'I Have No Right to Be Silent' - The Human Rights Legacy of Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer

Marshall Meyer passed away on December 29, 1993, after a short battle with cancer. He was 63. In hundreds of condolence letters received by Naomi, Anita, Dodi, and Gaby, Marshall was described by countless people as “larger than life,” “an inspiration,” “passionate,” and unforgettable for the “impact he had on my life.”

Prof. Dr. Samuel Leyt - “A loss is only material. I will never be able to ‘remove’ Marshall from inside of me. And that is more than a consolation. That is a tribute.”

Fax from Esteban - “During those years of terror on the streets and panic in the homes, Marshall’s name was pronounced by the lips of an entire generation of youth and adults who learned, thanks to Marshall, about a Judaism enshrined in dignity.”

Marlene Gorin – “I cannot tell you how many people, from all over the country, have told me that Marshall was their mentor… But there will be this vacuum by those who knew him, worked with him, and who drew examples from him.”

Héctor Timerman - “Even now, I sometimes have difficulty understanding the decision Marshall made to risk his life, as well as that of his wife and children, for a few victims who he hardly knew, for a country that was not his own and against some murderers who had not included him among their enemies.”

From the secretary general of the National Council on Islamic Affairs - “Rabbi Marshall radiated joy, confidence, and strength, in the best tradition of a man of religion. He was a humanist and universalist, concerned with the future of the Jews and humankind… I have said a prayer, reading from al-Qur’an, for Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer. May Allah’s peace prevail upon him.”

Joseph Lukinsky – “When we were in Argentina for a month in 1990… people asked me in tears to explain why Marshall had left.” Héctor Timerman: “It is true, that often we were in situations where it was more likely that we would be killed than to get out alive. And probably those are stories that should be told more often. But I never understood the meaning of Marshall's life and struggles more than when I saw that smile while we waited at the door of a prison.”

George Klas – “Marshall Meyer was not an easy person for me to deal with. Many times I disagreed with him. Often, I was angry at him. We hardly spoke to each other. Yet, he touched me.”

Ron Taffel – “In that split second, Marshall faced his own congregation and didn’t give a damn whether we agreed with him or not. I wouldn’t even say this was an act of courage. It was reflexive. The soul of Marshall bared.”