As our thoughts turn toward Passover, we are reminded once again of our precious gift of liberation. We are also reminded of our sacred responsibility, mentioned 36 times throughout the Torah, to afford the same liberties and dignities to the stranger, having once been strangers in the Land of Egypt.
Few in our people’s long history have exemplified our tradition’s commitment toward celebrating liberty by securing it for those deprived of it like Gertrude Weil. A dedicated Jew throughout her life and a lifelong resident of Goldsboro, N.C., Weil used her status and influence to serve as a fierce proponent of women’s suffrage, labor reform, Zionism, and civil rights, slowly transforming her community, her state, and beyond.
Believing steadfastly that Judaism demanded the “expression of righteousness in the here and now,” she worked tirelessly in support of those who had failed to secure the blessings of freedom and prosperity afforded her.
As we draw near to the end of Women’s History Month, we can still celebrate the immeasurable contributions of women like Gertrude Weil to our people’s history. Weil is depicted on our Wise campus as part of our Jewish Heroes Project, a series of striking portraits created by our artist-in-residence Mario M. Muller. To learn more about Weil and the other Jewish heroes found on our campus, please visit our website.
—Rabbi Josh Knobel
