Thank you so much for your powerful voice of clarity and integrity. I have had to stop reading most of the blogs and essays on antisemitism/ antizionism because they tend to increase my anxiety and I have plenty of that already.Your essays offer a feeling empowerment and hope and continually remind me that Israel does not and will not apologize for its existence.
Excellent. It is important for Jews in the Diaspora to make a change in how they must view themselves and who they choose to be their visible leaders in all organizations, including political, religious and cultural ones. Israelis also have to be reminded to behave again like sabras and stop airing their differences to the outside world. I like the suggestion that I heard: it is time to stop using the word Zionist - Israel already exists and there is no longer any reason to defend its existence. It is a fact!
Time to stop being scared and fearful. Those times are long past, my friends. For Britain’s next government is going to be Fascist, The Reform UK Party, and this is now almost certain. Thus, thank goodness for Israel, the place of refuge for European Jewry! There is already Left-wing violence against us. But the Nazi violence against Jews and our property which might be coming will be so much worse. We saw all of this coming years ago. Of course we did. This is all now REAL! So I am making Aliyah, Thank goodness! Thank G-d for Israel, and for the Jewish People who saw the future and created The Jewish State. Am YIsrael Chai.
Hello Jill, just don’t think about them. Keep positive and hopeful, keep learning about our history and culture. Take a Torah Study class. Keep anxiety away. That is how I try to deal with people with their heads in the sand.
Yet Jewish tradition is at the same time uncompromising about precisely the one danger we must guard against most carefully: arrogance. The ancient texts repeatedly warn that no nation—not even our own—can stand on strength alone. Allies are always temporary, rulers are replaceable, and interests are volatile. True security is not built on promises or networks of convenience, but on the ability to carry one’s own responsibility—even when no one else stands beside you.
An even graver warning concerns internal decay. History knows countless states that were militarily strong yet collapsed because justice eroded, power became distorted, and moral self-restraint disappeared. Prophetic thought never denied the necessity of self-defense—it condemned self-deception. The most dangerous moment is not when the enemy stands at the gate, but when a society begins to believe it is incapable of wrongdoing.
Therefore, true self-respect does not mean declaring all of one’s own actions automatically just. It means the ability to defend life without losing the capacity to examine one’s own power, one’s own methods, and one’s own limits. Power without justice corrodes. Justice without power remains a hope. A sustainable society requires both.
Besides Jew sovereignty over the Land of Israel being correct, there are benefits that further your observations: Jews in a majority allow for a different way of life than living in a minority.
Thousands of years as a minority and as a minority that holds onto its Torah and Mitzvot hammers into ourselves the mistakes that you show us we are making.
Regardless of the reason, we need to do, to act, to speak from a place of being created in the image of God. It's not arrogance and should not look like it. Like you say, stop apologizing for being alive and being a Jew. Like you say, it requires no explanation. No justification.
This is a near perfect essay. My response unfortunately turns negative; I have no positive feeling about the world today being an isolated American Jew.
I have had Jews tell me of the evil of Israel. They spew their ignorance to others and flavor the conversation as rotten food in a can. I have had friends who I thought cared about me spew bigotry towards me, human rights organizations hurl danger at me, and bigotry abounds among the self righteous.
The date of 10/7 will remain in history not because islamists hate us but because we fought among ourselves as we are doing today. In more graphic tones than this wonderful essay, “never again” is here right now; I do not see a path to our survival. Too many American Jews have supported Mamdani. These same people will remove Dan Goldman, the most articulate and boldest defender of democracy from the US House because he supports Israel. As soon as Trump changes his shallow mind there will be no US support for Jews. FDR did not try to save us and there will be no one to protect us from the white nationalists, the national socialists, or the antisemites. I grew up surrounded by antisemitism and I will die the same. We might as well sew a yellow star on our sleeves.
It's a miracle Israel exists. It's a miracle that there were sufficient Jews with purpose to advance our rights recognized but barely. Even Balfour's descendent apololgized for the declaration and saying it never called for a Jewish state. I just read that Beinart is at TA Univ to speak on Israel's alleged apartheid and genocide....which for him are absolute truths. Jews are always equivocating about Israel....it has a right to exist but those awful settlers on Palestinian land. And we took Palestine away from them anyway. First thing a young social activist Jew could do was recognize that the Arab Muslim invasion of the MId East / N. Africa was IMPERIALISIM and permitted and advanced a program of settler colonialism. I'm sure Israeli anti Zionist Jews gave Beinart an enthusiastic reception.
Thank you for this reminder of what we've already endured and survived. We have so much to be proud of. And nothing to apologize for.
Once again— bravo Mr. Hoffman!
Thank you so much for your powerful voice of clarity and integrity. I have had to stop reading most of the blogs and essays on antisemitism/ antizionism because they tend to increase my anxiety and I have plenty of that already.Your essays offer a feeling empowerment and hope and continually remind me that Israel does not and will not apologize for its existence.
Excellent. It is important for Jews in the Diaspora to make a change in how they must view themselves and who they choose to be their visible leaders in all organizations, including political, religious and cultural ones. Israelis also have to be reminded to behave again like sabras and stop airing their differences to the outside world. I like the suggestion that I heard: it is time to stop using the word Zionist - Israel already exists and there is no longer any reason to defend its existence. It is a fact!
