Hello, Friends!
2/11/2021
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”
Rabbi Hillel, the Elder
Hello friends! It is a new year, 2021. There has been so much that has happened, and the year has hardly begun. Tensions are at an all-time high, a new administration is in office, and we are still living in a pandemic. With every changing year, it is always good to think about how things can be different. How do we not let history repeat itself? Often, we find ourselves thinking that history is a study of the past, but it can also be a window into our future. As a historian, I fundamentally believe that history can guide us and enlighten us. It can open up our minds to people’s struggles, help us walk in another person’s shoes, and give us perspective when times are tough. I am a firm believer that the study of history can create social change.
One way we can make history accessible to the masses is to make it relatable. I share every term with my students, Sam Cooke’s song “Change is Gonna Come.” I share this song because it was a game-changer song during the Civil Rights Era. Cooke’s song shows the struggle with being black in America and helps us to understand the challenges that African Americans have faced with the United States with gaining the rights they deserve. When we hear Cooke’s desire for a change to come, we are motivated to think about the actions that we can take today to make a difference in our community. I would like to end with my favorite inspirational words from Rabbi Hillel, the Elder, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” These words call us individually and as community to make change.
I encourage every teacher to show their students that history lives outside the textbook, and it can teach us about the world in which we live in. Maybe if we continue to learn about various historical periods and all people's history, we will make 2021 a little bit better than the year before. I hope you will find hope in history.
Thank you,
Alley the Ally