Discussion Questions

Part I
  1. Initial assessment: Who delivered this sermon? When?
  2. How was it communicated? Where was it communicated? How do you think this might have influenced the message?
  3. Who was the intended audience? How do you think that might have influenced the message?
  4. How does Rabbi Wax view Martin Luther King, Jr.? What in his sermon makes you say that?
  5. How are these views similar and/or different from those of other people Wax mentions in his sermon?
  6. What, according to Rabbi Wax, is God's will?
  7. What do you think Rabbi Wax's purpose is in giving this sermon?
  8. Why do you think it might have been harder for Rabbi Wax to give this sermon in Memphis than it would have been for a Northern rabbi to give this sermon?
Part II
  1. How do you think James Wax's experience and/or Jewish values influence his participation in the Civil Rights Movement? What makes you say that?
  2. How would you describe the role that Rabbi Wax played in the Civil Rights Movement?
  3. Do you think this is an appropriate role for a rabbi? Why or why not?
  4. Are there any current political/social issues on which you think rabbis today should take a stand? What kind of role would you want to see them take?

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Discussion Questions." (Viewed on November 23, 2024) <https://jwa.org/node/11879>.