Over the past several months, we have heard from so many of you that you look forward to our weekly Esther of the Week feature. You’ve told us you love seeing real women highlighted as modern-day Esthers because it reminds you that courage is not reserved for people with big platforms. It shows up in ordinary lives, in hard conversations, and in quiet moments when someone chooses to stand with the Jewish people and speak truth.
That is exactly why we keep doing it.
Not to elevate celebrities. Not to chase headlines. But to honor faithfulness and backbone, and to encourage each of us to live with that same “for such a time as this” courage right where God has planted us.
And as antisemitism continues to rise across the United States, many of the most powerful Esther moments are happening not on national stages, but in local communities, schools, and neighborhoods.
Some Esthers speak at school board meetings.
Some write a Facebook post when something feels deeply wrong.
Some hang a sign, gather signatures, or refuse to stay silent when Jewish neighbors are afraid.
This is what Esther courage looks like today.
In Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, a woman named Rachel Lobman placed a simple sign near a school that read: Jewish students deserve to be safe. When the sign was challenged and blocked, she did not back down. Her quiet act became a local conversation about whose safety matters and who is allowed to speak up. It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t political. It was moral.
In Cherry Creek, Colorado, a mother named Rikki Mor learned that Jewish students at a middle school were being harassed with Holocaust references and antisemitic slurs. One child was told to “go back to the death chambers.” Rikki spoke up publicly. Within hours of posting on Facebook, dozens of parents responded with similar stories. She helped organize a letter signed by hundreds of community members and brought it directly to district leadership, demanding action and protection for Jewish students.
Across the country, similar stories continue to surface in local newspapers, police blotters, and school district meetings. Menorahs vandalized. Swastikas drawn. Jewish students told to hide who they are. And alongside those moments of hate, there are moments of courage. A woman who refuses to stay quiet. A neighbor who shows up. A mother who speaks because no one else will.
These women may never call themselves leaders. But Scripture has a different word for them.
“And who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this?”
— Esther 4:14 (NIV)
Esther did not seek power. She responded to responsibility. She spoke when silence would have cost lives. Today’s Esthers are doing the same, often without applause, recognition, or certainty that anyone will stand with them.
At Christian Women For Israel, we want to honor these women. We also know that many of their stories are known only locally, shared quietly, or never written down at all. That is why we are inviting you to help us find them.
Share an Esther of the Week Nomination
Do you know a woman who:
Spoke up for Jewish students or families in her community
Organized support after an antisemitic incident
Protected a synagogue, school, or neighbor
Refused to stay silent when others were afraid
If so, we would love to hear her story.
Please email editor@christianwomenforisrael.org and include:
Her name
Her contact information (if available)
A brief description of what she did and why you believe she is a modern-day Esther
Our team prayerfully reviews each submission. Stories will only be shared publicly with permission.
By sharing these stories, we remind one another that courage is contagious, that faith is lived locally, and that standing with the Jewish people often begins right where we live. If this story stirred something in you, we invite you to revisit our reflection on “If I perish, I perish” and read the Bold Esther Declaration — a reminder that courage has always required faith, resolve, and a willingness to stand even when the cost is unknown.
Today’s Prayer
Lord, thank You for the women who see injustice and choose courage. Bless those who stand up for their Jewish neighbors, often at personal cost. Give us eyes to recognize Esther moments in our own communities and hearts willing to respond when You call. May we never underestimate the power of faithfulness, obedience, and love lived out close to home. Amen.
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