Today is October 7th – Today is day 365. Today we mark one year on the Gregorian calendar since the day that will live in infamy. It is a day referred to by its date, and everyone knows what we mean when we say “October 7th” or “the 7th”.  Some compare it to the Israeli 9/11 or the Israeli Pearl Harbor, as on this day exactly one year ago, we experienced the worst tragedy to befall the Jewish people in contemporary times. The past year has certainly taken its toll on Israel, on the Palestinians, on the entire Middle East, and it has left its indelible mark on Diaspora Jews as well. It didn’t take long after October 7, 2023, for the campaigns to begin. The solidarity with Israel was felt throughout North America, Europe, and the rest of the world. The shock that permeated the Jewish community, the tears and anguish, and then the solidarity was palpable. The organized community came together with vigils, rallies, and appeals. The North American Jewish community poured out its heart in support of Israel. Not necessarily in support of the government, but in support of the people, the communities, and the armed forces who were poised to combat the brutality and evil of Hamas. Over the ensuing months, the Jewish Federations of North America (which our Reform Movement supported) raised over $850 million in support of Israel, and so many North American Jews gave generously to a myriad of causes – everything from support of recognized NGOs to individual army units in need of equipment. After a few weeks, the solidarity missions began. People showed up at airports with multiple duffle bags filled with supplies, military equipment, and donations for displaced families and individuals. People began walking around with hostage dog tags and yellow ribbons including empty chairs at their tables and among synagogue pews. For those previously less connected or engaged with the Jewish community, October 7 served as an important wake-up call. Many were surprised to wake up to a new reality in which many in their networks didn’t view the events in Israel in the same light as they did and were not as allied as they had imagined previously. Many who identified as progressive or activists advocating for social justice found themselves unaligned with their partners, friends, and peers and, frankly, felt abandoned by some of their former allies. Some felt alienated by antisemitism, anti-Zionism, and depictions of Israel as the aggressor responsible for the war. We have come to refer to this demographic as the October 8th Jew. They represent a diverse demographic within the Jewish community who were profoundly affected by the October 7th attacks and the subsequent rise of antisemitism. They now feel a renewed sense of Jewish identity and have become involved in the life of the Jewish community. They are driven by a desire for safety, solidarity, and a strong Jewish identity. They may now be feeling isolated when realizing that many Jewish and non-Jewish spaces are unwelcoming to them. This is a group seeking affirmation and a sense of belonging. It represents an important part of the new tapestry of the post-October 7 Jewish community. According to a survey from the Jewish Federations of North America “The Surge,” (the term referring to the October 8th Jew – those who previously were less engaged in Jewish life) are showing up more in this moment. They make up 30% of the Jewish community surging in every age demographic with “young adult” and “mid-life” making up the largest portions of the community. There’s no question that this is an important opportunity to engage in many different areas and aspects of Jewish life, one that should not be missed. While some awoke to a new and deep sense of connection, along with a jarring shock of broken alliances, others came to vastly different conclusions. While many deeply felt Israel’s vulnerability after October 7 that they hadn’t felt since the Yom Kippur War 50 years earlier, and had come to the conclusion that Israel needs strength and power to appropriately defend itself, some came to the opposite conclusion – that Jews should, in fact, have less power. Almost as quickly as the solidarity was felt, so was the impact of Israel’s detractors. We saw anti-Israel protests formulating well before Israel launched its military response, and even while kibbutznikim were still being massacred. Professor Marc Dollinger explains this phenomenon in the following way: “As post-October 7, anti-Zionist rhetoric intensified, then, protesters spoke more and more about the evils of colonialism, imperialism, and genocide, and less and less about the culpability of Hamas, Israel’s right to self-defense and the vexing question of how a Jewish state can best wage a just war in a just way. In its most painful illustration, the rape of Israeli women received an activist ’pass’ from too many leftist feminist organizations, including the United Nations itself. The devaluing of Jewish women’s bodies and lives reflected the worst of the awful intersection of 1960s-era anti-Zionism and the newfound iteration of the Palestinian cause on the world stage. At this opportunistic post-October moment for Palestinian national self-determination, some anti-Zionist activists proved complicit in the face of the most basic violation of their progressive principles.”[1] The definition and classification of anti-Zionists vary. Some see themselves primarily as policy critics. Others align themselves with the call to dismantle the Jewish State entirely, aspiring to create a contemporary “Judaism beyond Zionism” (their words). As two self-identified anti-Zionist rabbis wrote: “When we talk about Judaism beyond Zionism, we are describing the complex project of being open to and upfront about multifaceted Jewish relationships to land and place while being unequivocal about our opposition to Israel as an ethnic nation-state that continues to displace Palestinians and perpetuate apartheid.”