Judge David S. Tatel Presents A Jewish Book Council (Virtual) Talk on “Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice”

Attend a Virtual Jewish Book Council Talk on Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice

Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2025

Time: 2 P.M.

Location: Virtually via Zoom

This event is free and open to the public. 

Falmouth Jewish Congregation invites everyone to a free, virtual Jewish Book Council author talk, an event marking JDAIM: Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (February).

David Tatel served nearly 30 years on America’s second highest court, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where many of our most crucial cases are resolved - or teed up for the Supreme Court. He has championed equal justice for his entire adult life; decided landmark environmental and voting cases; and embodied the ideal of what a great judge should be. Yet he has been blind for 50 of his 80-plus years. Initially, he depended upon aides to read texts to him, and more recently, a suite of hi-tech solutions has allowed him to listen to reams of documents at high speeds. At first, he tried to hide his deteriorating vision, and for years, he denied that it had any impact on his career. Only recently, partly thanks to his first-ever guide dog, Vixen, has he come to fully accept his blindness and the role it has played in his personal and professional lives. His story of fighting for justice over decades, with and without eyesight, is an inspiration to us all.

About the Author

David Tatel has cham­pi­oned equal jus­tice for his entire adult life; decid­ed land­mark envi­ron­men­tal and vot­ing cas­es; and embod­ied the ide­al of what a great judge should be. Yet he has been blind for 50 of his 80-plus years. Ini­tial­ly, he depend­ed upon aides to read texts to him, and more recent­ly, a suite of hi-tech solu­tions has allowed him to lis­ten to reams of doc­u­ments at high speeds. At first, he tried to hide his dete­ri­o­rat­ing vision, and for years, he denied that it had any impact on his career. Only recent­ly, part­ly thanks to his first-ever guide dog, Vix­en, has he come to ful­ly accept his blind­ness and the role it’s played in his per­son­al and pro­fes­sion­al lives. His sto­ry of fight­ing for jus­tice over decades, with and with­out eye­sight, is an inspi­ra­tion to us all.

Organizer

Name: Pamela Rothstein, Director of Lifelong Learning, Falmouth Jewish Congregation

Phone: 508-540-0602

Email: pbrothstein@comcast.net