A Tribute to Al Stern

Al Stern, a gentle, wise and courageous man – that’s the way I always saw him – passed away recently leaving a legacy for us who remain to fight against injustice and for world peace.

A long-time peace activist, Stern worked tirelessly with many organizations for civil rights, integrated housing and anti-nuclear and anti-war efforts.  His efforts will obviously be missed greatly.

His work was honored at a memorial celebration that drew many prominent speakers, a tribute to his work.  They included U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones and Cleveland Councilman Jay Westbrook, as testimony to his stature here.

A statement of his achievements noted that he and his wife, Mickey, “helped found the secular Jewish Sunday School in Cleveland, so that their children and other Jewish members of the community could learn about their Jewish heritage.”

He showed great courage in speaking out against injustices as he saw them.  There are so few who make such commitments.

“Al had a deep emotional attachment to Israel and its survival. He agonized about the wars and the violence and suffering on both sides. Because of his compassion and intellectual honesty he understood that the Palestinians were not being treated justly,” the statement read.

He helped establish the New Jewish Agenda in Cleveland, a Middle East peace movement, after meeting with Jews and Arabs seeking peace with a Jewish and Palestinian state existing side-by-side.

We too often wait until our heroes are gone before we truly understand their contributions.  It is so with Al Stern.

Ruth Emmer - A Teacher of Children and of Us All

As you get older, one of the pains is that you lose friends and people you admire.

On Sunday, I visited the Cleveland Heights library to get a book or two.  As I entered, I sadly observed a posting at the entrance.  It noted that there was a memorial service for Ruth Emmer.  I had missed any notice, having been out of town.

Ruth, or Ruthie as she was known by many, had a smile that could melt the grumpiest of us.  It radiated love.

“She loved raising her voice for justice, she loved marching for peace, she brought her smile to all of this,” said a memorial statement.

She was a life-long activist in the highest tradition of those who seek justice for all.

A teacher of children, she was an example to all of us of how a life should be lived.