Count my voice as a Jewish one for Florida Ruffin Ridley

To the editor:

Regarding the renaming of the Coolidge Corner School: Count my voice as a Jewish one in favor of Florida Ruffin Ridley.

As a local rabbi serving a Brookline synagogue who is motivated by Jewish tradition to work to repair our broken world and build a society based on justice, I was very excited to learn months ago that students had selected the name of Florida Ruffin Ridley for the school.

Since then, the vote to rename the school has become confused by the nomination of the name of a wonderful local Jewish woman for the school. But the original core of the issue – Edward Devotion’s status as a slave-owner – should remain the rationale for renaming the school. Voting for Florida Ruffin Ridley’s name (to the exclusion of other names) takes steps, even if they are small steps, to undo the injustice of slavery whose legacy continues to plague America.

I believe that Jewish teachings urge us to maintain our focus on that original concern. “Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate,” are the words of the Jewish prophet Amos. This is exactly what Town Meeting representatives have the opportunity to do when they vote for Florida Ruffin Ridley’s name.

Rabbi Andrew Vogel

Temple Sinai

Brookline