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Madam Director General of ORT Uruguay, deans, members of our university’s faculty, friends of ORT, dear graduates, and your families.
We meet again today after a long hiatus. The past two years have shown us the fragility of our certainties. We thought that technological advances and new biological knowledge would make pandemics impossible. We thought there would be no more wars in Europe. We thought that inflation, irresponsible populism, and corruption were on the decline on our continent. We thought that knowledge and reason had already established themselves as the dominant way of thinking, that there was no longer any place in the 21st century for conspiracy theories, fake news, or witch hunts. Unfortunately, we had to reevaluate all these certainties quickly and thoroughly.
Today I want to congratulate you on your graduation. This is a time to feel proud. Graduating as a professional requires skill, dedication, and resilience in the face of inevitable setbacks. This is one of the first achievements of your adult life—a personal accomplishment that cannot be bought or delegated, a goal that can only be achieved through your own hard work.
Today is also a time to give thanks. Graduation is a personal achievement, but it’s also the result of teamwork. Your family has surely been a great source of support throughout these years. Take this day to thank them. And now is the time to think about the next stages. I’m sure many of you are thinking about how much work it took to get to this day, but in reality, that was the easy part. You had a plan, and you had to stick to it. But what lies ahead from now on consists entirely of choices—or rather, a series of choices. There is no GPS for life.
I would like to take this opportunity today to thank our university community for their tremendous dedication, which enabled us to survive during the pandemic. This was not the first crisis we had to face, but it was the most global, the most dangerous, and the most uncertain. For us, as a university, on March 13, 2020, the world stopped turning. Much of what we had and much of what we knew how to do became obsolete. Empty buildings, professors separated from students, closed libraries, unusable laboratories. Our years of experience were no longer applicable. Our international counterparts were just as disoriented as we were. There was no one to ask for help or turn to for guidance. In a moment like that, professionalism alone is not enough. To survive, we need a sense of mission; we need to imagine alternatives and put them into practice.
We are proud of the way the ORT family rose to this historic challenge. That is why I want to thank the faculty for their tremendous effort in learning new tools; the technical and administrative teams for deploying new technologies in record time; and the vice president, the administrator, the academic secretaries, and the program directors for their exceptional leadership. Congratulations on your work. I don’t know if we’re close to the end of the tunnel, but I know that no matter how far we are from the light, we’ll keep going and we’ll get there.
As you know, ORT is celebrating its 80th anniversary in Uruguay. It was founded more than 80 years ago by immigrants fleeing the Nazi regime, which had murdered or was about to murder their families, steal their possessions, and strip them of their citizenship. These immigrants did not bring hatred; they brought hope and determination—the determination to build and to share. My mother is an example of one of those surviving witnesses.
ORT is more than an institution; it is an idea, and that is why it is always a work in progress. It is the idea that countries cannot be free without education. It is the idea that people cannot be free unless they are independent, and they cannot be independent unless they have the opportunity to develop their intellect.
In the Jewish tradition, charity is important, but it must never create dependency. Aid should be aimed at ensuring that people can always support themselves in the future and, as soon as they are able, help others. A person who only receives and is never able to give becomes trapped in a cycle of dependency. That is why at ORT we believe that education is the most important form of social solidarity.
We believe that a college education is a journey of discovery. Learning means discovering more about ourselves and the world around us. It means gaining a better understanding of where we are, where we come from, and where we want to go. Our mission is to accompany you on this journey of discovery, helping you explore your interests and develop your abilities. We hope we have succeeded.
We are proud of what we have accomplished so far, but our focus is always on the future. We don’t know what that future will look like, but whatever it may be, we are committed to continuing to provide the best possible education to the people of Uruguay.
As you know, ORT is a Jewish institution. Many cultures and religions have contributed to our civilization, each in its own time and in its own way. One of the innovations of Judaism is that no one is born to be at the top or at the bottom. Aristotle, for example, said that some men are born to rule and others to obey. Consider the symbol of Egyptian civilization, for example: the pyramid faithfully represents that civilization’s hierarchical conception. Wide at the bottom, narrow at the top—one can only ascend if others descend. In contrast, the Jewish menorah is the opposite: a single base, seven branches, all of equal value. One can ascend without anyone having to descend.
Remember that graduation is not the end of your learning; it is merely the end of the beginning. Learning is an integral part of our lives; as long as we live, we must learn, and when we stop learning, part of us ceases to exist. Strive for success, but do not fear failure. Success brings rewards, but failure brings lessons. Do not aim to never fail; aim to always bounce back. Remember that a fulfilling life is not a race to success. Material possessions and recognition may be part of a fulfilling life, but they are not what give it meaning.
