'Moral Courage: Let Silence Not Be Our Style'

Rabbi Judy Schindler of Temple Beth El spoke to Middle and Upper School students about moral courage in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, in Thies Auditorium.

In her address, “Moral Courage: Let Silence Be Not Our Style,” Rabbi Schindler discussed the importance of “being unafraid to speak out for the difference that makes us unique and having the strength to stand up for what we know is right without being silenced by the fear of potential consequences.”

She shared incidents of atrocious acts of bullying, including her own experience in which she was bullied online, and noted that, due to bullying, this country faced a national epidemic of teenage suicides at the start of the 2010-11 academic year. “As part of our education, we must learn not to stand silently by, but to support others in their differences and to defend ourselves in ours,” she said.

Rabbi Schindler also challenged students to show moral courage both locally and globally and issued the following challenge: “In this new year of 2012, let silence not be our style. Let us speak out each in our own way.”