A week ago today Minneapolis civil rights activist Zev Aelony died of cancer at the age of 71. Click here to read his obituaries in the American Jewish World or Star Tribune newspapers.
It’s not every day that you hear about someone who was jailed and charged with a crime deserving of the death penalty for helping to register African-Americans to vote in the South. Or someone who was beaten and jailed in Alabama for protesting the murder of a postal worker.
This was a man who lived Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. Reading about his life was a pretty inspiring way to start my week. Makes you wonder what we can and should be doing to shake up our worlds to ensure that justice is achieved for all.
Thank you so much. Minnesota has rarely seen a more righteous Jew than Zev. A lot of people to whom he was a hero will miss him and be inspired by him.