We are living through a war on the Jewish people, not a “wave of antisemitism,” but our organizations do not get it

 10/7 is the latest date that will live in unambiguous infamy on the Jewish calendar. So will 10/8, when American campuses, and other places where the illiberal arts are taught and practiced, erupted with condemnations of Israel, accusing it of . . .  genocide. The willful perversity and moral foolishness of that charge shocked us  Rabbi Daniel Gordis said October 7 had upended the assumptions of both Israeli and American Jews: Zionists thought they could change (had changed) Jewish history, American Jews thought they could evade it.

So what do we do about it? If not now, when?

SOUNDING THE ALARM…

Let’s stop pretending. Let’s stop comforting ourselves with illusions. We are living through a war on the Jewish people, not a “wave of antisemitism,” not a “spike in hate crimes,” not a “troubling trend.” A war. A multi-front, full-court-press assault on Jews from every direction: the radical jihadists who physically attack us with war and terror, the ideologues on the left who justify it and support it, the growing number of extremists on the right who amplify it, and the cultural forces are normalizing it from all directions.

And the most painful part? Almost none of the Jewish organizations claiming to fight antisemitism actually understand the war we are in.

They issue statements. They hold conferences. They publish reports. But they are not fighting.

They are reacting.

They are managing.

They are explaining.

They are apologizing.

And while they do all of that, the attacks grow stronger, the hatred grows louder, and the danger grows more and more.

Too many Jewish organizations cling to a deeply flawed strategy: focusing almost exclusively on Holocaust education, memorial programs and museum visits as the antidote to antisemitism. 

This approach, however well-intentioned, has become counterproductive. 

It reduces Jewish identity to victimhood,

Instead of empowering Jews, it often empowers antisemites by centering our people around suffering rather than strength. 

What we should be promoting is the exact opposite: the extraordinary Jewish story of victory, resilience and purpose.

 we are the only ancient indigenous people to succeed in returning to our ancestral homeland as sovereign, rebuilding our national life in full view of history. 

We are the only people in the world to return to our ancestral homeland after 2,000 years of exile, speak the same language as our ancesters who lived here 3,000 plus years ago, do the same religious traditions as they did 3,000 plus years ago in the same land as they lived 3,000+ years ago! 

The Jewish story today is one of unparalleled moral courage and civilizational contribution. That is the narrative of victory that should define us. That is what we should be using to inspire Jew and non-Jew alike in the face of the growing Jew-hatred around us. 

That is what disarms hatred. And that is what Jewish organizations must champion if we want to shape a confident, thriving Jewish future. Not a narrative of holocaust victimhood.

But the deeper battle, the battle too many refuse to see, is spiritual.

It is a war on Jewish identity. A war on Jewish purpose. A war on the very idea of the Jewish nation belonging to our ancestral homeland as a force of light, morality, and truth in a darkening world.

The assault is psychological. Cultural. Narrative. It seeks to make Jews ashamed of themselves, detached from their nation, confused about their history, and apologetic about their right to exist and live in our ancestral homeland.

Most Jewish organizations operate under a 20th-century paradigm: “If we explain ourselves well enough, the world will accept us.” “If we are polite, the haters will calm down.” “If we meet with officials, things will improve.”

This is wishful thinking bordering on delusion.

The Only Path Forward: Empower Jews to Go on the Offense With the Inspiring Truth  

We must remind Jews, everywhere, who we are: A nation with a mission. A people with a purpose. A civilization with an ancestral homeland brought to the world to bring moral clarity, spiritual wisdom, and a unique light into the world.

That truth terrifies our enemies. It always has.

And that is precisely why rediscovering and speaking that truth boldly, unapologetically, and proudly is the most potent weapon we have.

Why Should Non-Jews Care?

Because history is not subtle. When societies normalize Jew-hatred, they eventually turn on themselves. Every time. Look at every civilization that mainstreamed hatred of Jews: they all decayed, collapsed, or self-destructed.

And there is another truth, one our friends in the Christian world often understand even more clearly than many Jews: After they come for the Saturday people, they come for the Sunday people.

Support for Jews and the Jewish state of Israel is not only moral. It is strategic. It is a defense of civilization itse

This war is real.

And do not despair, we will win this war. Strengthen your faith in God above. It is about saving as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, with the inspiring truth!

Am Yisrael Chai!!!