‼️💯✡️💙🤍🇮🇱🫶🏻🙌🏻💪🏻🙏🏻
There is no such thing as Judaism that is anti-Zionist. Any Jew that is "anti-Zionist" is an apostate who has self exiled from the community.
Time to stop being scared and fearful. Those times are long past, my friends. For Britain’s next government is going to be Fascist, The Reform UK Party, and this is now almost certain. Thus, thank goodness for Israel, the place of refuge for European Jewry! There is already Left-wing violence against us. But the Nazi violence against Jews and our property which might be coming will be so much worse. We saw all of this coming years ago. Of course we did. This is all now REAL! So I am making Aliyah, Thank goodness! Thank G-d for Israel, and for the Jewish People who saw the future and created The Jewish State. Am YIsrael Chai.
Some have accused me of being shy; however, I am happy to say, no one has accused me of a lack of self-respect.
How do we fix Jews with their heads in the sand? Mostly the Bernie sanders, Jon Stewart, Mandy Patinkin types? This is what frustrates me the most!
Hello Jill, just don’t think about them. Keep positive and hopeful, keep learning about our history and culture. Take a Torah Study class. Keep anxiety away. That is how I try to deal with people with their heads in the sand.
Yet Jewish tradition is at the same time uncompromising about precisely the one danger we must guard against most carefully: arrogance. The ancient texts repeatedly warn that no nation—not even our own—can stand on strength alone. Allies are always temporary, rulers are replaceable, and interests are volatile. True security is not built on promises or networks of convenience, but on the ability to carry one’s own responsibility—even when no one else stands beside you.
An even graver warning concerns internal decay. History knows countless states that were militarily strong yet collapsed because justice eroded, power became distorted, and moral self-restraint disappeared. Prophetic thought never denied the necessity of self-defense—it condemned self-deception. The most dangerous moment is not when the enemy stands at the gate, but when a society begins to believe it is incapable of wrongdoing.
Therefore, true self-respect does not mean declaring all of one’s own actions automatically just. It means the ability to defend life without losing the capacity to examine one’s own power, one’s own methods, and one’s own limits. Power without justice corrodes. Justice without power remains a hope. A sustainable society requires both.
🤣
💯
Besides Jew sovereignty over the Land of Israel being correct, there are benefits that further your observations: Jews in a majority allow for a different way of life than living in a minority.
Thousands of years as a minority and as a minority that holds onto its Torah and Mitzvot hammers into ourselves the mistakes that you show us we are making.
Regardless of the reason, we need to do, to act, to speak from a place of being created in the image of God. It's not arrogance and should not look like it. Like you say, stop apologizing for being alive and being a Jew. Like you say, it requires no explanation. No justification.
full respect fot this exelant and realistic articles.regards .Baruhovič from Serbia.
This is a near perfect essay. My response unfortunately turns negative; I have no positive feeling about the world today being an isolated American Jew.
I have had Jews tell me of the evil of Israel. They spew their ignorance to others and flavor the conversation as rotten food in a can. I have had friends who I thought cared about me spew bigotry towards me, human rights organizations hurl danger at me, and bigotry abounds among the self righteous.
The date of 10/7 will remain in history not because islamists hate us but because we fought among ourselves as we are doing today. In more graphic tones than this wonderful essay, “never again” is here right now; I do not see a path to our survival. Too many American Jews have supported Mamdani. These same people will remove Dan Goldman, the most articulate and boldest defender of democracy from the US House because he supports Israel. As soon as Trump changes his shallow mind there will be no US support for Jews. FDR did not try to save us and there will be no one to protect us from the white nationalists, the national socialists, or the antisemites. I grew up surrounded by antisemitism and I will die the same. We might as well sew a yellow star on our sleeves.
This is one excellent essay that is hard to find a necessary response. But always have
It's a miracle Israel exists. It's a miracle that there were sufficient Jews with purpose to advance our rights recognized but barely. Even Balfour's descendent apololgized for the declaration and saying it never called for a Jewish state. I just read that Beinart is at TA Univ to speak on Israel's alleged apartheid and genocide....which for him are absolute truths. Jews are always equivocating about Israel....it has a right to exist but those awful settlers on Palestinian land. And we took Palestine away from them anyway. First thing a young social activist Jew could do was recognize that the Arab Muslim invasion of the MId East / N. Africa was IMPERIALISIM and permitted and advanced a program of settler colonialism. I'm sure Israeli anti Zionist Jews gave Beinart an enthusiastic reception.
I really find this astonishing how little empathy you Jews have.
Self respect?
My Arse.
Without other people to steal from you Jews don't have nothing... except for your own self Inducement...
You even create enemies like Hamas which you need to fool the world.
Self respect?
You have first to respect others.
But you can't because you need others to play victims... which of course you can't do if you live in peace with others.
ONE Question.
Please explain honestly the purpose of the Kol Nidre.
That Question not even your Rebbe would answer.
Because only those who speak Truth can have self respect.
And you lot are compulsory Liars.
SHANDA!