Where do we look for stories to inspire our children? What role models can we introduce to them through media (books, movies) we enjoy together? What biblical figures stand out for their bravery and resourcefulness? Meet a small selection of heroes from Jewish tradition, texts, and the Torah, to learn about with your family.
Rabbi Akiva
Rabbi Akiva is considered one of the best and most dedicated Torah scholars in Jewish history. He lived during the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (70 CE). In addition to being a rabbi, leader, and judge, Akiva contributed some of the most profound and enduring teachings in the Mishnah, an important text of rabbinic law and debate that is still studied today. All this from someone who didn’t even know how to read until he was about 40 years old!
Joseph
One of the patriarchs in the Bible, Jacob had 12 sons, and Joseph was his favorite. We meet Joseph in the book of Genesis, when his jealous brothers sell him into slavery. Eventually rising to power through his talent for interpreting dreams, Joseph goes on to save his family and the nation from famine. His story is often studied as a metaphor for the survival of the Jewish people.
Miriam
The story of Passover is filled with brave people, including Miriam, Moses’s sister. Both faithful and brave, she sets her baby brother adrift on the Nile and sets in motion one of the Bible’s most inspiring sagas. In Exodus, after the Red Sea splits and the Hebrew slaves escape to freedom, Miriam leads the community in a song of praise and gratitude. And according to tradition, Miriam is the one who finds water for the Israelites in the desert. Along with Miriam, the two midwives Shiphrah and Puah helped ensure the survival of the little baby who would one day lead the Jewish people.
Rebecca
Rebecca is one of the matriarchs whose story is told in the book of Genesis. After marrying Isaac, she miraculously becomes pregnant with twins, Jacob and Esau. Rebecca secures a special blessing for Jacob — who will one day be renamed Israel and become father of the 12 tribes of the Jewish people.
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
Shimon Bar Yochai was a rabbinic figure who lived in second-century Judea. At that time, the Romans ruled Judea, and there was very little tolerance for dissenters such as Rabbi Shimon. In the most famous tale about him, Rabbi Shimon and his son hide from the Romans in a cave for 12 years, sustained by a miraculous carob tree and a flowing spring, and spending entire days and nights studying Jewish wisdom.
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May 5, 2025