Reply To: How should we as Jews mourn the loss of former president George h.w. bush?

Remind yourself from the famous exchange between Bush 41 and Mike Wallace who asked whether he was “too nice a guy” to be successful as President. Bush replied that ‘toughness” and “resolve” in foreign policy do not require one to engage in vulgarity or demeaning one’s opponents. Also remind yourself that one can take time away from family and studies to volunteer to defend you country in times of national crisis. If his petirah brings only a brief respite in the current wave of polarization in our political dialogue, it will be the best we collectively do in his memory, both as yidden and Americans.