Amazing - 62 million votes for a president named Barack

Barak Zahavy

I've always like the name Barak (spelled without the "c"). I admired the story of the biblical Barak, the military leader who, according to the book of Judges, along with the prophetess Deborah defeated the Canaanite armies led by Sisera and who ended 20 years of oppression.

The song of Deborah in Judges 5 extols him, “Arise, Barak, and take away your captives, O son of Abinoam.” His triumph was long-lasting, as we are told, “And the land was undisturbed for 40 years.”

Thirty-one years ago, my wife Bernice and I named our second son Barak. Barak means “lightning” in Hebrew. We chose the name for our son both because of its heroic connection to the biblical figure Barak and because my son’s birth came quickly, like lightning, after a very short labor.

It's simply amazing to me that yesterday 62 million Americans voted for a candidate named Barack - and that he won the election.

Memoir: I do remember pulling the lever as a kid to vote for JFK - my mom always took me along to vote at Julia Richman high school on 68th street and second.

I doubt my 2 year old granddaughter will remember going along to the polling place in Brooklyn with her father Barak to vote for Barack. I trust she will have another chance when she is six years old - and at that time my son will have to explain to her why that other Barack spells his name wrong.