The general definition of a hero is someone who does something selflessly; that is that their act benefits the person whom the act is for, it is not for them and their needs.
Lori Gilbert Kaye is a hero in every sense of the word. Yesterday, when a gunman entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue, he aimed his gun at Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein.
The Rabbi survived, but congregant Lori Gilbert Kaye, who stepped into the path of the gunman and took the bullet, did not.
In Judaism, we have a prayer known as Eishet Chayil (A Woman of Valor). It is traditionally said on Shabbat by a husband to praise his wife.
If one had to look in the dictionary to define A Woman of Valor, Ms. Kaye’s face would be underneath the definition. In saving the life of the Rabbi while sacrificing hers, she joins the ranks of Jewish women across history who have fought and died for Jews across the world and across the generations.
May her memory be a blessing not just to those who knew and loved her, but to all of us. May her courage inspire us to fight against hate and prejudice. My prayer is that one day, sacrifices like Ms. Kaye’s will be confined to the past.
Z”l.
Writergurlny 