Did you know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave one of his final speeches right here in Sullivan County?
On March 25th, 1968, Dr. King traveled to the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake to deliver the keynote speech at the Rabbinical Assembly’s annual gathering. Though the event received little press at the time, it has since become recognized as his penultimate speech and final interview.
King was invited to the Concord by Rabbis Abraham Heschel and Everett Gendler, long-time friends who had joined him in the historic 1965 Selma march. When he took the stage that night, King made a point to say he wasn’t delivering a “formal” speech. Instead, he was having a conversation with Gendler. His words were as impactful and profound as ever.
That evening, King addressed the urgent need to combat antisemitism, poverty, and racial inequality in America. He stressed the importance of an alliance between the Jewish and Black communities, and spoke about political systems, unemployment, the war in Vietnam, and tensions in the Middle East. King concluded his remarks by requesting the rabbis join him at the Poor People’s March on Washington later that spring.
Just ten days after his appearance at the Concord, Dr. King was murdered on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Later that summer, many of the Concord rabbis honored his request and attended the March on Washington—a landmark gathering in the ongoing struggle for civil rights.
Today we honor Dr. King’s enduring legacy and this powerful piece of Sullivan County history that deserves to be remembered.
The Kiamesha Lake Borscht Belt Historical Marker was unveiled in June 2024 and highlights The Concord Hotel & Breezy Corners Bungalow Colony, featuring an image of Dr. King delivering his speech. Check it out in front of The Alder Hotel next to Resorts World Catskills.
Post courtesy of Borscht Belt Historical Markers