Justice Ginsburg Was One of the Righteous Multimedia Exhibit Speaks
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Confront hate — pages 2-3 Cultural grants — page 4 Holiday mitzvah & tastes — pages 8-10 Sept. 30, 2020 / Tishri 12, 5781 Volume 55, Issue 17 Justice Ginsburg was one of the righteous BY RABBI BARRY COHEN Social media and the internet have been buzzing about the fact that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Sept. 18, 2020, just before Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah. As many of you may have already read, based on the timing, Jewish tradition teaches that this con- firms Ginsburg was righteous, a tzadeket. But what is the origin of this teaching? According to the Social artist Adam W. McKinney dressed as 1921 Fort Worth, Tex- as, lynching victim Fred Rouse at sites associated with the lynch- Babylonian Talmud, humanity ing. “Because I could not locate any photographs of Mr. Rouse, I is sorted into three categories at took it upon myself to ‘fill in the blanks’ and use my body as the can- the start of the High Holidays: Women attending last fall's Fed- vas on which I would remember him,” McKinney says. The tintypes the book of life, the book of eration IMPACT event received for the exhibit were made by Navajo photographer Will Wilson. death and those whose fate is yet to be determined. Related to this this sticker of Notorious RBG image, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, pres- when author Irin Carmon spoke ident of the Union for Reform of the justice's life and impact. Multimedia exhibit Judaism, commented, “One of the themes of Rosh Hashanah she was already righteous. speaks to hearts, minds suggests that very righteous Whether arguing before the people would die at the very end Supreme Court or residing as BY DEBORAH MOON outside the museum. of the year because they were the court’s first female Jewish Though the exhibit explores needed until the very end.” justice, Ginsburg fought for OJMCHE’s new exhibit Shel- themes similar to the United In another Talmudic citation, women’s rights, reproductive ter in Place is a response to in Spirit project the museum we learn that if someone dies rights, LGBTQ rights and vot- the two realities sweeping our co-sponsors, it is not part of that on the eve of Shabbat, it reveals ing rights. More broadly, she nation – COVID-19 and pro- series of programs that explore that person must have been advocated for a more just soci- tests against police brutality. the connections between the righteous. ety for everyone. Opening Oct. 1, the multimedia Black and Jewish communities. Personally, I have always Justice Ginsburg had a unique exhibit expands the museum’s “Rather it (the exhibit) is struggled with the idea of God ability to teach Supreme Court contribution to the racial injus- part of a national project – opening up books during the justices to empathize with those tice conversation and does so Dwelling in a Time of Plagues High Holidays that seal our fate who are affected by the law. with outdoor viewing. – which was conceived to for the coming year. And to me, Rather than arguing that wom- Social artist and activist Adam offer artists an opportunity to the date that someone dies does en deserve equal protection un- W. McKinney’s Shelter in Place make new artworks for Suk- not reveal whether he or she der the law, she challenged the is installed in the windows and kot and forge new connections was righteous. predominantly male justices to first floor gallery of Oregon between artists and museums,” Rather than using Jewish tra- imagine how it would feel to Jewish Museum and Center for says OJMCHE Director Judy dition to reverse engineer the be denied rights they took for Holocaust Education, but it is Margles. “Artist Adam McK- righteousness of Justice Gins- granted for no reason other than completely viewable days and inney’s installation investigates burg, I would rather celebrate their gender. evenings from the sidewalks See SHELTER, page 3 that, based on her legal career, See GINSBURG, page 11 United in Spirit: so timely, so challenging BY DEBORAH MOON comes through personal encounters.” UNITED IN SPIRIT Bob Horenstein added that the “basis for When United in Spirit launched early Reinvigorating the Historically our community’s continuing this important this year, the Jewish and Black organizers Positive Relationship Between work” rests in the Jewish teaching “Justice, could not have known how essential and the African-American and Jewish Justice you shall pursue.” relevant the programming would be – nor Communities Pastor Mondaine said his community is a how difficult it would be to present. Sponsored by: The Jewish Com- powerful, resilient people. “However, we COVID forced the postponement or the munity Relations Council of JFGP, need the wind beneath our wings. We can’t move to a virtual landscape of the programs just do this by ourselves. We need the help Portland