RBG Memorial event

Dorit Beinisch, Former President of the Supreme Court of Israel, Highlights Panel Discussion

Though it’s been more than a year since her passing, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg remains an iconic figure to admirers in the U.S. and worldwide.

To help honor her legacy, SJSU’s Jewish Studies Program is co-sponsoring a virtual memorial event with RBG’s longtime friend and colleague, Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch, former president of the Supreme Court of Israel.

Former Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court, Dorit Beinisch, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Joining Chief Justice Beinisch will be Alison Brunner, CEO at Law Foundation of Silicon Valley — whose work is dedicated to promoting social justice — and SJSU President Mary Papazian, who will deliver introductory remarks.

“RBG became an icon for so many women and girls around the world as she demonstrated how persistence, resistance, good argumentation and wit can lead to real change,” said Anat Balint, coordinator of SJSU’s Jewish Studies program.

The RBG memorial event, she said, is the first in a series of events celebrating Jewish culture in Silicon Valley.

The event takes place on October 19 at 10 a.m. and is open to the public. Pre-event registration is required. Chief Justice Beinisch, Brunner, and President Papazian will discuss RBG’s influences on social change, feminism, Jewish identity and friendship.

“I do not believe I am alone when I say that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is near the top of the list of women whom I have admired and learned from over the span of my lifetime,” said President Papazian.

“She was an extraordinary woman who never allowed barriers to get in the way of the professional and societal progress that she was determined to make. I know it will be a real treat hearing the insights that will be shared at this event.”

Chief Justice Beinisch was the first woman to lead the Israeli Supreme Court, while Justice Bader-Ginsburg was the second woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. Both were Jewish, and each trailblazer led lives and careers dedicated to creating a more equitable society.

Over the last decade, Justices Beinisch and Bader Ginsburg met on several occasions and developed a professional and personal relationship. After RBG’s passing, Chief Justice Beinisch wrote in Israel’s leading newspaper:

“People regularly note that she was the oldest justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, but in my eyes she was the youngest of all. She was young in spirit. Young people admired her the same way they do rock stars, and she even warmly adopted the identity of a famous rapper by means of her initials.”

The event is a collaboration of the Jewish Studies Program at SJSU, Jewish Silicon Valley, the Israeli Consulate to the Pacific Northwest, Congregation Shir Hadash, Congregation Beth David, and Congregation Sinai.