Five Pieces of Jewish Wisdom That Inspire Me in Trying Times

Each day, I grapple with the frightening uncertainties of today’s world. I am pained by the voices of intolerance at home and around the globe. I am coming to terms with what a Trump presidency will mean for our country and our global community — especially for the poorest and most oppressed people whom AJWS fights for every day.

I have never been a bystander. And I know I will continue to pursue justice with my colleagues and friends at American Jewish World Service (AJWS) by working at the intersection of Jewish values and global concerns.

As I navigate challenges and celebrate triumphs, I’m drawing inspiration from Jews who have struggled for justice throughout history. People like Helen Suzman, a South African anti-apartheid activist whom I met as a child, and Rabbi Joachim Prinz, a renowned rabbi and a German-Jewish refugee to the U.S. who threw his heart and soul into the U.S. civil rights movement.

In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, I will be sharing their quotes, and quotes from other Jewish leaders, in a social media series called #JewishWisdomForTryingTimes. I invite you to join me and share the graphics below with your own networks on social media.

The fight for a better world is more important now than ever. I hope you are inspired by these nuggets of Jewish wisdom as we move through — and hopefully beyond — these trying times.

Elie Wiesel

When it feels like the hatred in the world is too heavy to bear, the words of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel — who was a founding board member of AJWS — inspire me to stand up and act.

Grace Paley

The words of the late Grace Paley — an American Jewish writer and peace activist — feel especially relevant and give me energy to build a better world.

Helen Suzman

I love these inspiring words from Helen Suzman, a South African anti-apartheid activist whom I met as a child. 

Rabbi Joachim Prinz

I love these words from the late Rabbi Joachim Prinz, a renowned rabbi and German-Jewish refugee to the U.S. who threw his heart and soul into the U.S. civil rights movement.

Hannah Arendt

During a time when it feels like the world is moving backward, I am inspired by this call-to-action from the late Hannah Arendt, a German-Jewish philosopher who fled to the United States before World War II.