On the evening of October 7, at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, I listened to the moving words of Uri Sharon at the third anniversary October 7 commemoration. Uri was in the army on October 7, 2023 and helped to drive out Hamas terrorists from Israel on that fateful day. During the fighting, one of his missions was to clear terrorists from the buildings in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. One building contained classrooms for children. When he saw the devastation in that room, he vowed to return to work with the kids who survived. Uri trained in painting and kept his promise to those children, doing art therapy with them and spending time with them on outings and field trips. Uri’s work was just one small part of the rebuilding process Israeli society has done since October 7.
In many ways, though, rebuilding is not quite the right word. I prefer recreating. On the Shabbat after Simchat Torah, when we read the very first words of the Torah, the Creation story, when the universe bursts into life, I feel we are doing some recreating in the Jewish world. There is no way to carry on as normal as Jews after October 7. This is a new version of the world that surrounds us. The old world was destroyed on that terrible day in 2023 and will never reappear. Instead, we have been forced to create a new world. This should be no surprise. After all, according to our sages, God created and destroyed many worlds, before God created this one. Why should it be different for us?
So, what are we creating in this new post-October 7 world?
First, we have to recreate our sense of safety. Israelis felt unsafe after the massacre. The core promise of Israel was that Jews would no longer have to suffer pogroms or massacres. and the state, the military, did not deliver on that promise. Outside of Israel, we have a safety challenge, not on the same scale, but related. I recently went to England and knew that, if I wore an outward Jewish symbol, I would likely get into conflict with someone on the street, who would shout ‘Free Palestine’ at me or insult Israel or Jews. The British Green Party just announced the passing of an appalling motion in their convention, likening Zionism to racism. Not only is this blatantly antisemitic, but it is based on the original idea by Stalin, who brought it into the public sphere, after which he made life untenable for Jews in the Soviet Union.
Safety is not only recreated by military means, although that is indeed one of the tools. It is also recreated by relationship building across societal boundaries. In our small corner of the cosmos, any work I do with other religious groups in Tucson increases safety, either by educating about Judaism and Zionism, or getting to know who dislikes us and why.
If recreating our safety is part of this new creation story, then recreating the Jewish People’s sense of pride for and connection to Israel is also paramount. There are many people, even in my congregation, who are ashamed of Israel because of the conduct of the war in Gaza, despite the impossible conditions set by Hamas. I believe that the shame of some congregants comes from a good place, in that they want the Jewish People to be as moral as possible and because they have been rightly educated about the idea of placing the value of life beyond all other things. The death of Palestinian men, women, and children who are non-combatant civilians is a complete tragedy. Civilian deaths in Gaza, in my opinion, while warranting mourning and ongoing examinations by the Israeli army of themselves, do not call for disconnection from Israel.
Recreating Jewish pride for and connection to Israel is eminently possible by supporting organizations and individuals who work on peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians and shared society projects for Israeli Arabs and Jews, such as Givat Haviva and Standing Together. It is possible by connecting to Reform congregations in Israel and the rich tapestry of groups who expand, in a genuinely inspiring and compelling way, Jewish culture, learning, and thought. Recreating Jewish pride for and connection to Israel comes from reminding ourselves what Zionism means, Jewish national self-determination, rather than what our enemies tell us Zionism means. It comes from reclaiming that word and concept.
Lastly, this creation story of a new Jewish world in the aftermath of October 7 calls for recreating our commitment to Judaism and Jewish practice. Despite what our enemies say, often from a completely uneducated vantage point regarding Judaism and Zionism, Jewish wisdom is a public good. It has real and helpful things to say about how our societies should be constructed and play out. Jewish ideas, ethics, and rituals are genuinely meaningful and enhance our lives. Jewish sacred texts are deep and rich and wise. Jewish communities are complicated, like any communities, but they are also strong and supportive and transformative.
The inspiring soldier I listened to on October 7, Uri Sharon, is doing beautiful work, using art to create the world anew for traumatized Israeli children. He, alongside peers, will rebuild and recreate with hope, vigor, and compassion. Meanwhile, over here, and in the Jewish diaspora, in the knowledge that the old world has been obliterated, how might we create our world anew? We will recreate Jewish safety, not just through might but through reaching out to others across religious and ethnic boundaries. We will recreate Jewish pride for and connection to Israel by supporting Israeli groups that share our values and reclaiming Zionism from those who hate it. We will recreate our commitment to Judaism by renewing our love for our culture, our practices, and our wisdom. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In this new beginning, we will create safety, connection, and Jewish commitment.
