An Extraordinary Alliance
By Steve Gonzer, Co-Chair/Consultant of the Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee
“If poor babies have milk and poor children have food, it’s because a Rabbi in Crown Heights had a vision.” -Shirley Chisholm
March is designated as Women’s History Month. It is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the unsung heroines who have made vast and enduring contributions to the world, throughout history. This year’s theme is “Moving Forward Together,”
Among the women who serve as an inspiration and role model for generations to come, Shirley Chisholm stands out as a trailblazer; a powerhouse whose courage and spirit has been undervalued for the last 56 years. Shirley was the first African woman to be elected to the United States Congress, in 1968. In 1972 she was the first African American to campaign for President of the United State and first woman to participate in a presidential debate. She set the stage for the first African American to be elected President and the 31 women who serve as Congresspeople today.
Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, I witnessed, first-hand, the consequences of indifference, discrimination, hatred, and unintended ignorance. In 1964–1965, racial violence in Newark was simmering and came to a boil in July 1967, when full-fledged riots erupted. During this period of what was known as “White Flight,” My family moved to Delaware.
In 1972, I was living in a melting pot of anti-Jewish sentiment, in Greenville, Delaware. It was the year that I reached the age to be a first-time voter. I heard of Shirley Chisholm from a friend of mine, who was instrumental in organizing the Feminist movement in the 1960s. During the summer, I was invited to a rally, in Harlem, for Shirley Chisholm, who was running for President. Of course, I eagerly accepted the invitation.
Among the large crowd, I noticed several men dressed in ankle length black coats, with yarmulkes atop their heads and long white beards suspended from their chins. They were Lubavitchers, staunch supporters of Shirley Chisholm, a resident of the Flatbush section of Brooklyn.
By the end of World War II, Lubavitchers, other Orthodox Jews, and Caribbean West Indian refugees lived side by side in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn and for the most part, were ignored by the rest of New York City. It just happened that Shirley Chisholm resided a few blocks from Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, the Grand Rebbe of the Lubavitch community. They quickly developed a long-lasting friendship. The Rabbi was impressed by Chisholm’s chutzpah.
In 1968, Shirley was elected to Congress. One day, after she returned to Brooklyn from Washington, DC, she met Rabbi Schneerson walking down the street. He asked her why she looked so distraught? She told him that she was frustrated and disappointed. Shirley told the rabbi she had been shambled off to the Agricultural Committee, she complained that the committee was trying to prevent her from serving her Brooklyn constituents and was ignored.
Upon hearing this, the Rabbi responded, “I know you are upset, but this country has so much surplus food, you could use this gift G-d has given you to feed hungry people.” Shirley took the Rabbi’s advice. She befriended Robert Dole and collaborating with him, expanded the food stamp program and established the WIC program—food for women, infants, and children. Shirley always credited Rabbi Schneerson for the fact that babies and children would now be eligible for supplemental food.
By 1972, Shirley Chisolm was one of the most visible and powerful members of Congress. She was one of the founding members of the Black Caucus in 1971 and, that same year, was one of the founding members of the National Women’s Political Caucus. She shocked constituents and Congresspeople alike when she visited Governor George Wallace in the hospital after he had been shot. He later helped her get Southern support and votes on a bill that gave domestic workers the right to receive a minimum wage for the first time.
The Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee, the Jewish Federation of Delaware, and the University of Delaware’s Jewish Studies Program are sponsoring a performance of Shirley Chisholm: Unbossed & Unbowed, a play written and performed by Ingrid Griffith. The performance will take place on March 16 at the Wilmington Drama League, in Wilmington.
Ingrid Griffith is a member of SAG/AFTRA, Dramatics Guild. Griffith has been in off-Broadway theatrical productions in and around New York City. Some of her favorite roles are Lady Reveller in the 18th century play, The Basset Table, by Susanna Centlivre; Mrs. Muller in John Patrick’s Shanley’s Doubt; Hedda Gabler in Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler; Various characters in Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues.
“Intolerance lies at the core of evil. Not the intolerance that results from any threat or danger. But intolerance of another being who dares to exist. Intolerance without cause. It is so deep within us, because every human being secretly desires the entire universe to himself. Our only way out is to learn compassion without cause. To care for each other simply because that ‘other’ exists.”
– Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
