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And we contextualize our freedom, reminding the next generation that, while we are blessed to live in a country with religious liberty, this has not always been the case for our people and must never be taken for granted. By lighting candles, opening doors, telling our stories, and continuing to show up as Jews in the public square, we transmit courage in the most authentic way possible.
Transmitting Courage in Jewish Tradition —From Generation to Generation
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At this moment in history, when antisemitism is once again visible and unsettling, we are called to consciously reclaim and model Jewish courage. Let us recommit ourselves to living our Jewish values openly and proudly—through ritual, education, advocacy, and community engagement. Let us share our stories with the next generation, support one another in moments of uncertainty, and stand together in the light of our tradition. Courage is already within us. Our task is to recognize it, nurture it, and pass it on—so that Jewish life continues not only to survive, but to flourish. L’dor vador!
By RABBI ELLEN BERNHARDT, JCRC Director and Community Chaplain
FOR THIS MONTH'S FULL CONTENT.
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O n the way to the market one prompted me to reflect on how its themes resonate deeply within Jewish tradition. The program began by recounting the story of the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz . Despite being a lion—an animal synonymous with bravery—he is paralyzed by fear. Only after the Wizard presents him with a medal for courage does the Cowardly Lion begin to act bravely. Of course, the lesson is not that the medal gave him courage, but that it allowed him to recognize and trust the courage that had been within him all along. That story raises an important question, and one that aligns with the theme of this month’s Jewish Living Delaware : Is courage something that can be transmitted from generation to generation? I believe that it is. Courage is deeply embedded in the Jewish psyche and woven into the fabric of Jewish tradition. For more than 2,000 years, Jews have faced persecution, displacement, and violence. And yet, across every generation, our people have demonstrated the courage to endure, to resist erasure, to morning, I caught a few minutes of The Hidden Brain on NPR, and it
this reality, the rabbis of the Talmud permitted the menorah to be placed in a courtyard—still outside, still visible, but somewhat protected. The message remained clear: Jewish light should not be hidden, even when it entails risk. Courage, yes—but tempered with wisdom. Similarly, at the Pesach seder we open the door for Elijah and proclaim, “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” This gesture of openness and hospitality is powerful in any era, but in times when Jews lived among hostile neighbors, opening one’s door at night was fraught with danger. Nevertheless, the ritual endured. Each year, Jews continued to open their doors—symbolically and literally—affirming faith, hope, and moral responsibility even in the face of fear. So how do we teach courage to our children and grandchildren? We teach it not only through words, but through action. We tell them our stories—personal, communal, and historical. We explain that courage does not mean the absence of fear; it means acting despite fear. We model commitment to Jewish life and practice, even when it feels uncomfortable or risky.
rebuild, and to remain resilient. This is not incidental bravery; it is generational courage—learned, modeled, and passed down through ritual, story, and practice. Examples of resilience, courage, and resistance are too numerous to list. Just a few are: the Israelite midwives who defied Pharaoh's orders, the Maccabean revolt, Rabbi Akiva, Queen Ester and Mordecai, the Conversos in Spain, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, Refusniks in the USSR, these last two years in Israel, our brave IDF soldiers and the whole civilian population, and so many more examples. How, then, is this courage inculcated within Jewish life? How do we learn it and how do we pass it down to future generations? Consider the lighting of Hanukkah candles. Jewish law instructs us to place the menorah where it can be seen publicly, ideally in a window facing the street. Today, many of us perform this ritual easily and without fear, though the recent rise in antisemitism has caused some to hesitate. But throughout much of Jewish history, publicly displaying Jewish ritual was dangerous. Under hostile regimes, Jewish observance could invite punishment or worse. Aware of
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MARCH 2026 | JEWISH LIVING DELAWARE | ShalomDelaware.org
ShalomDelaware.org | JEWISH LIVING DELAWARE | MARCH 2026
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