In December 2014, about 100 people convened for the first in a series of annual lectures honoring the legacy of the Rev. Theodore Parker, the 19th century minister, abolitionist, theologian, and bold proponent of social justice for whom our church is named. The Theodore Parker Lectures will feature talks by clerics or theologians whose work reflects Rev. Parker’s drive to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.

The speaker for the inaugural lecture, Rabbi Brian Walt, spoke about why all of us must engage with the complex and controversial issue of Israel and Palestine in a talk entitled, “The Prophetic Challenge: Breaking Silence, Speaking Truth.”

Rabbi Walt, a student activist in apartheid South Africa, later emigrated to the United States, where he helped to found Rabbis for Human Rights North America. He is a member of the Rabbinical Council of Jewish Voice for Peace and rabbi emeritus of Congregation Mishkan Shalom, an activist synagogue that he founded in Philadelphia.

You can listen to the lecture in its entirety here. The recording starts with music by the Theodore Parker Church House Band, followed by  welcoming remarks from the Rev. Anne Bancroft (starting at 9:30), some historical notes by amateur historian Julie McVay (at 10:40), a speaker’s introduction by Diana Digges, co-chair of the Social Action Committee (at 16:22), and the lecture by Rabbi Walt (at 19:25), concluding with a Q&A session (at 1:07:07).