Sojourner Truth

Born Isabella Baumfree into slavery in Ulster County, New York, Sojourner Truth's early life was, by all accounts, horrific. She endured the cruelties of multiple masters, the pain of seeing her children sold away, and the systemic dehumanization inherent in the institution of slavery. Not exactly a prime environment for discovering one's Jewish roots, one would imagine.

After escaping to freedom in 1826, she experienced a profound spiritual awakening and, in 1843, renamed herself Sojourner Truth, believing God had called her to travel and preach. She became a powerful and eloquent speaker, advocating for the rights of African Americans and women across the nation. While her faith was undeniably central to her identity, it was deeply rooted in Protestantism, not, say, the teachings of Hillel.

Her most famous speech, delivered at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron in 1851, became known as "Ain't I a Woman?" a passionate refutation of arguments for female inferiority. We can perhaps kvell at her incredible resilience, her moral courage in the face of immense injustice, and her undeniable impact on the trajectory of American civil rights. That's a lot of nachas for someone who, alas, never so much as dipped a challah in honey.