Chapter of the NAACP, Or- just as social justice issues and protests of those with access and prestige.” against police brutality against Black peo- egon Jewish Museum and Center Just 10 days before the far-right Proud ple ignited the desire to rediscover the civil for Holocaust Education, and Dia- Boys were scheduled to hold yet another rights collaboration between the Black and logues Unlimited rally in Portland, Pastor Mondaine re- Jewish communities. jewishportland.org/united-in-spirit called a previous visit by the group. He In mid-September, about 570 members of said Portland Rabbi Debra Kolodny invited both communities explored their “Shared … Hatred cannot stand up to friendship.” the NAACP to join her congregation for a Legacies.” Participants could screen the The partnership chronicled in the film was Shabbat picnic next to the protests. documentary “Shared Legacies: The Af- based on the shared legacy of oppression “We talked about unity, and they talked rican American-Jewish Civil Rights Alli- that Blacks experienced through slavery, about division,” said the pastor. “We have ance” at their leisure Sept. 13-15 and then segregation and racism and Jews experi- to be unapologetic and extremely deliber- join a Sept. 16 panel discussion featuring enced from the expulsion from Israel 2,000 ate in how we stand together.” the film’s producer Dr. Shari Rogers and years ago culminating in the Holocaust. Rabbi Cahana noted, “People try to divide the Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley, a veteran of Rabbi Cahana said that with the Holo- us, but you can’t divide brothers, you can’t the Civil Rights movement who appeared caust only a couple decades earlier, that divide sisters.” in the film, and Portlanders Rabbi Michael shared history of oppression served as a United in Spirit was scheduled to con- Cahana and NAACP President E.D. Mon- strong basis for the partnership in the Civil clude in October with a joint mission to daine. The discussion was moderated by Rights era. Yet as Jews as a group (the Rab- Civil Rights sites in the American South. Judy Margles and Bob Horenstein. bi emphasized not all Jews are white) were The pandemic forced its postponement “These are exciting times,” said Dr. Rog- accepted into white society, that foundation until next October. After the Shared Leg- ers. “The world cares about this (racial eroded. acies program, interest in participation has injustice) right now, and we have the op- He said the basis of Jewish support of the surged. So perhaps next fall’s Civil Rights portunity to use this for good.” Black community must now be “based on mission will be not just a figurative, but Rabbi Cahana agreed. “White supremacy compassion, understanding, on seeing the also a literal return to the unity the two is dying. It is going to be loud in its dying. world through another person’s eyes. It communities enjoyed half a century ago. Explore history of hate, then pursue justice BY DEBORAH MOON “Uncovering the Hidden His- UNCOVERING THE HIDDEN HISTORY tory of Anti-Black Racism in “Through our own bitter expe- OF DISCRIMINATION IN OREGON Oregon” on Oct. 6 is the first riences of anti-Semitic hatred, Uncovering Oregon’s Hidden History of Anti-Black in a series of webinars on the we in the Jewish community Racism: 7 pm, Oct. 6. Featuring Walidah Imarisha, history of discrimination in have learned the inestimable educator, writer, public scholar and spoken word artist. Oregon. “The speaker, Wali- importance of solidarity with jewishportland.org/uncovering-oregons-hidden- dah Imarisha, is a phenomenal others who are willing to make activist and author and public common cause in the fight history-of-anti-black-racism-walidah-imarisha Uncovering Oregon’s Hidden History of Anti-Native speaker who will be taking us against hate and prejudice in through the really shameful all its forms,” reads the concept American Discrimination: 5:30 pm, Oct. 12. Presented by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde NAYA history of anti-Black racism statement on confronting hate in the state of Oregon,” says Family Center, the program will focus on Healing and from the Jewish Community Bob, noting laws that excluded Relations Council of the Jewish Reconciliation: A Celebration of Culture. Blacks from settling in the ter- Federation of Greater Portland. jewishportland.org/uncovering-oregons-hidden- ritory and then state of Oregon, The programs created under history-of-anti-native-american-discrimination with the last law not repealed this concept include a series of until 1926. webinars followed by a summit The webinar series continues Relations Council is partnering nars that focus on a shameful to address the history of hate in with the history of anti-Native with organizations in other mi- history of discrimination in Oregon and the future quest for American discrimination in Or- nority communities to create a Oregon that has been largely racial justice.