Discussion Questions - Description
- Review: Who wrote and delivered the "I Have a Dream" speech? When?
- Who was the intended audience for this speech? How do you think this might have influenced the content and tone of this speech?
- Read the text on the center of the page (the original speech) out loud in your group. Based only on this text, and not on other things you've heard about this speech, describe in your own words, what is Martin Luther King's dream?
- It's not surprising that King, a minister, used biblical references in his speech. Many of his listeners may have been aware of these references, but others may not have been aware of the literary complexities of this speech. Which, if any, of these references are familiar to you? What associations do you have with them?
- On the "I Have a Dream" Talmud page, some of the references have been highlighted and explained. Choose 3 of the highlighted phrases and read the commentary in the margin.
- How, if at all, do you interpret or think about this speech differently looking at it today in a Jewish context?