacy pilgrimage tour, and he is thrilled to be part of the leadership team for this trip.
We still have a few open seats, so if you know of someone who’s been considering going and hasn’t committed yet, now is the time. We’ll be accepting registrations through October 13, 2022, but the sooner the better, so please encourage them to visit LLP Information and Registration page and register as soon as possible.
PLEASE READ THIS BULLETIN CAREFULLY AS IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THE PILGRIMAGE.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
It’s a good idea to begin exploring transportation options to and from Birmingham, AL, i.e., flights, train schedules, bus routes, etc., so you can secure the best options and rates. We will meet in Birmingham on Monday, November 14 at 8:00 am CT for an orientation and breakfast, so plan to arrive on Sunday, November 13th. Your hotel room for Sunday night is included in your registration fee.
Lodging in Birmingham
In Birmingham, we’ll be staying at a hotel close to the airport:
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport
5000 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N,
Birmingham, AL 35212
205-591-6900
If you would like to stay over for a night at the end of the trip on November 18, we will provide with information about how to do that in our next bulletin. This will be at your own expense.
Flights
If you’re flying, arrange your flight to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM). There is a free airport shuttle to the hotel.
Amtrak and buses
Birmingham is serviced by Amtrak and by various bus lines. You will need to make your own arrangements to get to the hotel from the train or bus station.
Driving
If you drive to Birmingham, you can leave your car without charge in the hotel parking lot for the duration of our trip. More information to come.
Leaving for home at the end of the Pilgrimage
On our final day, Friday, November 18, we will return to Birmingham from Meridian, MS. We will stop for lunch and our closing ceremony before dropping people at the airport and Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport for people to retrieve their cars.
Important: If you plan to fly home on Friday, do not schedule a flight before 3:00 pm. We probably won’t arrive at the Birmingham airport until at least 1:30 that afternoon so give yourself enough time to comfortably make your flight.
PREPARING FOR THE TRIP
For you to get the most out of this experience, we hope you will do some advance reading and video watching. Our website offers many resources (see Resources) covering both history and current developments in civil rights areas relevant to the stops. We thought we would highlight a few especially good sources that you might find in your library or bookstore.
BOOKS
Weary Feet, Rested Souls
We recommend that you purchase a copy of Weary Feet, Rested Souls by Townsend Davis to carry with you on the journey. It’s available from Amazon in print, both new and used copies, and Kindle editions, or you can order it from your favorite independent bookstore.
Although it was published in 1999, it contains the best history of many of the sites we’ll be visiting. Arranged by location, Weary Feet, Rested Souls describes key places we will visit, including maps, Movement history, photos and quotes. It provides a good preliminary review of the significance of each site, and a helpful tool for remembering the sites and telling others about them back home.
We also recommend that you explore one or more of these books about the movement in the areas we will be visiting.
Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution
Diane McWhorter - 2001
Now with a new afterword, the Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatic account of the civil rights era’s climactic battle in Birmingham as the movement, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., brought down the institutions of segregation.
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
Jeanne Theoharis - 2013
The definitive political biography of Rosa Parks examines her six decades of activism, challenging perceptions of her as an accidental actor in the civil rights movement.
Selma, 1965
Charles Eugene Fager - 1974
The earliest attempt to describe the 1965 Selma voting rights campaign, valuable because it was written by someone directly involved in it.
We Are Not Afraid: The Story of Goodman, Schwerner, And Chaney, And the Civil Rights Campaign for Mississippi
Seth Cagin, Philip Dray, Philip Dray - 2006
The brutal murder that spurred Americans' interest in justice and civil rights is recreated in the first complete in-depth account of the life and death of civil rights martyrs Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner.
FILMS
Several films (available as video, DVD or both) are well worth watching on your own. Some are available through streaming services or your local library. We will be using some visual materials on the bus, but will not have the time to include all segments of these excellent resources:
Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years 1954-1965 by Henry Hampton - (available in a 3 DVD set) We will view some segments on the bus where the story takes place, but all sections are well worth watching ahead of time.
Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance
Documentary “Shared Legacies” Black and Jewish (forward.com). This film is not yet available for public streaming, but you can contact the producers to arrange for a private group screening. Shared Legacies | Menemsha Films
This is just a start. You’ll find more on our Resources page and many more by contacting your favorite bookstore or searching for topics of interest on the Web.
ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS
We encourage participants who have the resources to do so to contribute to our Scholarship Fund. A scholarship donation is an opportunity for individuals to take a concrete action toward healing the wounds of racism by making it possible for a person whose life has been impacted by color discrimination or economic disadvantage to participate in the Pilgrimage.
DONATE
FUTURE UPDATES
Your planning team is working on setting up all the details, and you should look for another bulletin in mid-October and one two weeks before the trip that will help you prepare and know what to expect, including packing suggestions, money to bring, etc.
In the meantime, if you have questions, please visit our website at https://www.livinglegacypilgrimage.org/2022je.html or feel free to e-mail us at [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you in Birmingham!
Annette Marquis
Director of Operations
Living Legacy Project
*Note: In the event of a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases or based on the recommendation of the local/state health authorities in the states we are visiting, LLP reserves the right to cancel the Pilgrimage. If we make the decision to cancel, we will do so by no later than September 19 and you will receive a full refund of registration fees.
And it is with great joy, we also announce that Rabbi Jonathan Kligler, a powerful community leader with a gift for touching hearts and minds, as well as an accomplished singer and folk guitarist is joining the staff this Pilgrimage.
