Israeli kibbutz tweaks its name to honor Ginsburg

TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli kibbutz has changed its name to honor the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in a weeklong tribute to the Jewish American judge.

Kibbutz Ramat Hashofet, or The Judge’s Heights, is named after Julian Mack, an early 20th century Jewish American judge. The kibbutz in northern Israel said this week it was temporarily tweaking its name to Ramat Hashofetet. Hebrew is a gendered language and the change turns the word judge female.

Ginsburg died Friday at age 87.

The kibbutz’ Facebook page was adorned with a banner of its new name beneath a picture of Ginsburg. “We salute Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1933-2020 and are changing the kibbutz’ name for just a week,” the picture read.

Elad Tesler, a kibbutz member, wrote on Facebook that the idea came from kibbutz dwellers who were honoring “an American Supreme Court justice, a Jew, a champion of human rights in general and of women’s rights specifically. An inspiring, brave woman.”

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