Shabbat Tzedek with Imari Paris Jeffries, CEO and President of Embrace Boston

Gather with us onsite or online at 6:00 p.m. for an inspirational Shabbat Tzedek, a Sabbath of Justice, to celebrate the values of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with honored guest Imari Paris Jeffries, PhD, who is CEO and President of Embrace Boston. This service is open to people of all faiths.

We are collecting food for the Greater Boston Food Bank. Please bring non-perishable packaged food with you to donate to this drive. Donations will be collected at the synagogue's entrance on Nessel Way.

Before the service, at 5:15 p.m., we will have Shabbat Mishpachah with pizza for all kids, teens, and families.

During Qabbalat Shabbat, young children may leave the service for a kids-only ice cream bar and activities. Babysitting will be available for kids over age one.

After the service, everyone is invited to an onsite festive oneg catered by local Black-owned restaurants and featuring the opportunity to join in Israeli dancing. Catering provided by these Black-owned businesses: Delectable Desires Pastries & Cakes, Discover Vegans, Fresh Food Generation, Jamaica Mi Hungry, Lord Dawgz, and Sweet Teez Bakery.

How to Participate

No need to register; just come! Join us onsite or online (on Zoom, on Facebook Live, or via Temple Israel’s livestream). Questions? Call 617-566-3960 or email info@tisrael.org. Learn more about the full weekend of events and services.

About Imari Paris Jeffries

Imari Paris Jeffries joined Embrace Boston in 2020, a privately funded nonprofit that works closely with the City of Boston and The Boston Foundation to dismantle structural racism through their work at the intersection of arts and culture, community, and research and policy. The aim is to forge a city that leads in empathy, equity, and opportunity.

Paris Jeffries successfully raised $20 million to build The Embrace memorial honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King and their life in Boston. The Embrace, unveiled in January 2023, is the first major monument built on Boston Common in more than 30 years.

Paris Jeffries currently serves as a trustee of the University of Massachusetts system, and on their Global Board of Regents. Previously, he was the executive director of Parenting Journey, CEO of the Italian Home for Children, COO of Jumpstart, interim CEO of Boston Rising, and Executive Director of Friends of the Children-Boston. Jeffries has served on the boards of the Huntington Theatre, Boston Ballet, Mass Budget and Policy, and Mass Humanities.

In 2023, Paris Jeffries was named to Boston magazine’s list of 150 most influential Bostonians, and to Boston Business Journal’s Power 50. A three-time graduate of UMass Boston, he recently received his PhD through UMass Boston’s Higher Education Program. He is an Army veteran, serving from 1991 to 1996.