Elliot Ratzman

I really enjoyed Elliot Ratzman’s lecture this week. The talk raised many thought provoking questions, such as “where does the responsibility lay in battling injustices in other countries?”, “why aren’t more people today outraged?” and “how do we manage concern of suffering?” I found two aspects of his lecturing very important. 1. He didn’t encourage all of us to go home, throw out all our wordly possessions, and start a brigade to save the world. Rather, he suggested that if one does want to help, they could start by picking a cause they feel very strongly for, and maybe setting aside part of their income to champion it. 2. He noted that the Jewish community as a whole puts a strong emphasis on helping others, but this of course is not simply limited to Jews. Ratzman mentioned Peter Singer’s views on how we let atrocities be committed around us everyday. Singer calls our indifference “letting children drown,” which I find to be a painful, and sadly true fact of society. Ratzman mentioned that we have a responsibility to help those in need, and with today’s technology, our actual proximity to the problems is inconsequential. I found Ratzman’s lecture to be encouraging for us to make a difference, and not berating us for not doing enough.