Narrative Summary
Interview with Marla Marantz by Mira Horowitz
“Justice, Justice, shall you pursue" is the instruction to create a judicial system in the
book of Deuteronomy, but it is also the quote that Marla Marantz strives to live her life. She
places emphasis on the use of the two "justices" in this quote. She believes that the first justice is
the justice you put into the world, and for the second justice, you have to look within yourself to
find. Marla uses this principle as she works as a community activist in Springfield, Missouri and
its surrounding areas.
Marla Marantz was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois, growing up as classical
reform Jew. She was very interested in religious education throughout her childhood. Like many
young girls at that time, Marla studied Judaism from Preschool all the way to getting confirmed
in her late teens. She describes that much of her religious upbringing was supported by a number
of great teachers who emphasized not only the rituals and prayers of Judaism, but the ethical side
as well. They helped their young student to focus on not only saying the prayers, but
understanding and analyzing what they meant.
Much of Marla's interest in religion steamed from her family’s deep history. Her
grandparents struggled to get their families out of Russia during the pogroms. Her grandmother
even came over at the young age of 16 to work in the sweatshops to earn enough money to get
her family out so they were not persecuted. Despite their struggle, they were committed to
Jewish learning and living. Despite the constant threat of Anti-Semitism, they were still proud to
be Jewish. This struggle was still a threat even in the United States while Marla was growing up.
Living in a Jewish household in the Midwest, she would always say that she was Jewish, but
announce it quietly. Growing up, Marla knew that there were places that she was not allowed or
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accepted into because she was a Jew. There were many places she was not welcome. Yet, this
threat of Anti-Semitism actually helped the Jewish community to grow closer as they created
there own places in which they were welcome.
While many of her family were religious, one practically influential family figure for
Marla is her grandma. Marla's grandmother, a deeply religious woman, was not only a strong
person but also an ethical one. She ran a shop in which she not only would help out those who
needed extra time to pay for their groceries, by allowing them to buy on credit, but also hid
people in her store's basement during the race riots and lynchings at the turn of the century.
Marla never knew about her grandmother's struggles until much later in her life because her
grandmother didn't talk about it. Marla explained that her grandma was the one who would
discuss with her what was right and what was wrong. Or they would watch a movie and they
would discusss the ethics involved. After realizing all that her grandmother had overcome and
thrived against, it intensified her need to persevere, no matter what. To be internally optimistic,
just like her grandmother, and draw from her faith.
Religion has always been a part of Marla's life. After a long and illustrious career as a
teacher and educator in gifted programs, adult education, and English as a Second Language
programs, she devoted her time to work as a temple administrator, Sunday school teacher, and
anything else that she could help out with at her local temple.
While her childhood was focused on the mystical moments of Judaism, today Marla has
become more focused on behaving in an ethical way based on Jewish principles. She is an avid
community activist, sinking her teeth into any project she feels strongly about. She is proud of
the principles of her faith. Even if she cannot commit to every small detail of Judaism, she loves
to be active in the community not only as a Jew, but for the Jewish values that she holds.
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Although Marla does not consider herself to be a Jew who is strictly observant of rituals,
she does hold strong to the moral beliefs found in Judaism. Ever-present in her thoughts are the
Jewish principles such as Tikkun Olam, pursuing justice, and living an ethical life. She believes
that preserving justice can be two fold, not only helping those that need justice, but also those
who pursue it.
Marla believes that everyone is responsible to make the world a better place, whether you
can see the benefits right away or not. She is living her life by the ethical and moral guidance of
Judaism, having learnt and studied them during her childhood and still today. She continues daily
to battle the injustice in the world and strives to make the world, right here and now, a better
place.
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