FOR INQUIRIES:
» 212.721.4073
» inauguration@barnard.edu
TRAVELING TO BARNARD
» Directions
» Parking
» Accommodations
INAUGURAL REMARKS
Kimberly C. Patton – Benediction
Professor of the Comparative and Historical Study of Religion,
Harvard Divinity School
A benediction is a blessing, pronounced aloud by one person for the sake of another. But there is a ritual catch that is more than a technicality. Traditionally, no human being can truly bless someone else, because the power to bless originates in God alone. So the one who offers a benediction does so in the name of God, mysterious and tender Creator of the universe; she or he invokes God, as Rabbi Yoffie did; she entreats God to hear, to be present, to pour out His holy power upon the one who stands before her in need of blessing and protection. The Hassidic rabbis of old, wonder-workers, sang songs whose sole purpose was to draw God down from His great halls, bright, unimaginably remote. They sang the King into presence among His creatures on this fragile earth, even as they themselves were lifted up by their own songs to Him.
Let God be among us and bless us, then, today as we sing, and let our own hearts be lifted up to meet Her on the way: Queen and Mother of all, Breath of Life, Schekinah, Spirit of Wisdom, Sophia, protector of women in battle and in childbirth, who especially rejoices with young women as they create, imagine, analyze, and discover new worlds.
Debora, dear friend, you who have lived your life so bravely and with such grace and brilliance, but most of all, the hardest of all, lived it with an open heart: May the God of your mothers Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah bless you and all you undertake. May He look with kindness upon you as you embark on this new voyage. May He give you the spirit of discernment and protect you against all evil influence. May He grant you wisdom and abundant mercies and direct your steps to every good work. May He encourage you when you falter and show the way when you are overwhelmed. May you never be afraid to speak what is in your heart, nor to witness to the truth that you see, even when it is difficult or unpopular. May you never be ashamed of what tears may come, for great warriors like Achilles and King David have wept. May you never forget the silenced and the powerless, and may you continue to champion them here and give them voice. May you always listen to everyone, even those who disagree with you or attack you, for in such bitterness the gold of revelation and new direction often hides.
Along with the shining successes, may you never fear missteps or public failures, for these can be our greatest teachers. May you never be afraid to change your mind or to say you have done so. May you know that your soul can never truly be harmed, except by self-betrayal. May God bestow upon you and all who work with you peace, love, concord, and justice. May you keep burning the fiery intellectual curiosity that brought you here, the same passion that enlivens those who study, teach, and work at Barnard College. And may your own children remind you that every student here is someone’s beloved child.
May the angels accompany you every step of the way, even when you feel most alone. May you never forget how deeply you are loved. May you go from strength to strength.
Y’var(e)chech Adonaye (Hebrew)
Evlogeisai se Kyrios (Greek)
Allah yibarak fika (Arabic)
Allah hoke jam (Fulfulde)
Que Dios le bendiga (Spanish)
Shang di bao yo ni (Mandarin Chinese)
Khudah Hafiz (Urdu)
Sarvaysham Mangalam Phavatu (Sanskrit)
Bondje beni ou-meum (Haitian Creole)
Sunen prala penyalen (Macedonian Romany)
Pust Bog blagaslovit vas (Russian)
(May) God bless you.
And may God be with all of us today who have gathered here to honor Debora — and guide us to support her as she leads us into tomorrow.
And may we say, Amen.
WEBCAST
Watch the video» Requires RealPlayer
REMARKS:
» Provost Boylan, Call to Order
» Anna Quindlen's Remarks
» Lee Bollinger's Remarks
» Allison Stanger
» Kimberly Patton, Benediction
» Frances Sadler's Welcome
» Mary Gordon's Welcome
» Phyllis Ben's Welcome
» Sarah Besnoff's Welcome
» Investiture
» Debora Spar's Keynote Address