It is not enough to merely outlast those who wish to harm us. Our calling is to transform the blows into a deeper resilience, a renewed culture, and a flourishing Jewish future.
Your writing and observations are often brilliant. But I worry about the growing secularization of Israel and it’s people. In fact of Jews everywhere. What does it mean to be Jewish? Can you be Jewish without Judaism? I’m not talking about Haremi or passing judgement. I’m very middle of the road- modern Judaism as it is now called. But more and more young people are proud to say they are atheists or not religious at all, yet- it has long been taught that Jews are not a race but a religion - a peoplehood. So that begs the question- who are we? Without our faith are we even Jewish?
I think there is a “Jewish” approach to the world and how we live in it— philosophically, in terms of humor, the symbols and metaphors we use, the yom tovim we acknowledge and celebrate (I always write something about the most relevant aspects and share with my company). To me one of the strengths of the Jewish approach is adaptation. This is why Islam remains barbaric— it hasn’t been allowed to modernize.
One consequence of Oct. 7th is a lot of Jews are returning to being more "Jewish." I'm kinda one of them, too but I won't go into details because that will open up an online can of worms, but essentially--reconnecting with some of my lapsed practices and focus.
As I read this, I thought of something that I lived through, that I believe is relevant to the challenges so many Jews face in light of the vile antisemitism sweeping the world today.
I am referring to what I consider to be a characteristic of fallen human nature; a strong inner yearning to ‘be like other people’ - to be accepted and affirmed. It’s a complex aspect of our personality, with a great deal of associated nuance, and it has a dark side; a mirror image.
Let’s consider that in relation to Biblical revelation regarding the origin of the Jewish people. What does the Bible say? A brief selection of relevant verses are as follows:
Deuteronomy 7:6 (Tanakh)
“For you are a people consecrated (set apart) to the LORD your God: of all the peoples on earth the LORD your God chose you to be His treasured people.”
and:
Leviticus 19:2 (Tanakh)
“Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.”
God chose Israel, and called her to be separate from all the other nations of the world; to be sanctified (made holy) unto Him, and Him alone. The Chosen People were to be an exception amongst the peoples of the world; a people through whom God could magnify and reveal Himself, His ways, and His will, and carry out His Plan of the Ages, which included the salvation and redemption of mankind.
Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (Tanakh)
“When the Most High gave nations their homes and set the divisions of man, He fixed the boundaries of peoples in relation to Israel’s numbers. For the LORD's portion is His people, Jacob His own allotment (inheritance).”
and:
Leviticus 18:1-4 (Tanakh)
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: I the LORD am your God. You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws. My rules alone shall you observe, and faithfully follow My laws: I the LORD am your God.”
But, given our common fallen human nature, it wasn’t long before Israel sought a different path from that which God had ordained; they sought to be like other peoples.
1 Samuel 8:4-5 (Tanakh)
“All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah, and they said to him, “You have grown old, and your sons have not followed your ways. Therefore appoint a king for us, to govern us like all other nations.”
So much could be said, but the relevant point I am seeking to communicate is simply this:
Israel; the Chosen People, needs to come to terms with the uniqueness of their ‘Chosen-ness’. Like the true Church, Israel is in the world, but not of it; she must ‘return to her first love’, seeking to know, honor, and love the God of Israel. She must return with all her heart, and truly embrace the Shema:
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (Tanakh)
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
“How glorious it is, but also how painful, to be an exception.” - Unknown
There are those in the world, such as myself, who love the God of Israel, and worship Him through the One we see as His Son; the risen Lord, Yeshua HaMashiach /Jesus Christ. He was born a Jew, and remains a Jew.
Tragically, it is true that there are many who claim to be born-again followers of Yeshua/Jesus, who are blind to the faithful love of God for His people, and either ignorant of, misguided about, deceived, or unbelieving towards, the many prophecies related to the blessings of ‘Future Israel’, and ‘Eternal Israel’, as the restored ‘wife of Jehovah’.
It seems a growing number are either already enemies of Israel, or dancing ever closer to the fire, and in danger of becoming ‘servants of Satan, rather than God.’ But, there are also a significant number of Christian Zionists, who love and support Israel and the Chosen People in every way possible.
