Week five of spring term witnessed growing anticipation among the students. Midterms in full swing, the weather turning warm in reminder of the summer looming ahead, and in the midst of this, students struggling to keep their heads above water as time speeds up. We had been told to expect a riveting guest speaker this week, that we could ask any questions we desired, and that our ethics would be challenged.
Wednesday night arrived and no guest showed. We formed our usual circle of students and waited. The room buzzed with energy. Upon Shaul’s signal, our chatter fell silent. After a long pause, he began to speak, a twinkle in his eye betraying his grand deception.
“I am going to tell you some stories. I am your guest.” And so it began.
Having been a student of Shaul’s for five years, I realized what a unique opportunity we held before us. We know Shaul as a stern professor, a fierce questioner, the bringer of the guests, a man both immensely proud of our accomplishments and always demanding more. Oftentimes, this role distanced him from us. But this night, we grew to know my favorite persona—Shaul the storyteller.
In the course of an hour, Shaul explored depths of experience that few encounter in a lifetime. He took us on a journey beginning as a small child in the US and receiving neo-Nazi threats at his home. He explained his father’s patience with the racists on the other end of the phone line and the way his family refused to back down. Stubborn people, these Cohens. But perseverant too. Next we jumped to Shaul as a soldier and his experience wielding power in the form of a gun. The stories grew in complexity, mirroring Shaul’s own maturation. He spoke reflectively, commanding our attention as his tales wove through time and place. But throughout the stories were clear themes, summarized in an observation from his father—“In the absence of a tangible physical threat, you can talk.” This desire to communicate exposed Shauls’ aptitude for conflict resolution and forms the basis of his ethics. Through talking, we are able to affect positive change. And what’s more, we learn.
It seems that if Shaul could have given us takeaways, it would have been as follows: 1) Attempt verbal communication first, whenever possible. 2) Strive to uphold or create dignity for others. 3) Create an ethical code and live by it. Do the legwork ahead of time so that you can be proactive instead of reactive. 4) Respond to pain and need. While these are a small sampling of the code Shaul espoused, the messages ran deep and carried great weight.
These lessons were woven throughout the stories. Each recited moment of conflict exemplified ethics in action. And yet, despite the desire to teach us to be strong and moral humans, Shaul did not cast himself in a perfect light. He took pains to tell his stories honestly, and in doing so, asked us to be honest with ourselves and with others. We learn through stories. By sharing his, Shaul took us one step further on our respective journeys to becoming ethical, passionate, and active members of community. It is these moments, among others, that teach us to be better humans.