Rabbi Jonathan Kligler has been building bridges between the African American and Jewish communities for decades. A singer and guitarist, Rabbi Jonathan, as he is known, and his dear friends Kim and Reggie Harris produced the CD “Let My People Go: A Jewish and African American Celebration of Freedom.” In spoken word and in song, the album explores the shared connection of the African American and Jewish communities to the Biblical tale of the Exodus, and the deep involvement of Jews in the modern African American struggle for civil rights. Kim, Reggie and Jonathan have performed the Let My People Go concert throughout the US and in Europe. Rabbi Jonathan recently retired after serving the Woodstock Jewish Congregation in Woodstock, NY for 34 years.
In 2019 Rabbi Jonathan and his wife Ellen Jahoda participated in a Living Legacy pilgrimage tour, and he is thrilled to be part of the leadership team for this trip.
We still have a few open seats, so if you know of someone who’s been considering going and hasn’t committed yet, now is the time. We’ll be accepting registrations through October 13, 2022, but the sooner the better, so please encourage them to visit LLP Information and Registration page and register as soon as possible.
PLEASE READ THIS BULLETIN CAREFULLY AS IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THE PILGRIMAGE.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
It’s a good idea to begin exploring transportation options to and from Birmingham, AL, i.e., flights, train schedules, bus routes, etc., so you can secure the best options and rates. We will meet in Birmingham on Monday, November 14 at 8:00 am CT for an orientation and breakfast, so plan to arrive on Sunday, November 13th. Your hotel room for Sunday night is included in your registration fee.
Lodging in Birmingham
In Birmingham, we’ll be staying at a hotel close to the airport:
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport
5000 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N,
Birmingham, AL 35212
205-591-6900
If you would like to stay over for a night at the end of the trip on November 18, we will provide with information about how to do that in our next bulletin. This will be at your own expense.
Flights
If you’re flying, arrange your flight to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM). There is a free airport shuttle to the hotel.
Amtrak and buses
Birmingham is serviced by Amtrak and by various bus lines. You will need to make your own arrangements to get to the hotel from the train or bus station.
Driving
If you drive to Birmingham, you can leave your car without charge in the hotel parking lot for the duration of our trip. More information to come.
Leaving for home at the end of the Pilgrimage
On our final day, Friday, November 18, we will return to Birmingham from Meridian, MS. We will stop for lunch and our closing ceremony before dropping people at the airport and Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport for people to retrieve their cars.
Important: If you plan to fly home on Friday, do not schedule a flight before 3:00 pm. We probably won’t arrive at the Birmingham airport until at least 1:30 that afternoon so give yourself enough time to comfortably make your flight.
PREPARING FOR THE TRIP
For you to get the most out of this experience, we hope you will do some advance reading and video watching. Our website offers many resources (see Resources) covering both history and current developments in civil rights areas relevant to the stops. We thought we would highlight a few especially good sources that you might find in your library or bookstore.
BOOKS
Weary Feet, Rested Souls
We recommend that you purchase a copy of Weary Feet, Rested Souls by Townsend Davis to carry with you on the journey. It’s available from Amazon in print, both new and used copies, and Kindle editions, or you can order it from your favorite independent bookstore.
Although it was published in 1999, it contains the best history of many of the sites we’ll be visiting. Arranged by location, Weary Feet, Rested Souls describes key places we will visit, including maps, Movement history, photos and quotes. It provides a good preliminary review of the significance of each site, and a helpful tool for remembering the sites and telling others about them back home.
We also recommend that you explore one or more of these books about the movement in the areas we will be visiting.
Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution
Diane McWhorter - 2001
Now with a new afterword, the Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatic account of the civil rights era’s climactic battle in Birmingham as the movement, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., brought down the institutions of segregation.
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
Jeanne Theoharis - 2013
The definitive political biography of Rosa Parks examines her six decades of activism, challenging perceptions of her as an accidental actor in the civil rights movement.
Selma, 1965
Charles Eugene Fager - 1974
The earliest attempt to describe the 1965 Selma voting rights campaign, valuable because it was written by someone directly involved in it.
We Are Not Afraid: The Story of Goodman, Schwerner, And Chaney, And the Civil Rights Campaign for Mississippi
Seth Cagin, Philip Dray, Philip Dray - 2006
The brutal murder that spurred Americans' interest in justice and civil rights is recreated in the first complete in-depth account of the life and death of civil rights martyrs Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner.
FILMS
Several films (available as video, DVD or both) are well worth watching on your own. Some are available through streaming services or your local library. We will be using some visual materials on the bus, but will not have the time to include all segments of these excellent resources:
Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years 1954-1965 by Henry Hampton - (available in a 3 DVD set) We will view some segments on the bus where the story takes place, but all sections are well worth watching ahead of time.
Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance
Documentary “Shared Legacies” Black and Jewish (forward.com). This film is not yet available for public streaming, but you can contact the producers to arrange for a private group screening. Shared Legacies | Menemsha Films
This is just a start. You’ll find more on our Resources page and many more by contacting your favorite bookstore or searching for topics of interest on the Web.
ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS
We encourage participants who have the resources to do so to contribute to our Scholarship Fund. A scholarship donation is an opportunity for individuals to take a concrete action toward healing the wounds of racism by making it possible for a person whose life has been impacted by color discrimination or economic disadvantage to participate in the Pilgrimage.
DONATE
FUTURE UPDATES
Your planning team is working on setting up all the details, and you should look for another bulletin in mid-October and one two weeks before the trip that will help you prepare and know what to expect, including packing suggestions, money to bring, etc.
In the meantime, if you have questions, please visit our website at https://www.livinglegacypilgrimage.org/2022je.html or feel free to e-mail us at [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you in Birmingham!
Annette Marquis
Director of Operations
Living Legacy Project
*Note: In the event of a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases or based on the recommendation of the local/state health authorities in the states we are visiting, LLP reserves the right to cancel the Pilgrimage. If we make the decision to cancel, we will do so by no later than September 19 and you will receive a full refund of registration fees.
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