We Lost A Righteous Woman

It is difficult to articulate the devastation that I felt last light when I learned of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Like so many others, I affectionately thought of her as RBG, and for me, she was the fiercest champion for gender equality. 

So much has already been said and bears being repeated about her legacy as a young lawyer, a judge, and, most importantly, as a Justice on the Supreme Court. Her work pushed forward the vision we all have for a society that is fair, equal, and just. This is the vision we are fighting for every day, and the loss of this extraordinary legal mind on the Court will have profound implications for our nation and the future of our constitutional rights. And yet I remain hopeful, because as she said, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." She led thousands of us, and her legacy will continue. 

In March this year, I was on the steps of the Supreme Court speaking to hundreds of people while arguments were taking place inside in the June Medical v. Russo case. Our co-founder, Ellie Schilling, was inside the courtroom, listening as Justice Ginsburg asked her typically pointed questions in her quiet and measured tone. The moment was not lost on us – not only the importance of this case for people in our state, but also the opportunity to be in the presence of such a historic figure, a role model and an inspiration to us all. 

As a Jewish woman, I have always felt a personal connection to Justice Ginsburg. According to our tradition, a person who dies on Rosh Hashanah, which began last night, is a person of great righteousness. And that she was.

We all are grappling with our unshakable grief. And yet, we cannot let that grief stop us in this moment. And we won’t. We will come together to cry and to share how much Justice Ginsburg has meant to us all. And then let’s get to work, which is the best way we can honor her memory. 

May her memory be a blessing…and a revolution,
Michelle Erenberg, Executive Director