The release of more pages connected to Jeffrey Epstein has once again caught the world’s attention – mine included.
This recent development coincided with several other incidents that prompted thought in my mind because the parallels between them were difficult to ignore.
I began reflecting on the difference between leadership and power. They’re often confused, yet they are not the same. Power is positional, deriving from title, wealth or influence. Leadership, by contrast, is moral. It is revealed in conduct, restraint and courage. Regularly, we are confronted with a choice: do we assert power, or do we exercise leadership?
Recently, an interaction with a senior figure in a communal organisation unsettled me. In response to a straightforward query, he launched into an unnecessary tirade against another individual. The disparagement had nothing to do with my question. It was, in effect, a naming and shaming exercise. I wondered whether this is what one should expect from a person in such a position. Surely not. Positions of authority demand leadership – measured words, dignity, responsibility – not the indulgent display of power.
Then there was the incident at Roedean School. In global terms, it may appear small. But, for our community, it felt like naked antisemitism when a call was made to boycott a sports match against learners from King David High School. The school has apologised and its Principal has resigned. That is not insignificant. Still, one wonders how many members of the Governing Body or staff spoke out at the time. How many chose leadership over silence? Leadership is not only about corrective action after the fact – it is about moral clarity in the moment.
The Epstein saga poses an even starker question. How did so many individuals in prominent roles allow themselves to become entangled in his web? Did proximity to wealth and influence blur their judgment? Did power create the illusion of immunity – a belief that normal standards are not applicable to them? Leadership would have required distance, transparency and principle. But power spoke more strongly.
Against this backdrop, I read a news report about a small town in India. A Hindu nationalist crowd confronted a Muslim shopkeeper, demanding he change his store’s name. A local man, Deepak Kumar, a Hindu, intervened. He declared that his own name was “Mohammad Deepak” – symbolically bridging identities by combining an obviously Muslim and an obviously Hindu name – and called on the protestors to stop their actions. Importantly, he warned that silence today teaches silence to our children tomorrow. In that simple act, he displayed leadership. He had no grand title. Only courage.
Our world does not suffer from a shortage of power. It suffers from a shortage of leadership. The distinction matters – and the choice is ours.
The team at the Cape Jewish Chronicle wishes all our readers and supporters a Chag Pesach Sameach! May we take to heart the important messages of freedom that this chag embodies. ●
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