From cultural shifts to political reckonings, this year proved that the Jewish experience continues to evolve in surprising and thought-provoking ways.
Wonderful piece with a positive ending-- which is the theme of our history. Persecution that ends with rebuilding, more connection, closer to Hashem, etc. 🥰 🙏🏻
I love our non Jewish friends who have been vocal, some even devoting a Substack to the importance of zionism and the West. Pat Johnson and Kelli at Rocking the Suburbs.
The problem of being a Jew in The Diaspora is that it remains dangerous because The State here in Europe supports the Far Right. Jews have been under continual and subliminal attack by Nazi Elements in MI5 and MI6 and thus The State since the Fall of Nazism in 1945.
Jewish values, in this case the pursuit of the truth about this, to legal and empirical standards of proof, have scored huge success! I am proud of what I have done, and proud of the Jewish Family and Culture which made this success possible: We now know how the Nazi Enemy in The State operates, the Military Kit it uses, and how it has evolved to its current iteration, because of my work here in The UK. I did it without God and without Religion. We did it with Enquiry and Logic. You have our Reports.
I am Jewish, certainly. I am just not Religious. I wish I could be, but I am not, because I need Objective truth. My apologies. I Hope this helps....
Dan, there are lots of folks sitting in synagogues who have unique, or even no concepts of G-d. They come for the community, for the learning, and out of support for Jewish tradition and continuity. I hope THIS helps!
Thank you. This does help. I do not sit in judgement nor do I see myself as superior to anyone else, either Jewish or Non-Jewish. As a young person I had a couple of bad experiences both in the Jewish and Christian faiths. I actually think these things are best kept in the private realm rather than proselytised, because no-one's Faith is better than someone else's. Best wishes.
"It is one thing to debate the nuances of Israeli politics . . . . It is quite another to deny the legitimacy of a Jewish homeland altogether while remaining deafeningly silent about the rights of other nation"
Would that the ear heard what the mouth spoke: The plan of the UN and indeed its putative allies is to divest Israel of the heart of its homeland and put it into the hands of entities who declare in writing, in speech, and in action their intent to eliminate the State and drive into oblivion its people.
Excellent piece. Amazing to bring succinctness to such complexity. My "2 cents" are accumulating. Two quotes from your fine essay near the end: 1) "Jews are doubling down on their core values: education, justice, and community."; and, 2) "...concern is not despair. It is a call to action. And if history has taught us anything..."? Being an untrained Jewish practitioner I continue what I call "the world's slowest teshuvah". Nonetheless, that doesn't stop a single Jewish person from offering several antagonistic quips. Looking at #1 - Those ARE "core values" and valuable to each person, community, society, and nation. It is my understanding that perhaps the creator of those core values is the core of the core: Torah, Mitzvot, Acts of Kindness. I'm insipid in my practice of all of those. Still, I believe/think/understand/imagine that the antisemitism within our own boundaries and bonds is the actual demon to encounter "with all our heart" as is said daily in the Shemi. Jews need Torah, Mitzvot, Acts of Kindness throughout every day. Looking at #2 - Has 'history taught us anything"? If so what? As in "If not now, when"? A "call to action". Your decision to create "Future of Jewish" has been to me a godsend since October when I first came across it. As pensioner hid away most of every day, joyfully experiencing even the tragic news as I feel there are 1000's of amazing Jewish heroic people like yourself and in all spheres and ages who are 'yokum' arising to the Occasion The one that is not going away. The Occasion That Is Not Going Away. Politics is a 'rort', an intellectual scam. Politics is also part of society and human nature i.e. politics with a small 'p'. Politics with a capital 'P' is a cult and mind manipulation diverting peoples attention. Especially It, capital P politics diverts Jewish persons and The Jewish People from their Torah Values which both supersede, seed, and work with so-called Jewish Values. On the other hand, Party Politics we can see in real time in Australia for example is the tool of satanic voices. There ARE good, VERY good politicians i.e. very good people who are politicians. Possibly as many as 10% are such. There are politics in possibly every Jewish community as well as in every spiritual group. So politics is real. Torah Values are real. I think/believe/imagine that virtually every single Jewish person is being called to get real. Whether it is by creating a virtually life saving, magical, muse-full substack or by doing ANYTHING that is Torah, Mitzvot, Acts of Kindness throughout one's day as one sees fit. "Jewish Values" had a time and purpose of great value. Jewish Values separated from Torah Values is past its Use-By-Date.
