“She has the guts to say the truth.” — Dr. Miriam Adelson
It is not often that a political moment feels biblical. But when Dr. Miriam Adelson, speaking before five hundred guests at the Zionist Organization of America’s gala, turned to Rep. Elise Stefanik and said, “You have the guts to say the truth,” it sounded like something from the Book of Esther itself.
A few days earlier, Stefanik had announced her run for governor of New York. It would have been easy to stay quiet, to keep her campaign safe and her message broad. Instead, she stood at a podium in Manhattan and received the ZOA’s Maccabee Warrior Award for Leadership for confronting antisemitism on college campuses and for standing with the Jewish people and Israel.
Dr. Adelson praised her with words her late husband Sheldon often used: “Stand up for what you believe in, even if you stand up alone.”
“When I heard you talking to the heads of the universities, I said to myself, ‘She has the guts to say the truth,’” Adelson said. “You had the courage to do it, and you stood up for what you believe in. You are a great leader.”
Speaking when others equivocate
At that moment, Stefanik’s “truth” was not political theater. Months earlier, she asked university presidents a simple moral question:
“Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate your university’s code of conduct?”
Each answered, “It depends on the context.” The world heard. And so did Miriam Adelson.
Stefanik said she realized that a new front in the battle for freedom and faith had opened—not just in the Middle East, but in American lecture halls.
“We saw a scourge of antisemitism after Hamas’s terrorist attacks on October 7,” she told the gala audience. “I have stood shoulder to shoulder with the American Jewish community and the people of Israel through war, terror, and tragedy.”
Courage as conviction
Her remarks that night went beyond politics.
“New York is the epicenter of the battle for the very Western values that have shaped America,” she said. “The fight for democracy, for the dignity of work, for the belief that through effort and perseverance anyone can achieve the American dream.”
She spoke bluntly about moral clarity, about the danger of leaders who look away, and about her commitment to stand with Israel and with the Jewish people even when it costs her.
Like Esther, Stefanik understands that influence brings responsibility. The palace gate looks different in every generation—sometimes it’s a congressional hearing room, sometimes a classroom, sometimes a microphone. The question is the same: Will you speak when it’s unpopular?
“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” — Esther 4:14 (NIV)
Your step of faith
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Today’s Prayer
Lord, thank You for raising up leaders like Elise Stefanik who speak with clarity and courage. Strengthen her voice and protect her family. Teach us to use our own influence faithfully and fearlessly for Your truth and Your people. Amen.
