Akiva's Blog

A recent topic of discussion has been the installment of a memorial in Montgomery, Alabama that commemorates the lynching of over 4,000 African Americans between 1877 and 1950. The memorial, which includes statues of African Americans being murdered and monuments for each victim, is controversial in that it is a memorial of murder. Some argue that while remembering the evil racism of that period in American history is necessary, to have a memorial that is so disturbing and depressing is inappropriate. To even show the horrific images of lynchings on television, they argue, is disgraceful and offensive. However, I believe that this sentiment is far from true. There's a reality that we as Americans and as human beings must face, which is that something atrocious occurred in our country less than 100 years ago. This is something that is so bad and, as such, so crucial for each American to understand and contemplate, that it can't simply be talked about. We have to face these ima...

         "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana. These famous words so eloquently express why we must study history. If we truly are aware of the past as it actually was, we will avoid making the same mistakes that society has made throughout human history. However, to really learn the valuable lessons of history and not repeat those mistakes, one must get history right. To distort, in any way, shape, or form, the details of historical events, is to diminish the lessons learned from history, and to therefore risk making the mistakes of the past.           As an Orthodox Jew who feels very strongly that I am part of something larger- the story  of the Jewish people- I know very well that I must be aware of what really occurred to my people throughout history and learn not to do those same things to other people today. I, along with the entire Jewish community today, have a responsibility ...

Last Wednesday, a troubled 19 year old opened fire at a Florida High School, killing 17 people and injuring many others. Families will now have to grieve for the rest of their lives for their children, kids will have to grieve for their siblings, students will have to grieve for their friends, and every single student in that school will have to live with the trauma of this terrifying atrocity. Perhaps even more upsetting and saddening is the reality that this horrific event was just one of many mass shootings in recent years. Since 1966, there have been 150 mass shootings and 1077 deaths as a result. These shootings occur anywhere from schools to churches to concerts. This terrible epidemic is unique to America; nowhere else do mass shootings occur so frequently. While the issue is undoubtedly complex due to the second amendment and the strong gun rights lobby, we must at the very least make it more difficult for anyone with a demon in his head to carry out an attack like this, by fo...

The Editorial Board of USA Today, in "Will Trump's lows ever hit rock bottom?" (2017), assert that President Trump is not fit for the Office of President due to his deeply immoral and ethical behavior. They use fiery and provocative diction to highlight one recent case that demonstrates his immorality, use a scathing and forceful tone to assert that the president is uniquely unfit for the job, and list many other examples that display Trump's disregard for ethics and morality using a blunt and critical tone. The Editorial Board's purpose is to take a stand against the President, by convincing the public that his behavior is absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable for the leader of our country, and to thereby trigger protest instead of apathy. They speak to the common American who relates to their frustration with the President's behavior, and wants their own views to be confirmed with facts from their newspapers. In my opinion, when criticizing actions of a ...

Abraham Lincoln, in his second Inaugural Address (1865), asserts that the terribly long and bloody Civil War that was destroying the country was a punishment from G-d for the 250 years of slavery in America. He puts his speech in context, describes the unfolding of the Civil War as result of the issue of slavery, explains how each side prays for assistance in the war, and uses Biblical references to argue that slavery is the terrible offense that is causing God to punish them with such a bloody war. Lincoln’s purpose is to give hope and strength to the Union, and send the powerful message that they are on the right side of this, and hence must finish off what they began. He speaks directly to the members of the Union that are physically or emotionally pained by the war, and seek comfort during this difficult time of war. In my Judaic classes over the years, I have learned in great detail of the large role that G-d and religion played and continues to play in war. The Hebrew Bible ...

Michelle Goldberg, in  “Anniversary of the Apocalypse” (2017) asserts that the age of Trump’s presidency is an apocalypse, in which the President can do outrageous things and we don’t even care anymore because we have become so accustomed to it. She describes the warning of what Trump’s presidency would look like, uses pathos and logos to show how unpresidential and unseemly she thinks Trump has been, and shows how this has become the new normal with a cynical and depressing tone. Her purpose is to convince liberals who promised to resist Trump that they can’t continue to allow Trump’s inappropriate behavior to become the norm. She relates to adults who, like her, are disturbed by Trump’s actions, but are simply tired of being outraged and have accepted his ways as normal.   While I agree that there should be outrage over any action of our President that is unseemly, unpresidential, or illegal, I disagree in characterizing Trump’s presidency as an “apocalypse,” similar to...