You write: 'Jew-haters have taken up the delegitimization of Israel’s very existence, applying so-called “moral standards” to the Jewish state that are not reasonably applied to any other nation.'
To add to this, they don't even apply it to themselves, either to their own History, or to the current actions of their governments. I think particularly of the Terrorism of The IRA, or the succour and support Far Right Elements of The State have given to Nazism here in Britain and Europe.
This psychology of 'Double Think', (also presenting as Projection) is well known to Academics who study Totalitarianism and how Totalitarian ideologies take root in the Political Extremes. Israel, and by extension Her Zionist supporters, gets no such choice of the ideological Luxuries of Liberal ideology, because we are surrounded in The Middle East by Genocidal Despots and Potentates who want us and the State of Israel murdered.
Have our values been challenged? Certainly. But as the Druze and The Arab Israelis know, Jewish core beliefs have given Peace and Sanctuary and High living standards to each of these communities, and indeed to all the Non-Jews within Israel's borders.
But come at us with guns and we will finish you. This is true of All the Nation States across the World. This is what this year of War has taught me.
I just want to give special thanks to our non-Jewish allies who have been there for us and who continue to fight the good fight against Antisemitism and for the State of Israel. They are all special people and deserve our utmost thanks. Without them and people like them throughout history we would not have survived this long.
I believe the matrilineal law in Judaism has to do with the long history of rapes. If a child ensues, someone must care for it, it is not the child's fault, it must be accepted by the community as one of its own.
That said, your point about Jewish grandfathers is absolutely apt.
Perhaps the rule should be, if they have any Jewish blood and want to identify Jewish, then they're Jewish.
Less than that was enough for the Nazis, to get someone killed. So it should be enough for us.
I am curious about your statement related to the relationship between Israel and diaspora Jews. Would you be willing to give some additional supporting sources? Also, how does it relate to the argument that it is preferable for Jews to live in diaspora (propagated by many academics). Is this issue mute or is it somehow resolved? Are there any ongoing discussions about it? Thank you.
One might also add that more Jews are looking into what it means to be a Jew I terms of learning about traditional Jewish values
And becoming less secular. Like me. We got involved with our local Chabad and I'm starting the process of going Kosher.
Wow! Good for you!
Wonderful piece with a positive ending-- which is the theme of our history. Persecution that ends with rebuilding, more connection, closer to Hashem, etc. 🥰 🙏🏻
I love our non Jewish friends who have been vocal, some even devoting a Substack to the importance of zionism and the West. Pat Johnson and Kelli at Rocking the Suburbs.
There's no one I admire more than non-Jews who stand up for Jews.
The problem of being a Jew in The Diaspora is that it remains dangerous because The State here in Europe supports the Far Right. Jews have been under continual and subliminal attack by Nazi Elements in MI5 and MI6 and thus The State since the Fall of Nazism in 1945.
Jewish values, in this case the pursuit of the truth about this, to legal and empirical standards of proof, have scored huge success! I am proud of what I have done, and proud of the Jewish Family and Culture which made this success possible: We now know how the Nazi Enemy in The State operates, the Military Kit it uses, and how it has evolved to its current iteration, because of my work here in The UK. I did it without God and without Religion. We did it with Enquiry and Logic. You have our Reports.
I am Jewish, certainly. I am just not Religious. I wish I could be, but I am not, because I need Objective truth. My apologies. I Hope this helps....
Dan, there are lots of folks sitting in synagogues who have unique, or even no concepts of G-d. They come for the community, for the learning, and out of support for Jewish tradition and continuity. I hope THIS helps!
Thank you. This does help. I do not sit in judgement nor do I see myself as superior to anyone else, either Jewish or Non-Jewish. As a young person I had a couple of bad experiences both in the Jewish and Christian faiths. I actually think these things are best kept in the private realm rather than proselytised, because no-one's Faith is better than someone else's. Best wishes.
"It is one thing to debate the nuances of Israeli politics . . . . It is quite another to deny the legitimacy of a Jewish homeland altogether while remaining deafeningly silent about the rights of other nation"
Would that the ear heard what the mouth spoke: The plan of the UN and indeed its putative allies is to divest Israel of the heart of its homeland and put it into the hands of entities who declare in writing, in speech, and in action their intent to eliminate the State and drive into oblivion its people.
