Jessica Galant’s Speech for the Multifaith Service for Parents Weekend Sunday Feb 28
Good morning and thank you for being here. Last year almost to the day, my grandmother passed away and I was unable to give the speech I had prepared for this service. I’m thankful to the generosity of the Office of Religious Life and Reverend Joanne Sanders for giving me the opportunity to share my reflections with you again. My thoughts today will be said in honor of my grandmother.
I want to share a story that I feel represents the unique Stanford experience, how uniting with others for a common cause can lead to profound moments of self-discovery. In addition, it is a story that is particularly relevant to parents’ weekend, an anxious and exciting time where parents can learn about and briefly experience what being a student at Stanford means to their children.
On Friday, January 29thof this year, the Westboro Baptist Church came to Stanford to protest outside of Hillel. Their message is one of hate, specifically aimed at Jewish people, gay people, and all those who acknowledge the rights of these groups to life and love. They use the Bible as a weapon and preach at the funerals of American soldiers because they believe that their deaths are somehow the rational outcome of a society that allows Jews and gays to exist. Their words make me sick to my stomach, not just because I am Jewish and an LGBT ally, but because I am human.
As the members of the Jewish and LGBT communities debated about ways to respond, were not alone. We were overwhelmed with support, from every single religious and cultural group on campus and the Stanford community at large. Stanford FAITH, Faiths Acting in Togetherness and Hope, a new group on campus, helped mobilize an interfaith response. We realized together that this display of utter hate was an incredible opportunity, an opportunity for us asJews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Bahais, Atheists, Gays, and Straights, to affirm our values of mutual respect and love, and our conviction that we can learn the most about ourselves and the world through relations of difference.
On that early Friday morning, thousands of Stanford students converged on Hillel and we raised our voices together. We put our arms around each other, soaked in each other’s energy, and drowned out the messages of hate with songs of love. One of Stanford’s premiere acappella groups, Talisman, guided our voices and when a student burst through the crowd in his pajamas playing Amazing Grace on his bagpipes, we could only nod our heads and say, “Only at Stanford.” I remember turning to our Rabbi at Hillel and saying, “We should do this more often.” And then all of a sudden, I heard something that made my heart so full that all I could think about was how lucky, proud, and thankful I was to be part of a community of individuals who continually ask how can the words of another person’s heart inspire me to be a better person.
What I heard was the entire gathering starting to sing a Jewish hymn, “Hinei ma tov u’manayim shevet achim gam yachad,” which means “How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.” Those who didn’t know the hymn, found someone in the group with a pamphlet and even though many didn’t know the exact meaning of the words, they could feel it. With our arms around each other we swayed back and forth, creating a powerful sea of hope and strength. We could feel in our bones that we were part of something really special that we would remember for the rest of our lives. The hymn began softly and each time it was repeated it got louder and louder until we sang with one voice. And then, when our collective voice was at its utmost intensity, none other than the Stanford Band, rushed Hillel lawn and started to play.
It was in this moment that I realized why Stanford is such a unique institution and why I am so thankful to be part of it. The event wasn’t just a group of people gathering to proclaim their beliefs; it was Stanford raising its voice for peace. It was a chance to relish in the diversity of the Stanford community, the vast collection of interests, viewpoints, and identities that people bring with them in everything they do. Reverend Jim Wallis spoke as this year’s Heins Lecturer on Monday, and commented that the definition of vocation is when the activity that drives you, inspires you, and that you lose track of time doing, aligns with the needs of the world. The event served as a reminder to recognize that in our own different ways, we are all striving to be makers of a better world. I have come to realize that I learn the most and am the most fulfilled when I bring my full self to a situation and when I seek out situations where my beliefs are challenged, whether it is a class, an activity, an event, or a conversation. Stanford provides opportunities for this to happen.
As I reflect on my four years at Stanford, there have been many similar instances where I have been mentally and spiritually challenged. I realize that my experience has Stanford has been a series of times where I have “gotten caught up in something”, times that have allowed me to discover and be proud ofthe many facets of my identity. For me, these have included being in the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, being a leader in the Jewish community, being involved in theatre, studying abroad in Florence, and doing immunology research at the Stanford Hospital.
Stanford creates an atmosphere that encourages its students to discover their passions and to get caught up in them. Discovery is a dynamic process; it’s not simply the act of revealing or uncovering, but it transforms, molds, and shapes not only the person who made the discovery, but everyone who is connected to that person. To the parents here today, you are now, whether you like it or not, part of the Stanford family. Under the aegis of the Stanford family, includingfaculty, staff, and friends, we, as students, are able to define our academic and personal goals and are wholeheartedly supported in the process.
One afternoon last quarter as I was coming back from classes, I bumped into a housemate who had the biggest smile on his face. I couldn’t help but ask him why he was in such a good mood. He responded, “You know those moments of epiphany when you realize how lucky you are to be at Stanford and just how awesome this place is? Well, I just had one.” As I prepare to move forward, I realize that I’m not leaving Stanford behind. Rather, the experiences I have had and knowledge I have acquired here will always be with me and will continue to shape who I am.
Moving forward is not simply passing the torch, but rather feeding off of the energy of those who have held it before, making it glow even brighter with your own energy, and giving it to someone new to do the same. When the torch gets too heavy, we have our Stanford family to help us carry it, when it needs some fuel, we have our Stanford family to add some oil, when it has flames to give, the Stanford family can use them, and when the only thing to do is sit back and bask the beauty of its light and the intensity of warmth, the Stanford family does not hesitate and calls the world to join in.
Thank you.