Local Jewish Community Responds to the Death of Rep. John Lewis

When civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) died in Atlanta on July 17 at the age of 80, we reached out to some prominent members of the Los Angeles Jewish community to share their reflections.

A Kindred Spirit on the Journey for Justice
John Lewis’ brand of moral leadership is what our country needs most right now. As a young man, he “prayed with his feet” in his pursuit of civil rights. As a legislator, he was a prophetic voice nagging at our conscience and the better angels of our nature. For the Jewish community, it feels as if we lost one of our own great leaders. It’s because we did. It felt as if he was a divinely inspired, kindred spirit on the same journey for justice. May his memory be a blessing.
Sam Yebri, president, 30 Years After; board member, Jewish Community Foundation

Speaking Truth to Power, Guided by Conscience
“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”(Pirkei Avot 21). To me, this teaching embodies the life lesson of John Lewis, a consistent, persistent, insistent, relentless and fearless fighter who never lost sight of his goal: the pursuit of justice and equality. John Lewis is a leader like the great prophets of the Bible. He had a special relationship with the Jewish community. Speaking at an American Jewish Committee event at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Lewis lamented the growing schism between the Black and the Jewish communities, saying, “If we know each other and understand each other, there would not be a schism.” In Lewis’ memory and to honor his legacy, the Jewish community would do well to heed Lewis’ advice and deepen our understanding of and engagement with the Black community. John Lewis’ memory is a blessing and his life shines as a beacon for those pursuing justice and equality.
Janice Kamenir-Reznik, co-founder, Jewish World Watch; chair, Jews United for Democracy & Justice

He Put His Life on the Line for Freedom
I shed tears after Shabbos when I saw that John Lewis had passed. (We also lost civil rights organizer Rev. C.T. Vivian; two giants in one day.) I have been talking to my sons about John Lewis for as long as they have been old enough to see that fire in my eyes. I reminded them that this is a man who blazed trails for Black people and for all of us. As Jews who care deeply about our Black brothers and sisters, we stand on the shoulders of men like Lewis who teach us what real courage looks like. This is the kind of man I hope my sons will aspire to be like. Fearless, passionate, unrelenting and unforgettable.
Mayim Bialik, actress and neuroscientist

Giving Us Strength to Do the Real Work of Democracy
We lost Rep. John Lewis and Rev. C.T. Vivian, both icons of the civil rights movement, on the same day, at a moment in history when we need their ringing voices now, perhaps more than ever. Their legacies confer upon us a responsibility in this particular moment as we head toward the November elections. We need to commit ourselves to ensuring the enfranchisement of all citizens, not only with the right to vote but with the practical ability to vote. Their lives offer us an ongoing reminder that the hard work of coalition building for change can come from a place of joy and faith.
Andrea Hodos, associate director, NewGround: a Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change

Our Moral Compass
Congressman John Lewis exemplified what it meant to be the change you wish to see, having risked so much to overcome injustice. As a 23-year-old AVODAH-nik, I sat on the floor of his Congressional office, where he told us of running from side to side during windstorms in his childhood home to keep it from blowing away. He was our moral compass, a restive soul who never stopped running and fighting for the soul of our democracy. His death must compel us to work harder for the values he shed blood and tears to realize. His legacy is a blessing.
Serena Oberstein, executive adviser with Star Insights; former president of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission

We Must Continue His Fight
John Lewis used every ounce of strength, every day of his life and all the gifts God gave him to fight for a more fair, just and loving America. I was honored to have met him when my daughters and I went to Atlanta to poll monitor for the 2018 midterms. The girls loved watching him dance hopefully and wholeheartedly, as we sang and prayed the night before Election Day at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Building a just and equitable democracy was not an empty aspiration for him. It meant health care, a living wage and voting rights for every American. It meant defeating white supremacy, the original sin of our country. It meant speaking truth to power and getting into good trouble. To honor John Lewis’ memory, we must pick up the baton and carry on, continuing the fight to realize that beautiful vision for America.
Rabbi Sharon Brous, IKAR

A Singular Source of Soul
John Lewis cried the first time I saw him speak, on a videoconference link, recalling his days as a student activist. He cried again during an interview for my book, named after Lewis’ now-famous rallying cry. And there he was again in the new documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” hanging his head and weeping over his family’s history. Honoring his memory is not enough. His example should inspire all people of conscience to put their bodies in the fight for justice, starting with the fight to restore the Voting Rights Act.
Christopher Noxon, author, “Good Trouble: Lessons From the Civil Rights Playbook”

Fought for Equality for All
Judaism teaches that it is not enough to just talk the talk, we also have to walk the walk. John Lewis, a giant among humans, showed us how that was done. He supported marriage equality long before it was cool. He supported LGBTQ+ equality because he saw little difference between the civil rights movement and the fight for equality for all. May we follow his lead, be inspired by his example, and use our voices and feet to finish the work he started. Rest in Power, our teacher and ally.
Rabbi Jillian R. Cameron, Beth Chayim Chadashim

It’s Up to Us
In my office, I have a small, framed copy of the famous picture of John Lewis after his arrest in 1961 for using a “whites-only” bathroom. I look at the picture almost daily and it always makes me feel just a bit stronger and more resolute, a bit more resistant to despair. It’s up to us to live in the light of our hero’s memory. It’s up to us to make “good trouble,” to vote like our nation’s soul depends on it, to live with sacred courage. I’m glad I’ll have his picture nearby to remind me.
Rabbi Adam Greenwald, vice president for Jewish Engagement, American Jewish University; director, Maas Center for Jewish Journeys and Miller Intro to Judaism Program