[2] Many who have articulated a similar position have shared that “as Jews, fighting for justice for Palestine is a core commitment of our lives and is an expression of our Jewish identity.” The inference is that fighting for Jewish rights – including basic needs such as safety and security – are not core commitments of their lives nor expressions of their Jewish identity. Palestinians are the underdog, and despite Hamas’ terrorist acumen, they are seen as the vulnerable and the oppressed. Therefore, regardless of the events on the ground, Israel, as a product of ethnic and national supremacy, oppression, and crass colonialism, will remain the guilty party until it restores justice – despite the vicious attacks it suffers by those who regularly and emphatically call for Israel’s destruction. It is easy to simply dismiss this anti-Zionist group as being beyond the pale and too far off the deep end to embrace or engage. Some even advocate cutting them off from the Jewish community. For those of us in the liberal Zionist camp this growing phenomenon is particularly painful. To be clear, I regard anyone who calls for the destruction of the Jewish State as beyond the pale and should not be included in the wide tent of the Jewish community. As liberals, we also champion Palestinian rights and Palestinian self-determination and believe that to be pro-Israel also means to be pro-Palestinian (not pro-Hamas). We also have been calling for increased humanitarian aid, have been pressing Israel about the high death toll of Palestinian civilians and children, and have been speaking out against the increasing settler violence in the West Bank. We are witnessing a segment of the Jewish community who reject the Zionist enterprise altogether and feel unwelcome in mainstream Jewish spaces. There remains a major question about how far Jewish institutions and organizations should go in welcoming such individuals as we work to sow the seeds of the future constellation of the organized Jewish community, especially in navigating this complex moment. As Zionists, this year reminded us that we have a deep connection to the Jewish People wherever they live and that we have an obligation to stand with the people and the State of Israel, despite our disdain for specific policies of the Israeli government and specific elected office holders who we believe violate our liberal Jewish and Zionist values. The phenomenon of anti-Zionism – the desire for both an end to the Jewish nation-state and a Diaspora-based-Judaism-sans-Israel ridding Jewish life of any nationalist expression – is growing and, I say, deeply disturbing because this growing segment amongst Jews represents a deeply skewed understanding of the situation in Israel coupled with a narrow and myopic interpretation of modern Judaism. This distorted view has emerged out of a particular position of privilege, safety, and security. It fails to take into account the contributions to Jewish life and the benefit to the world in virtually every arena of endeavor that Israelis have contributed as a consequence of having a Jewish State. It fails to consider the security needs and existential threats faced by over 7 million Israeli Jews and other non-Jewish Israeli citizens. No other nation-state’s existence is dependent on its policies or actions. How ironic to hear those sitting comfortably in the United States calling for the dissolution of a republic because of the number of innocent civilians killed in wars waged against it by its enemies set on its destruction and the murder of its people. For some, this anti-Zionism has been brewing for years, and the events of October 7 exacerbated it. For others, the growing sense in the progressive community led them to see the world through a cloudy lens in which Israel bears ultimate responsibility and guilt for the current situation of war waged against it by Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis all backed by Iran. Even if one wanted, absurdly, to support Hamas’ claim for resistance, little attention is paid to Hezbollah’s and Iran’s desire to destroy Israel as a sovereign nation simply because they believe it should not exist. This comes at a time when we are seeing a surge of antisemitism – some ostensibly related to Israel’s actions, and some just plain old-fashioned Jew hatred spewing from Right, Left, and all over the ideological spectrum. I see these different approaches ominously at the heart of a growing and widening rift in the North American Jewish community. That rift is leading to broader judgmental and condemnatory claims of “Are you with us or against us?” signifying a potentially paralyzing and destructive polarization in the American Jewish community. As we mark the first anniversary of the Hamas massacre and kidnapping of hostages, let us acknowledge and commit to four specific things:
  1. The State of Israel is deeply connected to Jewish communities around the world. We nourish each other, support each other, and can often disagree. But when either of us is in need, our well-being is dependent on our strong mutual relationships and our support for one another.
  2. We are not Jewish because of our storied heritage of tragedy alone. We are Jewish because we come from a rich and evolving tradition of wisdom, faith, ritual, holidays and life cycle events, morality, and ethics, all of which shape our behavior and our unique Jewish way of life. All of that is to be embraced, studied, dissected, renewed, reinvented, and applied in today’s world.
  3. Let’s lead with curiosity, not with judgment. If we hear something that seems off and hostile, let’s ask questions prior to public posting and castigation.
  4. Let us join together with Jews in Israel and all over the world in writing the next chapter of our people’s history, in creating a new reality in which we feel safer and more secure as well as morally sound and accountable to our values. Doing this will take serious commitment, humility, and time.
Looking at the past year as we engage in our own process of heshbon hanefesh, introspection, and self-evaluation during this High Holiday season, hopefully, will inspire us to re-evaluate our relationships, figure out what matters most to us, and hopefully to recommit to the Jewish community and the State of Israel. We might also look to the resilience of Israel’s civil society as an example to emulate, many of whom are the best and brightest of our Israeli brothers and sisters, who continue to protest on behalf of the remaining hostages even as they remain deeply committed to the State of Israel as they work together to build a better future for themselves and their neighbors. We have an important part to contribute to their efforts, and may our commitment to them and the building of a better future be renewed today.