Myrlie Evers-Williams, author, activist and wife of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, will be the featured guest speaker at a special Shabbat service at Congregation Beth Israel on Friday, January 16, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. in the historic main sanctuary.

Since 2007, Beth Israel has collaborated with the African American communities in Portland to present this lecture and Shabbat service honoring the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his life and achievements. This highly anticipated annual celebration also features performances by members of the NW Community Gospel Chorus and Beth Israel’s congregational choirs. Past speakers have included prominent leaders in the Civil Rights Movement, including Congressman John Lewis from Georgia; the Honorable Myron Herbert Thompson; Rev. Robert S. Graetz; Rabbi Si Dresner; and original CORE member David Dennis.