KI will be closed this Thursday in honor of Juneteenth. This holiday has us acknowledge the end of slavery and the ultimate enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. On Juneteenth, we recall the date of June 19, 1865, when this momentous occasion took place. It marked a turning point not only for people of color in this country, but a new day for the country as a whole. This legislation represented the legal expression of a moral: Human beings are the property of no one. People are sacred and not to be treated as objects or goods for sale. It is thus a day that has us consider themes of liberation, equality and understanding.

Juneteenth became a Federal Holiday in 2021. It was then that the importance of the date became known to so many. At KI, we have decided in recent years to close on this day both to honor our friends in the African American community and to acknowledge the importance of the historic date for all Americans. Many will take part in parties and festivals on this date. We have chosen to mark the date in recent years with a public reading of “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” a long and moving oration on the harsh realities of slavery and its effects on a society. Frederick Douglas gave the fiery speech in New York in 1852. It is indeed a biting and scathing commentary on 4th of July celebrations to those enslaved. He shares his anger toward a contradictory government that boasts of opportunity and freedom, while ensuring that so many are still shackled. Sadly, so much of it still resonates today.

We will read the speech, paragraph by paragraph, on Sunday June 22 at 11AM at KI. Please consider joining us.

We were strangers in the land of Egypt and know what it means to be mocked and belittled. Our minority experience in so many places, across so many centuries, has been hard, demoralizing and worse than that. We must align ourselves with all peoples who have been pushed to the margins at the hands of would-be leaders and those yearning for power. To be a Jew is to feel the pain of others, all others, and to be part of building a more peaceful tomorrow for all. Racism still abounds in this country, even now, in 2025. I pray that we will hold onto the prospect of fairness and acceptance for all. I pray that we will not give up on each other. I pray that we remember the sentiments of Frederick Douglas and all who fought for the right to exist. May we be inspired by them every day.