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By Steve Feldman,
Greater Philadelphia ZOA Executive Director
(JANUARY 14, 2022 / JNS) The Jewish people have been blessed with countless heroes and heroines throughout our history whom G-d has worked through, used, endowed with intellect and strong personality, or motivated to be leaders and/or to do outstanding deeds for our people. Abraham, Moses and Esther are just a few of the many whose character traits and deeds are recorded in Tanach.
Certainly, there have been plenty of others since the biblical age. Personalities who immediately come to mind include Maimonides, Moses Montefiore, Theodor Herzl, Golda Meir and Menachem Begin. There are myriad others.
Yet with such an array of heroes and heroines throughout the ages, none are the subject of a holiday outside of Israel widely celebrated by the Jewish people. It is mind-boggling. We must remedy this.
I am reminded of this oversight every year at this time.
Early in January each year, Jewish congregations, schools and organizations begin promoting their annual “day of service” coinciding with the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the national holiday later in the month commemorating his life and activities. King was indeed a hero for his ground-breaking and successful civil-rights activism, and by all accounts, a friend of the Jews and a supporter of Israel. Through his speeches, writings, marches and other forms of activism, he changed America and the world for the better.
There is no denying that King deserves these annual living tributes that people coalesce around to improve their neighborhoods, communities and institutions, including by Jewish congregations, schools and organizations. Yet few, if any, of those congregations, schools or organizations similarly have a day to honor the life and works of any Jewish heroes or heroines. There certainly is nothing on a national scale in American Jewry.
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