An Astute Legal Mind
Yonaton Rubin is Valedictorian of Lander College for Men's Class of 2022
Beneath Yonaton Rubin’s low-key demeanor is a highly motivated scholar and an astute legal mind. In his first semester, Yonaton excelled in an upper-level course on the Supreme Court and the Constitution. The practical experience with legal writing, arguing and reading solidified his desire to become a lawyer.
Yonaton’s ambition led him to go the extra mile throughout his time at Lander College for Men. In writing a research paper on women in government, he not only evaluated current literature, he developed his own theory and then designed original research to test that theory. He combines his academic drive with a passion for helping others. While waiting to start law school he is working as an educational aide at Ari Crown Hebrew Day School in Chicago. “If you want to change the world, education can be the most powerful tool,” he said.
“Yonaton possesses that rare combination of an acute, critical intellect, and an impeccable moral character. Not only does he think broadly and creatively, distinguishing himself in the classroom, but he is at the same time modest, soft-spoken and diligent. He has devoted much volunteer time to Chai Lifeline, all the while remaining committed to his beis medrash study. Yonaton well represents the ideals of Lander College for Men,” said Dr. Moshe Sokol, dean, Touro’s Lander College for Men.
Growing up in Skokie, Ill., Yonaton attended Fasman Yeshiva High School and then studied at Aish Gesher Yeshiva in Israel. He chose Lander College for Men for the close-knit community, Jewish environment and high-quality academics.
Below is the speech Yonaton delivered to his classmates during their commencement.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak. The first sin was eating the forbidden fruit. The second, not taking responsibility for that sin. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], where are you? God calls out to Adam, who's hiding from him. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], it was the woman. She gave it to me.
Adam blames Chavah for eating the fruit. And then [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], there's a snake. He tricked me. Chavah blames the snake. They refuse to take responsibility for their actions. Their children repeat their failure. Cain kills Hebel and replies to God's question of, where's your brother, with [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?
We see a crucial change later in Bereshit. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] when Yehuda takes his soul for his brother Benjamin. That is our task in this world. We are not bystanders. We are active participants with a duty to perform. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], to work and to protect the world.
A few days ago, I tested positive for COVID. Thus, the video. While I wish I could be in person as a representative of Lander College for Men, how could I expose others and ignore the risk and danger to myself and to all of you? My speech is about responsibility. And while it is troublesome, I'm proud that Dean Sokol, Professor Singer and countless others were able to ensure that I could still not only give a speech, but they provide an example of how we need to live during times like this. Not hiding in the dark, pretending that problems don't exist, but standing tall and facing them.
The world is a frightening place now. Any number of environmental, economic, political and social challenges confront us. And there's a reason for serious concern about our future. Political theorist Thomas Hobbes writes, "the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
With a war raging for months, another shooting at another school full of children, with less protection than a fetus, it's easy to say that Hobbes was right. But our job is not the easy one. In response to Hobbes, I quote Jeff Mallett, the creator of the comic strip Frazz. A teacher tells their student, the world isn't fair, to which the student replies, "no, the world is arbitrary. Individuals are either fair or unfair. Which are you?"
The world is what you make of it. Life isn't short. It's the longest thing we do. If your life is nasty and brutish, then smile back and spread change.
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jews, created one of the greatest inspirational icons-- Superman. After saving a little girl, Superman was asked, are you going to help everyone. His answer, "no, but I'm going to try." This is reminiscent of a teaching in Pirkei Avot. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]. Rabbi Tarfon used to say, "it's not your responsibility to finish the job, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it."
You have a responsibility to change the world. You don't need to finish the job, but you must leave the world a better place than it was when you came into it. My fellow graduates, I ask you, [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], what is greater-- study or action? [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], study is greater because study leads to action.
While at Lander College for Men, we honor Jewish tradition and thought as well as secular theory and literature. These ideas are not independent of each other. They are both tools we can use to shape the world and to fix ourselves and those around us. In your jobs and in your lives, you will have the opportunity to heal people, fix the world, connect with others, and teach everyone around you. Take what you have learned from Lander and the connections and relationships you have made, and improve the world. Some have already started this process by volunteering, mentoring, fundraising, chesed, and more. But the job is far from complete.
What about me, though? Who am I? I'm the one standing up here giving a high and mighty speech. So what have I done? While I majored in Political Science, I have no intentions or plans of being president or a world figure. Having spent time working in a school, the importance of teaching and guiding the future is at the forefront of my mind. Transmitting what I learned, shaping others and myself in the meantime, is at the core of my consciousness. I can change the world in my own way, but I know that I've been given the tools to step up to the plate when needed.
Speaking in front of so many people is daunting-- or I'm sure it would have been. But I just gave a 5 minute speech to approximately 2,000 people. Add that up, and it's 10,000 minutes, or almost a week of time that I have changed. I think that's a pretty good beginning. We aren't here because graduation is the end of our journey. We are just getting started. So take the tools and ideas we have learned and add to them, sharpen them, but most importantly, use them. Not as onlookers or bystanders, but as players and participants. We're living in a seemingly uncaring world. We can't look towards the sky for Superman to come save us. God charged you with the responsibility to save the world, one action and one person at a time. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], the world was created for me. That is not a gift. That is an obligation. We must act like it. Thank you.
