Touched by a Giant — Connecting with Ruth Bader Ginsburg

On July 20, 1993, after becoming only the second woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee about how she saw the court, the country, and herself. She invoked Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and the progress America had made in living up to its ideals embodied within the Constitution.

As a naturalized US citizen and the current CEO of SOS Children’s Villages — USA, I have long been fascinated by Ginsburg’s work. She forged a trailblazing legal career that championed gender equality and civil rights. In advocating for a kinder world, she directly spoke to people like me. “America is known as a country that welcomes people to its shores,” she said, “All kinds of people. The image of the Statue of Liberty with Emma Lazarus’ famous poem, lifting her lamp and welcoming people to this golden shore, where they will not experience prejudice because of the color of their skin, the religious faith that they follow.” Her bold statement resonated deeply with me.

Ginsburg’s dedication to women’s rights and her love of the opera were well known. But one thing I did not know about her until late 2019 was her passion for philanthropy.

There were several causes close to her heart. The daughter of an immigrant father, Ginsburg credited her life to growing up in the United States, where she had the chance to go to school and succeed.

In October 2019, the Berggruen Institute, an independent think tank, awarded Ginsburg its annual $1 million Prize for Philosophy and Culture, praising her as “a constant voice for justice, equal and accessible to all.” She donated the winnings to dozens of nonprofits, including my organization.

We were, and are, honored. I decided to send her a photo book profiling SOS Children’s Villages’ work globally, and she responded with a kind note and told me she was keeping the book in her chamber’s library. We were doubly honored by her gesture, which will stay forever in my heart.

Ginsburg looked to future generations for faith in a better future. In accepting the Berggruen prize, this great-grandmother said, “One of the things that makes me an optimist is young people.”

I hope the work we do at SOS Children’s Villages with young people in 136 countries will carry on her legacy.