Esther was not a litigator. But she was a strategist.
She understood power, timing, and the cost of silence. She knew when to speak, when to gather allies, and when to force those in authority to confront what they would rather ignore. She did not invent the danger facing her people. She exposed it, named it, and demanded accountability.
That kind of courage still matters.
On January 8, 2026, Cooper Union agreed to settle a Title VI civil rights lawsuit brought by 10 Jewish students who were locked inside a campus library during an unruly anti Israel protest in October 2023. The students said they feared for their safety as demonstrators banged on doors and windows, while school administrators told police who offered assistance to stand down.
As part of the settlement, the college agreed to compensate the students, appoint a Title VI coordinator to oversee discrimination and harassment complaints, train staff and students, and prohibit masks at demonstrations.
Standing behind that outcome was Ziporah Reich, Director of Litigation at The Lawfare Project, the legal group that represented the students.
This case did not emerge in isolation.
For years, Ziporah Reich has worked at the intersection of civil rights law and antisemitism, representing Jewish students and families when institutions failed to act. Her work has included litigation on behalf of students facing retaliation after reporting antisemitic behavior, and advocacy that pushes schools to treat antisemitism as a civil rights issue, not a campus controversy.
Again and again, the pattern has been the same. Jewish students report harassment. Administrators hesitate. Responsibility is shifted. Silence is encouraged as the safer option.
The Cooper Union case confronted that pattern directly.
In announcing the settlement, Reich said:
“This landmark settlement is the result of the extraordinary courage of the students who came forward to demand accountability from Cooper Union. Jewish students deserve to learn without being targeted, harassed, or excluded because of who they are or what they believe. Universities have a legal duty to protect them.”
Those words carry weight because they reject a dangerous premise. Jewish students should not have to change their behavior, hide who they are, or accept intimidation as part of education. Institutions have a duty to protect. The law is clear.
Esther would have recognized that moment.
She understood that asking the threatened to disappear is not protection. It is abdication. And she understood that confronting power requires preparation, courage, and a willingness to accept personal risk.
Ziporah Reich’s work reflects that same clarity. She has chosen to use the law as a means of insisting that antisemitism on campus is not an abstract concern, not a political disagreement, and not something Jewish students should quietly endure.
At Christian Women For Israel, we recognize this as Esther courage. Not because it is dramatic, but because it is disciplined. Not because it seeks attention, but because it insists on truth.
“And who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14 (NIV)
This week, Esther of the Week is a woman who has spent years pressing institutions to confront what they would rather overlook, and who helped ensure that Jewish students do not have to barricade themselves in a library to be protected.
Today’s Prayer
Lord, thank You for women who act with wisdom and courage when truth is under pressure. Strengthen those who defend Jewish students and families against harassment and exclusion. Grant discernment to leaders, resolve to advocates, and protection to those who seek to learn and worship without fear. Amen.
