Honoring the late Gloria Steinem z”l
Here at The Shalom Center, we add to the chorus of voices honoring the late Gloria Steinem z”l.
As the many moving tributes and obituaries have already articulated, Gloria Steinem was a pioneering American journalist, author, and one of the most influential campaigners for women's equality of the last 60 years.
Gloria was also a close friend and co-conspirator with Reb Arthur and The Shalom Center, serving on our Advisory Council.
From their first brief encounter at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, to reconnecting later in life, Gloria and Arthur shared a bond and connection forged from a shared dedication to kindness, care, and justice over the long haul.
In honor of Gloria and Arthur’s connection - and Gloria’s commitment to The Shalom Center - we are moved to share three of their most special collaborations, spanning the last 13 years.
This is What 80 Looks Like (2013)
In this 2013 event in Philadelphia, Gloria Steinem and Reb Arthur - both 80 at the time - joined together to share their lives and vision of activism. They discussed their accomplishments and offered personal stories from their tireless pursuit of social justice.
Gloria & Arthur in Conversation (2024)
In 2024, as Arthur prepared to transition from Director of The Shalom Center to Prophetic Envoy, Gloria and Arthur joined again in conversation, this time on Zoom. In this incredibly sweet back and forth, the pair reminisced about how they first met and later reconnected, reflected together on what it meant to be elder activists, considered where we are as a country, and offered suggestions for actions going forward to bring about more justice and peace.
The Bush is Burning! Spring 2027 Reprint (featuring Gloria Steinem)
This spring, Ayin Press will be releasing a reprint of Reb Arthur’s 1971 book, The Bush is Burning! Radical Judaism Faces the Pharaohs of the Modern Superstate. While this project was put into motion before Arthur’s passing and with his joyful blessing, it has come together primarily in the months since. When considering who might contribute an introductory essay to such a foundational work, we decided to ask Gloria and she accepted. She sent us her essay just one month ago and we will be honored to include it in this reprint, alongside original essays from Professor Susannah Heschel, Rabbi Shaul Magid, and our own Rabbi Nate DeGroot. The book is now available for pre-order with the button below!
Like so many of you, we are saddened by Gloria’s passing, send her family and friends our deepest condolences, and celebrate a life incredibly well lived. We are thankful for her support of Arthur and The Shalom Center over the years and are committed to continuing to live out the very best of who she was in her remarkable lifetime, through our work stewarding and seeding an emergent Jewish sacred justice.