By Zach Sagorin
the suffering of the Jews. Moshe explains the violation of their rights as they are kept as slaves and the necessity of their retribution intermittently while a series of plagues rain down upon the Egyptian people until Pharaoh "hardens his heart". Hardening one's heart is a means to neglect the needs of others. Rather than opening up and empathizing with those in need Pharaoh allows himself to ignore the plight of the less fortunate. The hardening of Pharaoh's heart shows recognition and ignorance of privilege over others. Upon restricting one's ability to empathize one becomes isolated from the needs of others. Pharaoh teaches us two important lessons, the necessity of empathy and recognition of one's own privilege prior to implementing societal change.
To return to the Jewish underdog story, what are some implications of the constant reminder that Jews are the downtrodden lower class? I mean everyone loves the underdog story; but now that the state of Israel has been created we have transformed. We are underdogs of a global arena as the world points their fingers at Israeli actions while simultaneously we are the oppressors that erect settlements and checkpoints that violate the rights of Palestinians. We must constantly remind ourselves to view others with empathy, we must always beware hardening our own hearts to the causes of others, and we must always recognize the importance of youth and creativity in changing the world and acting upon our empathy.