Society is being increasingly characterised by youthful anti-authoritarianism. Some younger people, including students, but also hoodlums, troublemakers, ‘professional’ demonstrators’, and far left political extremists, have taken to the streets.

This is however a far cry from the sixties. Their cause was generally idealistic for the betterment of society. They were more idealistic, often fun going, ‘flower children, and, yes, often high on LSD. Then too the ‘movement’ included ratbags like the violent anarchist ‘Weathermen’ who planted bombs and were responsible for student deaths e.g. the physics lab at the University of Wisconsin.

But proportionately today’s demonstrators are much more hell-bent on disruption of ordinary lives, traffic, and commerce. They really don’t care about society as were their sixties precursors. I know, as I have now lived through both episodes of street unrest – sixty years apart

The Lubavitcher Rebbe spoke time and aga in about the erosion of values in society. He kept emphasizing that the school and the home needed much closer nurture. He fought a campaign for a moment of silence in schools – a ‘minute of silence’ for all students at the start of the school day, when they could freely reflect and introspect. . He had great faith that a moment of reflection would have a major social impact assisting society’s future progress.  He initiated a campaign for loving hime-based relationships, emphasizing the teachings of his great ancestor, the Alter Rebbe, that every parent must spend a half hour per day thinking carefully about the personal and educational welfare of one’s children.

Unfortunately, family breakdowns and lack of positive modelling has produced a generation that is psychologically rebelling against authority. They don’t trust authority figures, or authority generally.  The egotistic call for ‘absolute freedom’, free of any constraints, free of human values, has produced the woke phenomenon, the fear of even hearing an opposing point of view.

Schools have become arenas for social bullying, manifestation of social media trendiness. Classrooms  are often undisciplined, threatening teacher and education alike. The cause – societal cowardice to propose and teach values, while hiding in often irrelevant curricula. Fear of being ‘politically incorrect’.

The flexing of egotistic muscles is not a new phenomenon. The example par excellence is that of this week’s Torah reading about the anti-hero Korach, who sought to unseat Moses while hypocritically claiming freedom for the masses. He went around preaching: ‘Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite’. But Korach too was a victim of a big ego, soul-sucking envy, and a strategy of militancy, masking as a ‘freedom fighter’. He was excellent at ad hominem arguments.

Ultimately, society reflects home and school. Both lack confidence in traditional human values of goodness and rightness. Yet, as the Rebbe often quoted: ‘a little f light pushes away much darkness’. So be a beacon.  Have the courage to display and exercise basic values of love, kindness and compassion.

You can make a difference  –  but only if you recognise your inner strength and believe in truth. And as Korach discovered, truth can be a harsh teacher.

(in honour of Gimmul Tammuz – the Yortzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, this Sunday)