A Tribute to an African Lioness of Zion

I never cry at all, I am a hero, not a crybaby

But why, mother, why

Do the Tears cry by themselves?

(“Brave Danny”, an Israeli children’s song)

These past 15 months have been rife with tears, indeed cascades of sorrow, flowing from our hearts, coming from deep inside our souls, unto our eyes and beyond – making their way into the world, filling its lakes and oceans of grief, far beyond what their capacity should be. And yet, as if we have not had enough, came another blow to the heart with the loss of a true legend, already in life, the one and only Olga Meshoe, of blessed memory.

As I write these words, I am still unable, if not unwilling, to digest their meaning. Olga has joined the Almighty.

I have known Olga for years, as she and her beloved family in South Africa, and later on, the family she married into, the beloved Washingtons, have been a rare clarion voice for truth, justice, and morality. One of our encounters took place at JBS studios, where she visited to share her thoughts and vision for the world. At the time, I introduced her to the late Rabbi Mark Golub, he, too, of blessed memory, a meeting that sparked his heart and lit his eyes with glimmers of hope for our world.

I will never forget his excitement after meeting Olga. So he shared his sentiment with words that echo as true as ever:

“TOUCHED BY AN EXTRAORDINARY HUMAN BEING

Every now and then, each of us encounters a human being who touches our heart, mind, and soul in a profoundly moving way. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, we know we’re in the presence of something extraordinary. Olga Meshoe is more than extraordinary. She is bright, insightful, enormously courageous — and has also been blessed with a radiant beauty. Olga was raised in South Africa, the daughter of a heroic Reverend Kenneth Meshoe of the ACDP (African Christian Democratic Party). Olga has a familiar hatred of apartheid and a passionate love affair with the State of Israel. What made her speech captivating was not her dynamism, eloquence, energy, and power (even though all were present) but the fact that here was this Black person who stood up as an impassioned supporter of Israel and who brought comfort to the South African Jewish community.

She came to give us strength and that is exactly what she did.”

Indeed, Olga gave us all strength and much more: she showed us the way, gave us a moral direction, and provided much light in many dark corners of our world. One of the most memorable statements she made during our conversation has since and forever stuck with me, as it should for us all:  “If you want to be the greatest, you have got to be the servant of all.”

Olga has dedicated her life to Africa, her people, the Black community, the Jewish people, and the State of Israel. She was a champion of truth and hope. She radiated those values in all that she did and all that she was. Her engaging smile was infectious, and her stature was out of this world, literally, as she echoed her faith and the Almighty’s presence in every part of her life, and ours.

Chaval Al DeAvdin VeLo Mishtakhin is one of the most famous expressions in our Jewish tradition regarding the passing of a loved one. Its source is in the Talmud (Tractate Sanhedrin), which translates to: “It is a pity for those who are gone and are no longer to be found!” It laments the significant loss of the deceased person, who was so rare in stature and nature, to be deemed irreplaceable. The word Mishtakhin has another meaning, as it pertains to memory. As such, the expression translates to “It is a pity for those who are gone and cannot be forgotten,” to say their presence in this world and their light have been so impactful and strong that they can never – ever – be forgotten.

Such was Olga. Like water on rocks, her memory and values will continue to flow, chiseling our path into the future and unto the light. As we are left behind, grieving beyond grief, tearing beyond tears, your memory shall live inside us, and we shall forever carry your banner into the battlefield for truth, hope, justice, and life.

Farewell, dear sister, for now. We miss you already.