The immense pain and sacrifice Israelis have endured this last year has led to a significant development that may be the catalyst for saving the future of the Jewish Diaspora. Jewish people worldwide and otherwise disconnected Israelis have experienced a profound reawakening.
Many of us, particularly those outside Israel, had become complacent, lulled by Israel’s success, by personal successes, by indifference, and by a sense of security. We had forgotten, to varying degrees, what past generations of Jews instinctively understood: the price of survival and the necessity of resilience. Through the fire and blood of our brothers and sisters, our nation has been reborn.
As I speak to people in different communities with different backgrounds, what has become clear is that this recalibration is real. I have seen the light in people’s eyes and the animation in their faces as I speak about this change. There is a recognition that transcends words. Their commitment is there, and they are waiting to be activated.
There are at least four distinct groups of Jewish people that have emerged post-Oct. 7. The first is the steadfast people who never forgot. They were active, engaged and committed to the cause long before the current crisis. To them, I offer only gratitude and acknowledgment. They have carried the torch of our shared heritage and reminded the rest of us what it means to be vigilant and proactive Jews.
The second group could see what was at play well before Oct. 7 but did not feel compelled to act. These individuals were aware of the issues facing Israel and the Jewish people, but they, perhaps, lacked the motivation or clarity to get out of their comfort zone. With the world as it now is, they understand that they can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. This group holds a vital position, and their knowledge must now become action.
But perhaps the most crucial group is the third group, those Jews who have felt disconnected, perhaps even critical, of Israel or the issues facing Jews globally. For many in this group, the crisis has been a radical awakening. They are the largest group by far, and it is their reawakening that holds the most potential. Through the heartbreak and sacrifice of our brothers and sisters in Israel and through the overt antisemitism they have been exposed to, this group has been stirred from their slumber. There is a recognition that we are the David to our enemies Goliath, and that we must proceed forward with our best selves.
The fourth group is one that still fails to see the threat that they face. They fail to have the moral clarity to distinguish between the oppressed and the oppressor. They fail to see Iran and its many proxies, as well as radical Islamic movements, as a clear and present danger to Jewish people the world over. They are personified by their participation in groups like IfNotNow, Jewish Voice for Peace and Diaspora Alliance, to name a few. This group of Jews do the bidding of our enemies.
In the poem The Silver Platter, written by Israeli poet Nathan Alterman in 1947, the author implies that the Jewish people enjoy their peace because of the lives of young people willing to sacrifice for Israel’s survival. The final lines of the poem highlight the metaphor:
“And the rest will be told in the chronicles of Israel, They rise up, and stand silently, Dressed in battle gear, dirty, exhausted, Their lips are sealed, And they are asked by their people, ‘Who are you?’ And they say quietly, ‘We are the silver platter, On which the Jewish state was served to you.’ ”
This poem is as relevant today as it was when it was written. We, the Jewish people, have been saved and redeemed by the courage of the Israeli people and the Israel Defense Forces.
We have tremendous work ahead of us, but we need to roll up our sleeves and engage in education, entertainment, media, popular culture, business associations and social media. We must begin this process brick by brick until we have built a massive structure capable of taking on all the challenges before us. This will not happen in one day or one week. It will take years of dedication and commitment. This challenge is open-ended. It is no exaggeration to say that through fire and the blood of our brothers and sisters, we have been given hope for a better tomorrow.
