Making a Difference I address myself specifically to those today graduating from our three undergraduate schools. As you grow into leadership positions, Yeshiva alumni should not allow it to be said that the Jewish people are this or that, only that the Jewish people is one thing or the other. But draw those lines with exceeding care. Do not be tempted by easy solutions expressed in slogans and cliches and buzz-words. And do not be seduced by the extremists' meretricious claims to consistency.
Life is too complex, too full of ambiguity and paradox, to be captured by facile consistency.
Remember that extremism can rip off the thin veneer of civilization and reveal the ugly, venal visage of violence. Sometimes that demands the most courage. In only a few years, you will be in a position to make a difference. If you, as graduates of Yeshiva College and Stern and Syms, are truly benei Torah , you will strive mightily to achieve that modicum of unity. One who fails to promote the oneness of Israel, disqualifies the tefillin of the Almighty and in effect denies the unity of God.