Remembering Feminist Icon Ruth Badar Ginsburg
Beloved feminist icon and former Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the USA just passed away on September 18th, 2020 at the age of 87 after complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a beloved icon and leader for women all over the United States of America due to the voice she lent and the work she did during her lifetime. Known by the acronym of her name ‘RBG’ and her famous “dissent collar” and glasses ensemble, Justice Ginsburg’s death has shaken the women’s community of America to the core, with millions taking this as a personal loss and not just one to humanity. People have been gathering to light candles, prepare and set up memorials for her, and generally celebrate the passing of a woman that was able to change the platform for gender equality, women’s interests, and civil liberties and rights in the USA.
RBG had been serving on the federal bench for a period of 25 years since August 10th, 1993 when President Bill Clinton nominated her on June 14th as an associate justice. She received her education from James Madison High School, which later dedicated their law program courtroom in her honour. She attended Cornell University (1954) for her undergrad, meeting Martin Ginsburg at just 17 and marrying him a month after graduating. She enrolled at Harvard Law School (1956) afterwards, but then when her husband took a job in NYC, she transferred to Columbia Law School (1959).
RBG passed away this past weekend on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, after complications from her pancreatic cancer. On receiving the news, Rabbi Richard Jacobs said:
“One of the themes of Rosh Hashanah suggest that very righteous people would die at the very end of the year because they were needed until the very end.”
(Jerusalem Post).
Here is to remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and to hoping other women can rise to occasions and be there for each other in the way RBG was able to!
Credit: Steve Petteway, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States/WikiMedia
