After the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, millions mourned, including many women who were inspired by her. Possibly the most impacted group was the Jewish community, who shared both her religion and her fight for social justice in America.
Ginsburg passed away on Sep. 18 at the age of 87.
“Ruth has been an idol to me for as long as I can remember,” wrote Leah Goryachkovsky in an online interview. Goryachkovsky is a freshman at Columbia University in New York, majoring in financial economics and Jewish thought .
“I strive to be a better person because of her. To fight for the things that I care about in a way to get others to join me.” Goryachkovsky said.
Ginsburg served as a justice of The United States Supreme Court for 27 years and spent a lifetime in the legal world prior to that. She was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1993 by former President Bill Clinton.
Through it all, she never lost touch with her Jewish faith, and she became a role model for young Jewish women spanning and multiple generations.
“I take pride in and draw strength from my heritage,” Ginsburg once said.
Ginsburg passed away on Erev Rosh Hashanah, the night before the start of the Jewish New Year and the start of the High Holidays. As book critic, Ruth Franklin explained, “According to Jewish tradition, a person who dies on Rosh Hashanah… is a tzaddik, a person of great righteousness”.
The word ‘tzaddik’ itself stems from the word ‘tzedek’, Hebrew for “justice”.
Indeed, her Judaism and her fight for justice were intertwined. Her office in the Supreme Court reflected that, with a sign bearing a quote from the Torah.
“ ‘Tzedek, tzedek, tirdoff’ — ‘Justice, justice shall you pursue.’ Those words are ever-present reminders of what judges must do.”
In the pursuit of justice, Ginsburg was a steadfast advocate for gender equality and served as director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Women’s Rights Project. She successfully argued five landmark cases before the Supreme Court, and was the first Jewish woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.
Ginsburg was a beacon of hope and inspiration for Jewish feminists and that is the main reason her passing develops political fear in some. Her memorable accomplishments will remain forever; one less progressive on the bench, a White House that has repeatedly vowed to overturn decisions (that Ginsburg fought so hard for) and rising rates of Antisemitic sentiments and crimes. Young Jews are fearing for a future without their formidable icon.
“I hate that the first emotion I felt when she passed was not sadness, but fear,” said Emily Hoolihan, a cantorial student at Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. “Fear for my bodily autonomy, fear for my future marriage to my beautiful girlfriend, fear for others with less privilege than me, and fear for our world.”
For others, they fear that with Antisemitism on the rise, her legacy will not be as closely tied to her religion as it should be.
“People are going to ignore that she’s Jewish and then people who are working against Jews are going to treat her like a hero, despite them hating her identity,” said Sam Friedman, a sophomore at the University of South Florida.
He’s noticed it already, with members of Congress that have worked against the interest of Jewish people posting tributes to her, that ignore her religion and her work with the Jewish community.
Some have not only ignored her Judaism, but have also focused on the mistakes that Ginsburg made in her career. Namely, her lack of diversity with clerks, her decisions against Native Americans and her comments about Colin Kaepernick’s acts of protest.
For some of these ‘mistakes’, Ginsburg apologized. Even her perceived flaws, though, are looked upon as a mark of her humanity and even, retrospectively, strength.
“Learning from RBG is a lesson in humanity to me,” said Natania Gazek, the founder and principal of NMGazek.com (a diversity, equity and inclusion consultation service).
“Carrying her torch and continuing the work means learning to hold multiple truths and sit with the painful discomfort that humans are imperfect, evolving creatures, but our imperfections don’t need to stop us from trying to pursue justice.”
The fear, displeasure and bereavement they feel is now fuel. For many young Jews, there is a sense of renewed duty to carry on her legacy of social justice.
A mantra has circulated on social media in Hebrew: “Yehi zichra mahapecha”.
The translation: “May her memory be a revolution.”
