Service in honor of MLK Jr. planned for Jan. 25 OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Temple Beth El on Monmouth Road in Oakhurst will host Prince of Kosher Gospel Joshua Nelson, as he leads services Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nelson is an African-American Jew from Newark and is world renowned for integrating traditional Hebrew liturgy and Jewish songs with the soul beat of African-American gospel music. Also expected to attend the service are the Rev. Dr. C. David Williams, dean and rector of Trinity and St. Phillip's Cathedral in Newark, and Imam Shakur Abdul Rahmin, a Moslem cleric in Newark. "To have Josh Nelson serve as the cantor for our Shabbat evening service in honor of the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will give us the opportunity to put into practice some of the values and teachings of this great American leader," Rabbi Gordon Yaffe, of Temple Beth El, said in a press release. "The melding of Jewish and African- American traditions in a multiracial congregation comprised of Jews, Christians and Moslems will be an historical event for our community. "I hope that this special service will be a catalyst for greater understanding and respect among the members of our diverse community," Yaffe said. Also expected to attend the service are members of the Temple Beth El congregation, as well as community spiritual leaders of the Greater Long Branch Ministerium and members of Temple Beth Miriam in the Elberon section of Long Branch. For more information, call (732) 531- 0300.