A California rabbi claimed his invitation to lead the closing prayer at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration was pulled because of his ties to Israel.<\/p>\n
Rabbi Hanan Leberman, of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in in San Diego,\u00a0posted a revealing letter on Instagram<\/a> to organizers of the All Peoples Celebration in Balboa Park, claiming they disinvited him from the event.<\/p>\n He said his message \u201cis deeply aligned with the Reverend Dr. King\u2019s<\/a> teachings, regardless of how I may be perceived by others.\u201d<\/p>\n Rabbi Hanan Leberman has claimed his invitation to lead the closing prayer at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration was pulled because of his ties to Israel. Tifereth Israel Synagogue<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I agreed to participate in this event, I did so fully aware that I would be sharing a stage with individuals whose politics and ideas I do not always share.\u201d the rabbi wrote. \u201cThat, to me, is precisely the work Dr. King called us to do: sharing space with those with whom we disagree, seeking common ground, and recommitting ourselves to the dream that all people are treated equally.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear who was responsible for dropping Leberman from the event or when the decision was made. Calls to event organizer Alliance San Diego by The Post weren\u2019t immediately returned.<\/p>\n Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pictured in 1963 being presented the Solomon Schechter Award by the President of the United Synagogue of America. Bettmann Archive<\/p>\n Alliance San Diego addressed the controversy in a Facebook post Sunday. Alliance San Diego<\/p>\n The post explained that the Leberman was welcome to attend but declined. Alliance San Diego<\/p>\n Alliance San Diego describes itself as \u201ca community organization whose mission is to build collective power to create an inclusive democracy where everyone can participate fully with dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n The keynote speaker at the event is B.A. Parker, co-host of \u201cCode Switch,\u201d NPR\u2019s flagship podcast and radio show on race and identity. The theme of the celebration is \u201cChoose Courage.\u201d<\/p>\n At least one of the group\u2019s leaders called for unity of all people just days before the MLK celebration.<\/p>\n \u201cNow more than ever, our voices must rise above hesitation. We must claim our dignity and echo the truth that any attack on one, is an attack on us all.\u201d Miesha Rice, the advancement director of Alliance San Diego, told KPBS<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t