Continuing to Guide Our Path
Congressman John Lewis was a leader without equal. We saw this not only in his steadfast support for ending hunger in America, but also his unwavering commitment to leading others to join him. At MAZON’s annual National Hunger Seder, in a room full of passionate leaders each offering powerful remarks, when John Lewis spoke, the room became hushed and focused. He lifted us up with his oratory, clarity and wisdom. All with a twinkle in his eye and a delicious sense of humor. We miss him. We mourn his death and we grieve for our country, which has lost a leading light. His memory will truly be a blessing, continuing to guide our path toward justice for all those facing hunger, poverty and inequity.
Abby J. Leibman, president and CEO, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

‘Don’t Get Lost in a Sea of Despair’
After the horror of the 2016 election, I immediately said, “I want to talk to Holocaust survivors and John Lewis.” Why? I wanted to know how those who lived through the darkest of nights survived to see a new dawn. John Lewis endured the worst of what America was and responded with the best of what America could be. In 2018 he tweeted, “Don’t get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful. Be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month or a year. It is the struggle of a lifetime.” John Lewis’ struggle is our struggle. For our lifetime.
Eric Greene, writer, civil rights activist and racial equity consultant

Deep Appreciation
When I visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Mall in Washington D.C. I cried for three hours straight. As I walked the main exhibit and journeyed through our American history of how we brought, abused, mistreated and attempted to grant equal rights to Black people in our country, my heart broke with deep pain and appreciation toward Congressman Lewis who envisioned and fought to create this museum for every American and generations to come. He had vision, clarity and gumption.
Rabbi Michelle Missaghieh, Temple Israel of Hollywood

His Legacy as a Beacon
As I reflect on the loss of civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis, I am humbled by his courage, sacrifice and lifelong fight against systemic racism. His spirit reminds us that we cannot sit in comfort while others suffer and that progress can only be made by taking risks and challenging all forms of injustice. Lewis’ legacy serves as a beacon guiding the tough work ahead here at the Federation and elsewhere in the civic engagement space — a reminder to strive tirelessly to live up to the humanitarian ideals and values he championed. It is my hope that his memory will continue to inspire righteousness and loving acts of kindness on our journey toward a more just society.
Mary Kohav, vice president of Community Engagement Programs, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

The Fight Isn’t Over
Half my family are Jews from Birmingham, Alabama going back a few generations. There was a lot about life in the south that my family didn’t discuss, but I always felt a connection to and passion for the civil rights movement. Seeing leaders like John Lewis in public positions of leadership and power convinced me that those dark times were over, that our country had moved through it and into a better future. I’ve realized as an adult how hard it must have been for Lewis and his colleagues to fight — mostly alone — for decades, even until today. There is something poetic about the death of these icons in the very same year that new leaders are rising up and reminding us that the fight isn’t over. Only this time, Black leaders are less alone. It feels like we finally understand that those who are targets of injustice can’t be solely responsible for addressing its root problems.
Margalit Rosenthal, director, West Coast Region, Foundation for Jewish Camp

Stay With the Hard Question
 John Lewis recalled that when he was very young he asked his parents to explain the discrimination in his small town of Troy, Ala. His parents, protecting him, tried to smooth over the discomfort, the pain. This did not satisfy young John, and he stuck with the question, refusing to normalize the Jim Crow system. This question brought him to Martin Luther King Jr. and James Lawson and a lifetime of nonviolence as a philosophy, a political practice and a way of life. He demonstrated the revolutionary capability of strategic nonviolence to overthrow Jim Crow, to desegregate bus lines and lunch counters, to win the right to vote and to win a seat in Congress. Stay with the hard question. Agitate. Stand up to racism and white supremacy aggressively and nonviolently. Make beautiful trouble. John Robert Lewis led a life worth living and emulating.
Rabbi Dr. Aryeh Cohen, professor of rabbinic literature at AJU and rabbi in residence at Bend the Arc: Jewish Action

He Allowed Us to See a Better Version of Ourselves
Many men and women played pivotal roles in leading the civil rights movement. Then there was an esteemed class of movement makers who continued to march even after the crowds died down and the hype simmered. For decades, this cadre of folks kept building toward their vision of true liberty, justice and freedom for all. Yet, we only know the names of a handful of these fearless leaders. John Lewis is one them and we grew to love him. We loved him, not just because of what he did, but because of how he did it. We loved him because he was never afraid to reveal his earnest commitment to achieving a better and equal America. We loved John Lewis, because he allowed us to see a better version of ourselves. We loved John Lewis because we knew without a doubt that he loved us.
Gamal J. Palmer, senior vp of leadership development, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

‘I Will Not Fear’
I first met John Lewis at dinner. We were seated together at a fundraiser in Washington D.C. and when I told him I was born in Alabama, he gave me a huge hug and said, “Another Southern Boy! We have to stick together!” I was all of 27, fresh-faced and newly married, and enamored by this individual with so much history and power relating to me like an old friend. The rest of the evening was spent with him regaling me with tales of the South, of being an activist, standing up for justice and what was right even if it meant getting knocked down a few times. On that night, I learned from him the same lesson I learned from our rabbis: Fear is only in the mind. It is the prophecy of the worst possible future.  Hope and faith on the other hand, is the prophecy of a better tomorrow. It is hope that gives courage to march either across a river on a bridge or through the sea on dry land. It is hope and faith that change the world for the better. It’s the only thing that ever has. To him, I commend the final verse of every prayer service, the Adon Olam.  It’s the verse I take with me and tuck away in my tallit bag that gives me hope as I leave the sanctuary and step into the street to stand up for what is right and just. It reminds me of Rep. Lewis. “Into God’s hand I place my spirit/For when I sleep and I wake/And with my spirit and my body/ The LORD is with me and I will not fear.” May his memory be a blessing.
Rabbi Noah Zvi Farkas, Valley Beth Shalom