Nachshon was the first Israelite into the Red Sea – before God parted the waters. So, commited activist or blind follower? Much has been said about leaders, less about what we value in the rank and file. Ruth Messenger has thought about both, as a city council member, as Manhattan borough president, in her work for American Jewish World Services. She spoke about the Bible, the Bronx, and bicycles for Columbia University’s Narrative Medicine rounds, with music from Hannah Read.

•  PERSON: Nachshon
•  PLACE: 149^th & 3^rd, the Bronx
•  THING: her bicycle
•  RANDY’S PERSON: this mascot