Danielle V. Minson — Raising the Bar
Nov 8 CEO Update: Walking Through History with the Etgar 36 Mission
Dear friends,
This week, as our country reflects on the election results, I find myself drawn to a deeper truth: while these outcomes bring hope to some and disappointment to others, what sustains us is community. Together, we carry forward the principles and values I felt deeply during our recent Women’s Philanthropy Mission through the heart of the Civil Rights Movement.
From October 27 to 29, I joined thirty extraordinary women as we traveled from Atlanta to Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, Alabama, walking in the footsteps of those who courageously fought for equality. Each step revealed stories both painful and inspiring.
Walking Through History
Our journey began in Atlanta at a Sunday service in Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spiritual home and a beacon of the Civil Rights Movement. We entered as outsiders—a group of white women without visible markers of our Jewish identity—yet were embraced as allies. This warm reception reminded us that, while we may carry privilege, as Jews, we also know the experience of being “othered.” The service began softly, but as it progressed, we leaned in with the congregants, voices growing louder and more passionate until the room pulsed with unity—a powerful display of how faith and community can sustain our souls.
As we journeyed further, we visited the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, where Rosa Parks made her courageous stand on December 1, 1955. We learned that Parks wasn’t the first Black woman to refuse to give up her seat—15-year-old Claudette Colvin had done so nine months earlier. However, the NAACP strategically chose Parks, an established leader and respected figure, knowing her case would resonate more widely. Parks’ choice to resist was part of a broader, deliberate plan—a reminder that advocacy requires not only courage but also thoughtful, intentional action. This resonates deeply with our work: to create lasting change, we too must be as strategic and united in our response to antisemitism and injustice.
Witnessing a Legacy of Injustice and Resilience
One of the most haunting experiences was our visit to the Equal Justice Initiative’s Memorial to Peace & Justice in Montgomery, honoring Black Americans who endured slavery, segregation, and racial terror. Walking among towering steel monuments inscribed with the names of over 4,400 lynching victims, we were asked to look up—our necks exposed—as though in the position of those who had been lynched. This powerful design served as a stark reminder of their terror and vulnerability, calling us to take action.
A Simple Act, A Lasting Lesson
In Birmingham, our journey brought us closer to home through a story shared by Suzy Marcus-Goldberg, a community member and co-chair on the mission. Suzy recounted that her childhood friend, a young Black girl, bravely drank from a “white” water fountain, curious if it tasted different. The water tasted the same, but she was forced to drink separately—being “othered.” This echoed lessons from our Cohen Family Leaders in Light Institute, where we learned that othering began with misogyny, then antisemitism, and later racism. As Jews, we know the pain of prejudice, reminding us that, despite divisions, we are all the same.
Carrying These Lessons Forward
Reflecting on the recent election, this journey reminds us that our commitment to justice goes beyond any political outcome—it’s rooted in the principles and values that unite us. At the end of our mission, we met a 91-year-old pastor, one of the last people who spoke to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. before his assassination. His words of hope underscore why the Federation leads journeys like this: to connect us with our shared history, strengthen our resolve, and inspire us to build a future defined by compassion, unity, and courage.
Shabbat Shalom,
Danielle V. Minson
CEO
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
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