Excellent piece. Amazing to bring succinctness to such complexity. My "2 cents" are accumulating. Two quotes from your fine essay near the end: 1) "Jews are doubling down on their core values: education, justice, and community."; and, 2) "...concern is not despair. It is a call to action. And if history has taught us anything..."? Being an untrained Jewish practitioner I continue what I call "the world's slowest teshuvah". Nonetheless, that doesn't stop a single Jewish person from offering several antagonistic quips. Looking at #1 - Those ARE "core values" and valuable to each person, community, society, and nation. It is my understanding that perhaps the creator of those core values is the core of the core: Torah, Mitzvot, Acts of Kindness. I'm insipid in my practice of all of those. Still, I believe/think/understand/imagine that the antisemitism within our own boundaries and bonds is the actual demon to encounter "with all our heart" as is said daily in the Shemi. Jews need Torah, Mitzvot, Acts of Kindness throughout every day. Looking at #2 - Has 'history taught us anything"? If so what? As in "If not now, when"? A "call to action". Your decision to create "Future of Jewish" has been to me a godsend since October when I first came across it. As pensioner hid away most of every day, joyfully experiencing even the tragic news as I feel there are 1000's of amazing Jewish heroic people like yourself and in all spheres and ages who are 'yokum' arising to the Occasion The one that is not going away. The Occasion That Is Not Going Away. Politics is a 'rort', an intellectual scam. Politics is also part of society and human nature i.e. politics with a small 'p'. Politics with a capital 'P' is a cult and mind manipulation diverting peoples attention. Especially It, capital P politics diverts Jewish persons and The Jewish People from their Torah Values which both supersede, seed, and work with so-called Jewish Values. On the other hand, Party Politics we can see in real time in Australia for example is the tool of satanic voices. There ARE good, VERY good politicians i.e. very good people who are politicians. Possibly as many as 10% are such. There are politics in possibly every Jewish community as well as in every spiritual group. So politics is real. Torah Values are real. I think/believe/imagine that virtually every single Jewish person is being called to get real. Whether it is by creating a virtually life saving, magical, muse-full substack or by doing ANYTHING that is Torah, Mitzvot, Acts of Kindness throughout one's day as one sees fit. "Jewish Values" had a time and purpose of great value. Jewish Values separated from Torah Values is past its Use-By-Date.
You write: 'Jew-haters have taken up the delegitimization of Israel’s very existence, applying so-called “moral standards” to the Jewish state that are not reasonably applied to any other nation.'
To add to this, they don't even apply it to themselves, either to their own History, or to the current actions of their governments. I think particularly of the Terrorism of The IRA, or the succour and support Far Right Elements of The State have given to Nazism here in Britain and Europe.
This psychology of 'Double Think', (also presenting as Projection) is well known to Academics who study Totalitarianism and how Totalitarian ideologies take root in the Political Extremes. Israel, and by extension Her Zionist supporters, gets no such choice of the ideological Luxuries of Liberal ideology, because we are surrounded in The Middle East by Genocidal Despots and Potentates who want us and the State of Israel murdered.
Have our values been challenged? Certainly. But as the Druze and The Arab Israelis know, Jewish core beliefs have given Peace and Sanctuary and High living standards to each of these communities, and indeed to all the Non-Jews within Israel's borders.
But come at us with guns and we will finish you. This is true of All the Nation States across the World. This is what this year of War has taught me.
I just want to give special thanks to our non-Jewish allies who have been there for us and who continue to fight the good fight against Antisemitism and for the State of Israel. They are all special people and deserve our utmost thanks. Without them and people like them throughout history we would not have survived this long.
Jewish trend for 2025:
End matralineal descent and recognise anyone with a Jewish grandfather as Jewish who wants to align themselves with the Jewish people.
I believe the matrilineal law in Judaism has to do with the long history of rapes. If a child ensues, someone must care for it, it is not the child's fault, it must be accepted by the community as one of its own.
That said, your point about Jewish grandfathers is absolutely apt.
Perhaps the rule should be, if they have any Jewish blood and want to identify Jewish, then they're Jewish.
Less than that was enough for the Nazis, to get someone killed. So it should be enough for us.
This rocks, Joshua. You’re my guy!
Perfect pitch as usual! 💪🏻
Beautiful ending.
I am curious about your statement related to the relationship between Israel and diaspora Jews. Would you be willing to give some additional supporting sources? Also, how does it relate to the argument that it is preferable for Jews to live in diaspora (propagated by many academics). Is this issue mute or is it somehow resolved? Are there any ongoing discussions about it? Thank you.
This were observations that I made in speaking with hundreds of Jews in the Diaspora this year!
Re: the argument you stated — I am unfamiliar with this.
Oh.
I am working on the diaspora argument- lots information to process. It is part of my “non-Jewish Jews” writing project.
My current note addresses it.