A sense of purpose and personal fulfillment come from our contributions to others and from the satisfaction of doing what we can to help build a better society.
Always be willing to take on responsibilities. If you wait until you have a title to lead, it means you aren’t ready to lead. Always set ambitious goals—objectives that challenge you—and surround yourself with friends, partners, and spouses who aren’t afraid to tell you what they think. Be demanding of yourselves because it is a prerequisite for being able to demand things of others. Outperforming others isn’t what matters; the real challenge is outperforming yourself. Remember that intelligence is an attribute, but empathy is a choice. Always listen to others; disagree without disparaging, debate without alienating. Listening is an attitude; it takes courage to speak, but much more to listen.
Listening takes courage; when we listen, we are vulnerable. We allow the beliefs of others to challenge our certainties. But listening is the antidote to the idea that we are the center of the world. Without listening, there is no dialogue, and without dialogue, there is no innovation. Don’t argue to win; argue to understand. Don’t assume that those who think differently are wrong. The search for truth is always a symphony. You can learn from many, though not from everyone.
A country like ours needs everyone’s contribution—not imported “us versus them” or “good versus bad” models. A country like ours needs more ideas and fewer ideologies, more progress and less obstruction, more investment in the future and less nostalgic clinging to the past.
Keep in mind that you are now part of the most educated minority among young people in our country. This brings great opportunities, but also great moral responsibilities. One of my professors used to say, “One of the causes of poverty in Latin America is that the elites who climbed to the top took the ladder with them.”
Their legitimate goal is to achieve their aspirations by making the most of their abilities. Their moral challenge is to ensure that the rungs of the ladder are accessible to everyone who is willing to make the effort. That making progress in life be a realistic goal, not a pipe dream. That is why I ask you: "Do not pull the ladder away after you have climbed it; on the contrary, reach out your hand to help those who follow you climb up."
Keep in mind that a society’s wealth is not measured by its gross domestic product; it is measured by the number of opportunities it provides, not by the resources it distributes. A society is strong when it cares for the vulnerable, rich when it supports the poorest, and wise when it eradicates ignorance. In the 21st century, sustainable development is based more on a state of opportunity than on a welfare state.
We have much to be proud of in our country, but at the same time, we have much room for improvement. Uruguay cannot grow further by merely copying others; it cannot be dynamic with a system that does not empower young people; it cannot be creative with a stagnant educational system. We cannot be a modern country if the poorest rarely finish high school and only exceptionally attend college. This educational debt is our greatest pending task—both an economic necessity and an ethical duty.
Let us strive for a Uruguay where all young people can complete high school, master Spanish, English, and other languages; where the majority have a real chance to earn a college degree; and where many can pursue graduate studies. A country where leaving is a personal choice, not an economic necessity. A country where opportunities exist throughout the nation and at every stage of life. A society in which education—both receiving it and providing it—is valued as befits a country that looks to the future and strives for development for all its citizens.
In this generation, we have accelerated technological progress at a pace unprecedented in history, but our development has not been balanced, and it is up to your generation to set things right. We created a global network to stay better informed, but we have filled it with fake news. We created social media to get to know one another better, yet we use it to intimidate those who hold different views. We have instant access to ever-increasing amounts of information, yet we are dominated by prejudice. As a result, modern societies are increasingly facing a self-segregation of citizens into ideological bubbles that do not speak to one another and do not understand one another. The polis is fragmenting into private enclaves of opinion; public squares where people listen to other views are disappearing.
Looking ahead, we are concerned about the impact of new technology if we fail to balance our moral capacities with our creative ones. Your generation will have to reflect on the impact of technological development on our jobs, our human relationships, our privacy, the sustainability of our ecosystems, and, ultimately, our ability to live in a democracy.
Dear graduates. This is your moment. Uruguay has a real opportunity for development in the knowledge society. An educated and entrepreneurial nation knows no bounds in the age of knowledge; we can thrive through our intelligence and creativity. Providing a high-quality education for all is our next frontier. That is our great responsibility and the challenge facing your generation. Remember that Uruguay was, is, and must continue to be a great country, and that to achieve this, it needs its best-educated children. Succeed from Uruguay; help your country succeed. Forge your own path, but know that ORT will always be your home.
Thank you very much.