After loss, Houston’s ‘Three Amigos’ reassemble

Wherever there was injustice in Houston, the Three Amigos were there.

The affectionate nickname was given to Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza, the Rev. William A. Lawson and the late Rabbi Samuel Karff, who stood side by side to fight for social justice.

But when Karff died at age 88 on Aug. 15, it seemed their work might come to an end.

Rabbi David Lyon at Beth Israel delivered the eulogy for his mentor and predecessor. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Fiorenza and Lawson could not attend in person. Instead, Lyon addressed them through the camera, “The city won’t be the same without the Three Amigos, but if you would indulge us with Two Amigos, we would all feel better about the future.”

The next day, Lawson called Lyon and explained that he had been speaking with the archbishop about finding a successor for Karff. He asked if Lyon was up for the job.

“I had to sit down; I was so moved,” Lyon recalled. “It’s not just filling someone’s shoes, it’s not just stepping up, it’s being invited to take a place with these two leaders, in my mentor’s place.”

Then, Lawson joked that, because he is in his 90s and Fiorenza is in his 80s, he would expect the rabbi to do the “heavy lifting.”

“I said, ‘Rev. Lawson, if I can keep up with you, I’ll do it,’ ” Lyon recalled. “The next day, he was already emailing me to set up a meeting.”

Heart for social justice

For Karff, the rabbi emeritus at Houston’s Congregation Beth Israel, social justice was part of his faith, and he found the ideal soul mates, who shared his conviction, in Lawson and Fiorenza.

Lawson established Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in 1962, during the civil rights movement, and soon became deeply involved in efforts to end Houston’s segregation and uphold equality.

The pastor marched alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., helped form the first African-American studies program at the University of Houston, headed Houston’s chapter of Southern Christian Leadership and is the namesake of the William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity.

Fiorenza also marched with King and stood up for immigrants and human rights.

The trio united to fight homelessness and sat on the inaugural board of the Coalition for the Homeless. Together, they contributed to the formation of the Harris County’s Public Defenders Office, established in 2011.

Criminal justice was a top priority for the Three Amigos. They especially wanted to end the school-to-prison-pipeline. Regardless of the cause, the three leaders together could be a more persuasive force than any one alone, Lyon said.

“(Karff) could enter a room, and the world would move in his direction,” Lyon said. “But there’s even more that could be done when the three of them entered a room. There was a power to that. You just can’t deny them.”

Social justice is a cause close to Lyon’s heart, and now he can help continue the faith leaders’ efforts.

Lyon serves on the board of United Way of Greater Houston, Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and Jewish Community Legacy Project, as well as on the advisory board of Holocaust Museum Houston, the executive committee of Interfaith’s Multi-Faith Council and the Anti-Defamation League’s Coalition of Respect.

Martin B. Cominsky, CEO of Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, grew close to the Amigos during his tenure as southwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League. He recommended that Interfaith create the Brigitte and Bashar Kalai Plaza of Respect at its Midtown headquarters, honoring Fiorenza, Karff and Lawson as “Pillars of Light.” Interfaith also awards a “Spirit of Respect” award, honoring an individual who shares the trio’s values.

“Interfaith Ministries is proud to play a role in promoting and recording the history of these fine clergy members with the Pillars of Respect,” Cominsky said. “My friendship with them was always cherished.”

“When the Amigos decided it made sense to bring on a third to continue the work, they asked David, and it was a very moving moment,” said Mark Toubin, the ADL southwest region’s director and a member at Beth Israel.

He explained that the three first came together when Regina Rogers, then the ADL’s regional board chair, formed the Coalition for Mutual Respect, a group of religious and secular leaders that promoted understanding and interfaith interaction.

“They have the ability to impact change in our community in a way that’s so unique, by using the chorus of their voices,” Toubin said. “They are committed to finding out where the ills are in society and what they can do to help resolve them, whether in a big or small way.”

The coalition now has 29 members. The Three Amigos were all founding members — and also emblematic of the opportunities that arise when various faiths band together.

“They’re like a lighthouse for clarity and also direction,” Toubin said. “The Three Amigos set the bar. Their focus on bringing people together is something everyone can learn from. When facing challenges, they remind us that’s the route we need to take.”

Back in action

As soon as Lyon agreed to join, the Amigos enlisted his help with their current project: creating resources for geriatric health care.

The trio is working with one of the nation’s top geriatricians, Dr. Carmel Bitondo Dyer, executive director of the Consortium on Aging at UTHealth and executive vice chair of the department of internal medicine at McGovern Medical School.

“We’re anxious to find out and see what we can contribute to improve senior medicine for all people our age and younger,” Fiorenza said.

“Both of us, and now David, are eager to fulfill Dr. Dyer’s dream,” said Lawson, who believes that COVID-19 shines a light on the need for senior care. “She has a dream that at some point there will be a hospital for senior care.”

Dyer remembers first discussing her vision with Lawson.

“He leaned over and looked me straight in the eye, and said, ‘Carmel, have you ever heard of the Three Amigos?’ ” she recalled. “Things took off from there.”

Older adults simply have different needs, said Dyer, who is confident Houston is up to the challenge of responding. “If we can set up the No. 1 cancer hospital in the country and one of the top five children’s hospitals, put a man on the moon, do all of those things, we can have care for older adults,” she said.

Currently, the focus is on developing best practices, training and procedures to ensure seniors have access to top-quality care. For now, telemedicine is taking center stage — and Dyer is focused on improving accessibility for older adults.

“The need is here; there’s no question about that,” Dyer said.

She asked the Three Amigos to help spread the word about the project and search for funding.

“This is where we come in,” Lawson said. “We’re not medics, but we’re moral leaders. We could be the ones to help persuade some of these folks about having first-class medical care for seniors. The three of us can have the influence that one of us wouldn’t have.”

The archbishop agreed. “We need to call this to everyone’s attention,” Fiorenza said. “If it doesn’t affect you now, it will soon.”

Lyon said that Karff often spoke passionately about geriatric care and Dyer’s research.

“He is with us every single day,” Lyon said. “What I learned from him is that the measure of our city, the measure of how we are as people, is often found in how we treat the least of us, the most vulnerable. How we treat each other and build up the city is the greatest expression of faith.”

The rabbi pointed to a Jewish teaching about the importance of not working alone.

“By joining forces, we can really move a needle in this city,” Lyon said. “The three of us can continue to do work that will make a huge difference.”

He added that there is much more work ahead.

“Do we need the Three Amigos? I think that we do,” he continued. “We need the Three Amigos to continue to represent and symbolize what we can do together.”

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.