Introduction: Rabbi Milton Grafman Sermon
- Explain to your class that while the Civil Rights Movement was a social movement to change American laws and behaviors, it began in churches, and involved many Christian and Jewish clergy in addition to politicians, students, and other "ordinary people" without public roles. Today, we will learn about a number of Jewish clergy who participated in the Civil Rights Movement, and examine their reasons for getting involved, their level of involvement, and whether we think it was appropriate for them to be involved as clergy rather than just as American citizens.
- Distribute copies of the Rabbi Milton Grafman Sermon to each student. Have your students follow along on their copy as they listen to the audio recording of Rabbi Grafman giving his sermon.
- Play portions of the audio recording of Rabbi Grafman's sermon. Be sure to test the volume level before class. (Sermon is 38:54 minutes.)
- Use the questions on Rabbi Grafman's sermon to generate class discussion.
- When you are finished discussing Rabbi Grafman's sermon, explain to your students that now they are going to have a chance to learn about some other Jewish clergy and their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement on their own.