Would to God there were many more!
Nevertheless, Biblical End Time prophecies make it clear that the fires of antisemitism, anti-Zionism, and anti-Israelism, will continue to spread all over the world. And, to the world’s shame, there is nothing that Israel, or individual Jews, can do to change that reality.
I am not advocating that Israeli and Diaspora Jews should harden their hearts towards Gentiles. Far from it, as you, like the true Church, are called to be a blessing to the world.
But, what I am advocating for, is that Israeli and Diaspora Jews would resist the temptation to compromise the strength and security of the nation and the people, thinking that the haters can somehow be appeased through endless concessions, and won over to the side of supporters.
Psalms 46:1 "God is (your) refuge and strength,an ever-present help in trouble."
Trust in Him with all your heart to be saved, and He will guide, protect, and give you victory over your many enemies - within and without.
Terrific!! “ We must be prepared to defend ourselves, and that defense requires not only military readiness, but also the mental and emotional toughness to withstand the psychological campaigns designed to break our spirit.” So important.
"The Jewish response must be unshakable pride: stronger Jewish education, public Jewish expression, and cultural confidence that says, “You can hit us, but the more you do, the stronger we become.”
Many of our nation is straying away from our religion and magnificent history. Education starts at home.
Wholeheartedly agree. There has been almost no offensive play from the diaspora of which I'm a part. I'm tired of relying on the defense to keep us afloat rather than win. Yes we march, but it's a overused play that produces ties but never wins. We whine about how the other team treats us looking for help from the refs which will never come. We need to accept that the other teams and the fans hate us and use our heads (which we're pretty damned good at) and create a new playbook.
Love you Joshua Hoffman!
Joshua: One of your best essays (and there are lots of "bests").
Your writing and observations are often brilliant. But I worry about the growing secularization of Israel and it’s people. In fact of Jews everywhere. What does it mean to be Jewish? Can you be Jewish without Judaism? I’m not talking about Haremi or passing judgement. I’m very middle of the road- modern Judaism as it is now called. But more and more young people are proud to say they are atheists or not religious at all, yet- it has long been taught that Jews are not a race but a religion - a peoplehood. So that begs the question- who are we? Without our faith are we even Jewish?
Most Israelis are proud to be Jewish and observe some version of Judaism.
I think there is a “Jewish” approach to the world and how we live in it— philosophically, in terms of humor, the symbols and metaphors we use, the yom tovim we acknowledge and celebrate (I always write something about the most relevant aspects and share with my company). To me one of the strengths of the Jewish approach is adaptation. This is why Islam remains barbaric— it hasn’t been allowed to modernize.
One consequence of Oct. 7th is a lot of Jews are returning to being more "Jewish." I'm kinda one of them, too but I won't go into details because that will open up an online can of worms, but essentially--reconnecting with some of my lapsed practices and focus.
As I read this, I thought of something that I lived through, that I believe is relevant to the challenges so many Jews face in light of the vile antisemitism sweeping the world today.
I am referring to what I consider to be a characteristic of fallen human nature; a strong inner yearning to ‘be like other people’ - to be accepted and affirmed. It’s a complex aspect of our personality, with a great deal of associated nuance, and it has a dark side; a mirror image.
Let’s consider that in relation to Biblical revelation regarding the origin of the Jewish people. What does the Bible say? A brief selection of relevant verses are as follows:
Deuteronomy 7:6 (Tanakh)
“For you are a people consecrated (set apart) to the LORD your God: of all the peoples on earth the LORD your God chose you to be His treasured people.”
and:
Leviticus 19:2 (Tanakh)
“Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.”
God chose Israel, and called her to be separate from all the other nations of the world; to be sanctified (made holy) unto Him, and Him alone. The Chosen People were to be an exception amongst the peoples of the world; a people through whom God could magnify and reveal Himself, His ways, and His will, and carry out His Plan of the Ages, which included the salvation and redemption of mankind.
Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (Tanakh)
“When the Most High gave nations their homes and set the divisions of man, He fixed the boundaries of peoples in relation to Israel’s numbers. For the LORD's portion is His people, Jacob His own allotment (inheritance).”
and:
Leviticus 18:1-4 (Tanakh)
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: I the LORD am your God. You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws. My rules alone shall you observe, and faithfully follow My laws: I the LORD am your God.”
But, given our common fallen human nature, it wasn’t long before Israel sought a different path from that which God had ordained; they sought to be like other peoples.
1 Samuel 8:4-5 (Tanakh)
“All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah, and they said to him, “You have grown old, and your sons have not followed your ways. Therefore appoint a king for us, to govern us like all other nations.”
So much could be said, but the relevant point I am seeking to communicate is simply this:
Israel; the Chosen People, needs to come to terms with the uniqueness of their ‘Chosen-ness’. Like the true Church, Israel is in the world, but not of it; she must ‘return to her first love’, seeking to know, honor, and love the God of Israel. She must return with all her heart, and truly embrace the Shema:
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (Tanakh)
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
“How glorious it is, but also how painful, to be an exception.” - Unknown
There are those in the world, such as myself, who love the God of Israel, and worship Him through the One we see as His Son; the risen Lord, Yeshua HaMashiach /Jesus Christ. He was born a Jew, and remains a Jew.
Tragically, it is true that there are many who claim to be born-again followers of Yeshua/Jesus, who are blind to the faithful love of God for His people, and either ignorant of, misguided about, deceived, or unbelieving towards, the many prophecies related to the blessings of ‘Future Israel’, and ‘Eternal Israel’, as the restored ‘wife of Jehovah’.
It seems a growing number are either already enemies of Israel, or dancing ever closer to the fire, and in danger of becoming ‘servants of Satan, rather than God.’ But, there are also a significant number of Christian Zionists, who love and support Israel and the Chosen People in every way possible.
Would to God there were many more!
Nevertheless, Biblical End Time prophecies make it clear that the fires of antisemitism, anti-Zionism, and anti-Israelism, will continue to spread all over the world. And, to the world’s shame, there is nothing that Israel, or individual Jews, can do to change that reality.
I am not advocating that Israeli and Diaspora Jews should harden their hearts towards Gentiles. Far from it, as you, like the true Church, are called to be a blessing to the world.
But, what I am advocating for, is that Israeli and Diaspora Jews would resist the temptation to compromise the strength and security of the nation and the people, thinking that the haters can somehow be appeased through endless concessions, and won over to the side of supporters.
Psalms 46:1 "God is (your) refuge and strength,an ever-present help in trouble."
Trust in Him with all your heart to be saved, and He will guide, protect, and give you victory over your many enemies - within and without.
Am Israel Chai!
HOO-RAH!
Amen! We go from strength to strength.
Yeah, man. This is the way.
Very positive article.
Joshua, brilliant. Ignore the lunatics! Fight, Fight, Fight!
Terrific!! “ We must be prepared to defend ourselves, and that defense requires not only military readiness, but also the mental and emotional toughness to withstand the psychological campaigns designed to break our spirit.” So important.
Amen Joshua!!!!!......Excellent writing!!!!!! ...... Thank you so much .........Blessings always........
Excellent!
Thank you Josh. Finally an inspiring opinion I can ally myself without reservation. Am Yisrael Chai.
Apologetics are no substitute for or a plan to win
This is the punch line:
"The Jewish response must be unshakable pride: stronger Jewish education, public Jewish expression, and cultural confidence that says, “You can hit us, but the more you do, the stronger we become.”
Many of our nation is straying away from our religion and magnificent history. Education starts at home.
Inspirational and so well written. Thank you, Joshua Hoffman. 💙🇮🇱💙
Wholeheartedly agree. There has been almost no offensive play from the diaspora of which I'm a part. I'm tired of relying on the defense to keep us afloat rather than win. Yes we march, but it's a overused play that produces ties but never wins. We whine about how the other team treats us looking for help from the refs which will never come. We need to accept that the other teams and the fans hate us and use our heads (which we're pretty damned good at) and create a new playbook.