“I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

America lost a hero when Ruth Bader Ginsburg died.

She will be remembered not only for her contributions to the advancement of equity, but for the important and tempered perspective that has forever impacted the highest court of the land.

As a young woman who was rejected from her first job based on her gender, Justice Ginsburg lived a life that exemplifies the kind of attitude, determination, and civility we wish for our children, grandchildren, and our society. She didn’t accept no for an answer; she did something about it.

Justice Ginsburg climbed the ladder of success despite the disparity. She worked harder than others, despite the higher hurdles. And that’s why she achieved greatness, despite the odds.

In addition to her distinguished service as a great scholar and justice, she was also an influential leader in our Jewish community.

Ginsburg was passionate about Judaism’s concern for justice, and Jewish values shaped her commitment to justice, according to an article by Yonat Shimron for Religious News Service.  In an interview in 2018, she told the Jewish Daily Forward that as a Jew, she felt like she was an outsider and that this made her more empathetic to people who are not insiders.

Growing up in a Jewish family in Philadelphia, I, too, often felt like an outsider.  At that time, Jews were excluded from joining many organizations, and had been prevented from living in certain neighborhoods.  Like Ginsburg’s family, my parents instilled in me the importance of the Jewish values of Tzedakah(charity) and Tikkun Olam (repair the world and leave it a better place).  These values laid the foundation for my life.  

After my parents got divorced in the mid-1960s, my mother went to work at a job where she was paid less than the comparable men, and there was nothing she could do about it.  Even though she was a single mom with two children to support, she still found the time to volunteer in theJewish community.  

My mother empowered me to believe that if I worked hard, I could achieve my goals.  I graduated from Harvard Business School in 1976 at a time when few women were earning an MBA anywhere.  She also told me that there was no such thing as normal and that it was OK for me to be a “smart girl” and to follow my dreams.  I’ve had a diverse career as a journalist, an educator and an entrepreneur with one opportunity leading to another, and early on, I was either the only woman or one of a few women in the room.  

My resolve, because of my mother, was to leave the world a better place for the next generation.  Like Ginsburg, I don’t accept no as an answer, and my life has been about coming up with solutions.  That is why I started two organizations that empower women—Athena San Diego for women in tech and biotech, and Run Women Run to elect more San Diego women to office.  It’s what I’ve done in the business world as an entrepreneur and what I’ve done at City Hall.

Justice Ginsburg stood at just 5 feet. But the enormity of her impact made her a giant.

As I reflect on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I am reminded of another pioneering woman, anthropologist Margaret Meade, who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

May we never forget the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and always appreciate how many citizens she committed to the causes of justice.