Atone as well as bask
In his article on judge RBG ( It’s fine to take pride in the achievements of RBG, September 25) Jonathan Freedland raises the issue of whether we are entitled to get nachas from the outstanding Jews of our generation. He argues that because RBG stated that she was guided in her career by the pivotal Jewish ethic of justice, we’re therefore entitled to be proud. He asks, but does not pursue, the issue of whether we must equally atone for Jews who have brought shame on themselves and on us.
Is not exposing the actions of our less savoury characters of equal, if not more importance? We are as vulnerable as every other race. If we express pride in our famous righteous, should we not give equal attention to our infamous? If we ignore the latter, we fail to confront the roots of corruption and injustice in our own society. We may not necessarily, as in “al chayt”, all wish to atone for everyone’s misdemeanours, but by facing the issue we highlight that we’re trying to address the social and psychological causes of the more damaged roots.
This puts us in a stronger position to make a positive contribution through the courts, or, in our more enlightened moments, through rehabilitation. The Israeli philosopher Micah Goodman puts it thus: “Empathy is the engine of morality.”
Only by challenging the roots of lawlessness among our own can we protect our community and create a more compassionate and balanced society. Is this perhaps the most significant aspect of RBG’s legacy to be flagged up?
Irene May
Brighton
of Ruth Bader Ginsberg reminds me of the first time I went to the US.
As a member of the English Bar I was invited to the American Bar Association’s annual conference, which included hosts in three cities.
At one city a dinner at a country club was put on for us and our hosts. We duly attended the dinner and our host remarked that he had never been to this country club before, adding that this was because they did not admit Jews or Blacks. This was as recent as 1978.
Laurence Kingsley
Surbiton, Surrey