Dear Ones,

I am holding you in love as we absorb the news that Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died. Our nation and our world are much better for her life and her work. She leaves a legacy of moral witness, ethical action, love of the arts, and legal scholarship. We can and will carry forward her work of advocacy and truth telling.

The grief many of us are feeling is real. I can only imagine what some of you must be going through if you knew Justice Ginsburg as a mentor, a neighbor, a scholar you looked up to, a theater patron, or a force to be reckoned with in your professional life. We had hoped that Justice Ginsburg could be with us for at least the next few months to help defend our democracy. She has completed her journey, and so it is up to the rest of us to come together and carry on.

Our commitments remain the same. We are caring for our families, our loved ones, and our neighbors. We are helping people to learn about their rights to vote and how to exercise them. We are witnessing for justice of all kinds: economic, racial, immigration, climate, gender, and many others. We are reflecting in our own minds and hearts how to uproot the biases and oppressions that divide us from each other. We are raising funds for systemic change and for immediate compassionate relief. We’ll go back to that work on Monday. For now, it is fitting that we mourn.

I know that people are already heading over to the steps of the Supreme Court, to be in the company of others (within the limits of masks and social distancing) as they come to terms with this loss. The Women’s March organization is planning a vigil tonight at 8pm to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the courageous life of service she led; information is on their Facebook page. Personally, I’ll be saying Kaddish for her as part of my observance of Rosh Hashanah with my family today. Tomorrow in Platform, we’ll take a moment to meditate on Justice Ginsburg’s life and on the example she set for us.

Whatever you decide to do to honor the memory of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I hope you know that your WES community is with you in spirit. Please take care of yourself. Remember to drink water. Breathe as best you can. Balance your social media and news consumption with activities that are centering and restorative. Tell someone you love them, and know that you are loved.

We will spend this weekend remembering and honoring a beloved figure and an architect of equality who has died. Next week, in the words of Mother Jones, we will fight like hell for the living.

Take care,

-Lyn