Found in drafts! Forgot to press publish.
Dear Ruth,
Thank you for your years of service.
True service.
A service that touched every woman not just in this country but around the world. Your death is a heavy loss. You were our advocate. We knew that you had our backs. We knew that in a world of chaos we could count on your voice. And even when you were a sole dissident, you never sat quiet. No shrinking wallflower. No nodder along with the masses. You stood and instead of yelling or fighting, you used a gavel and the pen. And your legacy lives forever in our records.
And to lose your voice on one of the holiest days…that was a tough one to swallow last night.The honey felt a bit bitter.
But like yourself, which I can only assume from your writings, you are also not a big believer in coincidences. You very much believed in cause and effect and fought hard to make sure that we tackled the cause and were quick to see the effects years before others.
So why would you lose your battle after so many battles on this holy night?
Rabbi I am not. I don’t know this answer, but this is how I was able to wake up this morning.
Your death on such a holy day is for us to remember.
I believe it is our time to carry you. For years we have let you lead. You have had the weight of so many people on your shoulders. Heck, you were notorious! Not a day did you not show up from work. Even through battles and the death of your husband, there you were the day for court proceedings.
You set a high bar.
But maybe that is the message.
In this New Year it is our turn. It is our turn to battle your legacy, to pay it forward.
We are behind you and now every new year when we sit down to eat, I will remember your message, new year, new commitments. That the sad truth, that Jews know so well, freedom is not a given.
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