On Friday evening the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas will commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with a celebratory service that honors eight students from St. Thomas and St. John high schools with awards of recognition.
The public is invited to attend the service at the historic synagogue in Charlotte Amalie and the reception that follows at the Lilienfeld House, located across the street.
One student from each St. Thomas and St. John high school will be honored during the service. This year’s awardees are: Makeda Christiana Wade, Seventh Day Adventist; Shakil Persad, All Saints School; Joshua Farrell, Antilles School; Mary-Alice Prosper, Charlotte Amalie High School; Larisma Maduro, Gifft Hill School; Abigail Joseph, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School; Lillianna Francis, St. Peter and Paul School; Leah Trotman, V.I. Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy.
Chosen for their exemplarily service to their community, the students were nominated by their principals or guidance counselors.
Each of the students will receive a $500 cash award and a book, "Shared Dreams, Martin Luther King and the Jewish Community.”
During the ceremony, the Rev. Odell Cleveland, chief administrative officer for Mount Zion Baptist Church of Greensboro, North Carolina, will speak. Before his position with Mount Zion, Odell was the president and co-founder of the Welfare Reform Liaison Project, Inc., the nation’s first faith-based community action agency.
Further information is available by calling Rabbi Michael Harvey at 340-774-4312.
