Israel At War

Israel is at war, and the suffering is difficult to bear. To better appreciate this transformation and the pressures of this moment, we have assembled a symposium of community leaders and thinkers to address the effect of the crisis on Diaspora Jewry.

Symposium Contributions: Michael J. Harris, Erica Brown, Yosef Blau, Rachel Sharansky Danziger, Malka Simkovich, and Henry Abramson.

Introduction

Israel is at war, and the suffering is difficult to bear. Alongside our usual content, we have made sure to solicit and publish first-hand accounts, relevant halakhic analyses, and Torah and theological perspectives on the crisis. In this way, we have tried to enable our readers to connect with Israel and find spiritual meaning in these events.

Our attention remains rightfully directed to Israel and to the people experiencing the crisis on the ground, and any attention to the experience of Diaspora Jewry can feel uncomfortable, or even an unwelcome distraction. But just as Israel will change from this experience, so, too, will Jews and Jewish communities around the world. To better appreciate this transformation and the pressures of this moment, we have assembled a symposium of community leaders and thinkers to address questions like:

• What does it mean to you to be a Religious Zionist, particularly in this treacherous moment?
• Many diaspora (and Israeli) Jews fear the rising tide of global antisemitism. What do you think is the single most important message for our community to hear at this time?
• Is this an inflection point for Modern Orthodox attitudes toward attending non-Jewish colleges? 
• Is it harder now for our community to find common ground with Muslim and Arab communities in our diaspora countries? Is it important to try to find that common ground? 
• Should our community place a greater emphasis on aliyah? Would you have answered this question differently before October 7?
• Have you encountered feelings of diaspora guilt in your community? How do you address that?
• How can we remain resilient and motivated?

Stay tuned over the next few weeks for thoughts on these pressing questions from our contributors. We hope you will find the articles meaningful in these troubling times.

Symposium Contributions

Religious Zionism: A View from the United Kingdom Read Now	The Great Reckoning: Is It Time to Rethink Higher Education for Jewish Students? Read Now
The Challenges of The Gaza War and Growing Antisemitism Read Now	Strength In This Time Read Now
Diaspora Identity In The Wake of October 7th Read Now	Threee Questions After October 7th Read Now