Tzvee's nominees for the Jewish Standard Presidential Dream Team

Contributors were not allowed to endorse a real candidate so I just coincidentally dreamed up these two nominees...

Tzvee Zahavy, author, rabbi, teacher, and consultant: My nominee for my dream team president is the ancient Israelite general Barak.

I have always admired the biblical Barak, the military leader who 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.

My nominee for vice president is the ancient Israelite forefather Joseph. He combines many of the virtues that current candidates have touted as desirable.

According to the biblical narrative in Genesis, Joseph showed his precocity by dreaming great and colorful dreams. He then spent a good deal of time as a prisoner, thus proving his bravery. He was drafted to position of authority where he demonstrated his far-sighted economic insight and honed his political acumen in tough negotiations. And he showed appropriate compassion even for those who had wronged him in the past.