Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 13, 2017

Annesheila and her late husband Leonard Turkel were honored for their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s-60s to end segregation for African Americans at a Jewish American Heritage Month event that took place May 7 at Hallandale High School in Hallandale Beach.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-23), who organized the JAHM event, honored Turkel and moderated a discussion of contributions by Jewish Americans to the Civil Rights Movement in a program titled "Standing Up in the South," which was attended by 200 people.

Along with Turkel, other speakers at the JAHM event were U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-20), and Former Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, Jr.

"Leonard and I were horrified to see segregation in Miami as a Jim Crow city when we moved there in 1956," said Turkel.

"Before moving, we thought of Miami as a paradise. Coming from New York, a liberal city, it was shocking to learn that blacks were restricted to residing in only three neighborhoods and were not allowed to be seen in Miami Beach after sundown, except for domestics."

"Woolworth's and other cafes did not welcome Negroes, which is what African Americans were called at the time. Burdines (a now defunct department store in Miami) did not allow Negroes to use elevators. Even a famous entertainer like Sammy Davis, Jr. was not allowed to stay in the Miami Beach hotels where he performed."

A video made by Turkel's three children (Amy, Bruce, Doug) shown at the JAHM event illustrated the work of Annsheila and Leonard Turkel in organizing the first "sit-in" in the country to fight segregation on April 29, 1959 and the events leading up to the protests.

"My father and his black friend, Dr. John Brown, would test segregation policies by going to the restricted downtown Miami lunch counters, only to be thrown out when they requested service," wrote Bruce Turkel in his blog "bruceturkel.com."

"My parents decided that the best way to promote equality for all of Miami's residents was to stage 'sit-ins' at the restricted lunch counters in downtown Miami."

Following the end of segregation, Annsheila Turkel was active in Miami with Congress of Racial Equalty (CORE).

Leonard Turkel, a property developer, built the Ann Marie Adker Community Health Center in Overtown and restored Miami's first black library, among other projects.

"Leonard and I believed strongly in social justice as part of our mission as Jews in tikkun olam or repairing the world," said Annsheila Turkel.

In praising Turkel, Wasserman Schultz stressed that Jews and African Americans were bonded in the battle for civil rights and the end of segregation.

"Jews knew firsthand the issues of discrimination when they were restricted from residing in some sections of Miami Beach in the 1930s and 40s. Jews helped form the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and over 50% of the civil rights attorneys pushing to end segregation were Jews," said Wasserman Schultz.

"We must continue to build a bond between blacks and Jews to fight for the end of intolerance, hatred, racism and anti-Semitism," said Wasserman Schultz.

Hastings and Young each shared with the audience anecdotes in which they bonded with Jews to fight to end segregation.

"My family worked for a Jewish family and we attended many bar mitzvahs since 1949. I recall working with many Jewish people to fight against segregation in Broward County," said Hastings.

"I learned from the Torah how blacks and Jews shared the burden of slavery. I admire Jews for overcoming struggles and turning them into strengths. Anti-Semites blamed Jews for their own problems because they were successful," said Young.

"I fondly remember that Dr. Martin Luther King had many blacks and Jews join him in a trip to Israel. Both blacks and Jews also learned from the Six-Day War of 1967 that we have a common heritage from the same God who created us all."

"We gather inspiration today from Mrs. Turkel to go forward as blacks and Jews together to fight for the end of anti-Semitism and racism," said Young.

Jewish American Heritage Month is celebrated during the month of May as an annual celebration and recognition of Jewish Americans for their achievements and contributions in the United States.

Wasserman Schultz is credited, along with the late Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican-turned-Democrat from Pennsylvania and the Jewish Museum of Florida, with founding the annual JAHM celebrations, beginning in 2006.

To learn more about Jewish American Heritage Month, go to http://www.jewishamericanheritagemonth.us.

Continued here:
Jewish Americans honored for contributions to Civil Rights Movement - Sun Sentinel

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
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