Martin

MARTIN

When I was growing up in northern California, before my family moved down to Thousand Oaks when I was 10, I loved learning about one man more than anyone I could think of. His name was Martin Luther King, Jr.

I picked up every book I could read about this man. I did numerous biographies on him. I was inspired. This man stood up for something he believed in. He was even willing to die for it, because it was so deep in his core. He was a man of faith, and although, as I would later learn, he wasn't a perfect man, he was willing to do what it took for freedom, even going to jail for it.

The most amazing thing is that later I would look at pictures of him marching. There were Rabbis standing by Martin Luther King. Abraham Joshua Heschel, who is considered by many as one of the great minds of the conservative movement, was often there right beside them. They were friends, as they both loved their faiths, but sought for something more.

Later on, I would see pictures of other Jewish people getting involved in the Civil Rights movements, holding vigils and walking with Martin. They would travel with him, get arrested with him and integrate themselves as a serious part of this movement. I'm sure that some people wonder why Jewish people would do this. We were as free as we could be -- although I realize now that we knew that we weren't always.

Twenty years before Martin Luther King stood at the Lincoln Memorial and said that he had a dream, Jews in Europe were being rounded up by the thousands. They were raped, tortured, tested on and killed in the number of six million. We remembered what it was like to have persecution, so when images of African-Americans in the South being sprayed by hoses and bitten by dogs came, we felt something inside of us. We had to be a part of it.

It makes me frustrated that there have been problems in recent years between communities of African-Americans and Jews, particularly those in New York. I have also found frustration for my African-American friends who are Jewish, but who may not be identified as Jewish because of the color of their skin (by the way, this is not only common for them -- I have heard complaints from my other Jewish friends who have darker skin). Martin did not work so hard for things like this to still happen in the world.

My feeling is that we are all a part of this world, so we should work and be together peacefully. We should understand each other and learn about each other. I don't know if we can do this through food, but the truth is that we have to find a way to be a part of this world together.

Martin, you will always be an inspiration. You taught me to never limit myself, and taught me there are some things worth fighting for, even dying for. In honor of Martin's southern roots, here is a recipe to enjoy.

JAMBALAYA PASTA

1 package soy chorizo (see Quick Tip)
1 (16 oz.) package spaghetti
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves
2 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 carrot
1 red pepper
1 can white beans
¼ teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cook the pasta and drain according to box directions. Finely chop the garlic and dice the onion. Slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch half moon shapes, while keeping the squash round. Dice the pepper and carrot. Drain and rinse the white beans.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Throw in the onion and garlic, seasoning with salt slightly so they will soften. Cut open the casing on the soy chorizo and add to the onion and garlic. Stir until evenly coated. Add the other vegetables, and season with salt and pepper. Allow them to soften. Add the beans last.

Mix the vegetable mixture with the pasta. Add the lemon juice and hot sauce to taste. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

QUICK TIP: Soy chorizo can be found at your local market. If you can find kosher chorizo, as we have in LA, you can use it in place of the soy variety.