Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin, a name that might not immediately ring a bell in the pantheon of civil rights giants, was nonetheless a force to be reckoned with. An openly gay, Quaker pacifist who was often relegated to the background due to societal prejudices, he organized the 1963 March on Washington like a maestro orchestrating a symphony. Talk about getting things done despite the odds.

Rustin's commitment to nonviolence was unwavering, honed through his work with Gandhi's philosophy and his own Quaker beliefs. He even served prison time for his refusal to register for the draft, which, let's be honest, is a significantly higher level of commitment than most of us give to anything, let alone a political ideal.

While he might not have been Jewish by birth, his dedication to justice, his prophetic vision, and his experience with marginalization certainly resonate with a certain historical narrative. He was, in essence, a mensch before the term became widely appropriated by non-Jews. And for that, we kvell.