What Gen Z Can Learn From Maimonides: Balance, Independence and Depth
Can the ideas of Maimonides, who lived more than 800 years ago, speak to today’s TikTok generation? Dr. Dror Erlich of Bar-Ilan University says yes, and argues that the philosopher’s life and writings can still resonate with students in their 20s, religious and secular alike. He says the key is not to present Maimonides as automatically relevant, but to invite young people to test whether his worldview, and even their disagreements with it, can teach them something meaningful.
Erlich says students connect to Maimonides because his biography was full of upheaval, growth and responsibility. He cites Maimonides’ young-adult years in Fez, Morocco, where he was working in medicine, and a famous letter about a Jewish community facing forced conversion. He also uses the philosopher’s advice about choosing where to live, asking students whether they choose neighborhoods by values, economics or homogeneity. Another entry point, he says, is Maimonides’ famous call to hear truth from whoever said it, which can be linked to openness, fake news and the pursuit of knowledge.
Both Erlich and Jeffrey Katz, author of the book "Chukei Chaim" about Maimonides, stress moderation and independent thought. Erlich says Maimonides is a major critic of slogans and shallow messaging, so social media summaries alone would miss the point. Katz says the philosopher’s teaching matters even more in an age of rapid tech change, endless screen content and artificial intelligence. "Do not let artificial intelligence think for you," he says, adding that people must understand ideas deeply and think critically on their own.
Katz also highlights practical lessons for young people, choosing good friends, developing character, avoiding extremes and following the middle path. He says AI can be used, but responsibility for judgment remains human, especially in open, innovative fields where decision-making cannot be fully automated. He also believes Maimonides’ ideas could be adapted into short daily Instagram or TikTok videos, if they remain tied to real reflection rather than empty catchphrases.
