When Rebecca Dallet wears her Star of David, she’s choosing more than just an accessory. She’s choosing Jewish visibility in a time of rising antisemitism.
“I believe that conversation is the chief engine of change,” Dallet said.
Dallet, a justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, said she helps interpret Wisconsin law “on a daily basis.” In her youth, she learned about tikkun olam – repairing the world – through the North American Federation of Temple Youth Ohio-Valley chapter in Cleveland. That’s where she decided to spend her life’s work in public service. NFTY is a youth network for Reform Judaism that connects high school students through synagogue programs and events.
“Attorneys have a unique ability to fight for justice, so I made the decision to pursue that,” Dallet said. “And then, really, throughout my career, I just tried to focus on doing the next right thing.”
Justice Dallet said she knows increased antisemitism has created a “tough time” for Jews right now. Her advice is that people should “engage instead of retreating.”
For Dallet, that means regularly wearing Judaica. “I have a Jewish star on now, and I don’t really go anywhere without that or a hamsa,” Dallet said. She also seeks out the Jewish community by going to synagogue, being with people around the anniversary of Oct. 7, and trying to spend some time with people who know what it feels like to be Jewish and experience antisemitism.
And there’s one more thing she thinks we can do: “have conversations with people who may not know what it means to be Jewish,” or who may not have a strong understanding of Jewish history.
Dallet believes people should be doing “a lot of listening and showing curiosity” right now. She believes that if people engage in conversations where others feel heard, they may have a better chance of helping them understand new ideas.
“If we can listen and understand where they’re coming from, or at least why they believe what they believe… Then maybe we can help them to understand things that they may not know,” Dallet said.
Dallet fell in love with Wisconsin when visiting one summer between her second and third year of law school with now-husband Brad Dallet, a Milwaukee native. Before being elected into the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2018, she served as Milwaukee County’s first female presiding court commissioner and then as a judge on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
Dallet still remembers, as a young woman, watching a judge command a courtroom for the first time, an opportunity she received in a high school government class. “I thought to myself, I would like to do that some day,” Dallet said.
When asked if she sees her position as having a role in female empowerment, Dallet noted that six of the seven justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are women, the highest percentage of female justices on any state supreme court in the United States.
“I think that women need a seat at the table, not just on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but everywhere,” Dallet said. “I hope that I’ve been an example for that, especially to my kids, who are three women.”
* * *
A supreme court justice’s favorite thing
When Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dallet was asked what she has learned from living in Wisconsin, she joked, “Cheese is its own food group.” Her favorite thing to do in Wisconsin is the Wisconsin State Fair! Seriously. She seeks out the milk tent and makes an effort to try at least one flavor of milk. She also likes seeing the Kids from Wisconsin perform at the fair, and if she has time, she’ll visit the pig races.
Dallet said Wisconsinites are “extremely kind and they look out for each other. I think they’re really hard working… it makes me proud to be where I am, and to be able to call Wisconsin home.”
Loading ...