In the Astrological realm of things, we are under the sign of Pisces, which is the twelfth sign of the Zodiac. Pisces are known as the “feelers” in the whole big group of us. They tend to have a deep awareness of their own burdens and joys as well as the happiness and sadness of others.
One standout Pisces is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It is her birthday today, on March 15. In my estimation, she was one of the best Supreme Court judges in the history of the court. Not that I am very well versed on all of them, but certainly, in my lifetime, she has been exceptional.
She did not know she would be a Supreme Court judge when she started out, I don’t suppose.
Her full name was Joan Ruth Bader. She was born at Beth Moses Hospital in Brooklyn, New York City. A Brooklyn girl. The Flatbush neighborhood.
Her parents had foreign backgrounds. Celia (née Amster) and Nathan Bader. Her father was a Jewish emigrant from Odesa, Ukraine. At that point, Odessa was part of the Russian Empire. While I don’t know this for sure, I imagine he was Russian speaking. And, her mother was born in New York to parents who came from Kraków, Poland. Again, Europe was fluid. At that time, Krakow was part of Austria-Hungary. I’m wondering if they were Polish-speaking people.
Anyway, Ruth was the second born. The eldest daughter of the Bader, Marylin, died of meningitis at age six. Little Ruth probably had no memory of her at all. Ruth was only fourteen months old when her sister died.
No one called her Ruth back then. Her nickname was “Kiki,” given to her by her sister Marylin. “Kiki” came from the fact that Ruth was a “kicky baby.” I’m guessing she was just warming up for all the times that she’d kick butt later in life.
When Joan Ruth Bader started school, her mother learned that there were many girls in the school named Joan. So, Mom, Celia, suggested the teacher call her daughter “Ruth” to avoid confusion. And that stuck throughout her life. All I have to say is that I’m glad they dropped the Kiki. I’m not sure how Justice Kiki Bader Ginsburg would have flown.
The Baders were not a strongly devout Jewish family, but they belonged to East Midwood Jewish Center, which was a pretty Conservative synagogue. Of course, that is where Ruth learned tenets of the Jewish faith. She even picked up a little of the Hebrew language. But that is also where she learned some of her first lessons in discrimination. Bader was not allowed to have a bat mitzvah ceremony because of Orthodox restrictions on women reading from the Torah.
Ruth was quite upset by this and made it known that this was not fair for the girls in the world.
Her mother, Celia, seemed to be the one who really led her along, in the ways of life and especially in her education. She would frequently take Ruth to the library. Apparently, Celia had been a good student in her youth and even graduated from high school by the age of fifteen. And when Celia was growing up, she wanted to go to college but couldn’t because the family chose instead to send a brother to college.
So she made sure her daughter would rock on, in that department. Ruth attended James Madison High School. Celia battled cancer during those years while Ruth was in high school. She died one day before Ruth walked down the aisle to graduate.
From there, Ruth went to Cornell, where she met Martin Ginsburg, her soon-to-be husband. Then to Harvard and Columbia. Most of us know her story through college to judgeship.
But there is no doubt that Joan Kiki Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a great woman who is missed dearly. She was a National Treasure and a gift to human rights. Human Rights.
Human Rights.
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“Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must — at that moment — become the center of the universe.”
― Elie Wiesel
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“It is hard to talk about a middle ground for something that is a fundamental right.”
― Teri Reynolds,
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“To think for yourself.
To choose for yourself.
To speak for yourself.
To act for yourself.
To be yourself.
These are human rights worth defending.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich
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Joan, aka Kiki, aka Ruth. You know, Bader Ginsburg.
