Anti-Israel Protests Motivate Many Jews To Reassert Their Identity
While some American Jews leave Star of David necklaces at home or remove mezuzahs from their doorposts, others have deepened their spiritual practices or have taken to the streets and social media to shout their pride in their Jewish identity and the State of Israel, reports Religion News Service.
In a show of religious or ethnic pride, American Jews who have never worn a Jewish star or supported Israeli causes are doing so now, said Rachel Werczberger, a senior lecturer on the Anthropology of Judaism at Hadassah Academic College in Jerusalem. Many Jews have reacted to statements accusing Israel of being the aggressor in the current conflict instead of expressing outrage at Hamas’ atrocities, she said. “The refusal by many to acknowledge Jewish suffering after the massacre has pushed people back into their collective identity as Jews.”
Jewish worshippers in the Old City of Jerusalem
Jewish worshippers in the Old City of Jerusalem pray during Hoshana Rabba and the weeklong festival of Sukkot. The holiday commemorates the Israelites 40 years of wandering in the desert. AP Photo
The Codex Sassoon, The World’s Oldest Bible, Arrives Safely In Israel
The Codex Sassoon, the millennium-old manuscript received a warm welcome when it arrived at Ben Gurion Airport. It is expected to make its permanent residence at the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv.
Yehonastan Bnay photo
Jewish Voice For Peace Calls For Cease Fire In Gaza
Hundreds of demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in Gaza gathered in the U.S. Capitol’s Cannon House Office Building rotunda on Oct. 18. The group was primarily organized by Jewish Voice for Peace.
Jack Jenkins photo
Special Report: October 7. 2023: Hamas Fighters Breach Israel’s Borders Netanyahu Declares ‘We are at war.’
On Saturday, Oct. 7, Hamas fighters breached Israel’s borders by sea, land and air, occupied more than 20 Israeli communities, murdered hundreds, killing children in their homes and young people at a music festival, and wounded thousands of Israeli citizens. Militants also kidnapped some 150 Israeli men, women and children as hostages and dragged them into Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared to the world, “Israel is at war.”
On Sunday, Oct. 8, Rabbi Gadi was one of the first Jewish leaders to step forward and lead a special service to mourn the victims and pray for peace, an inspiring response appreciated by our shul.
From a choice of many early photos, The Shofar has chosen these two photos to tell the story.
An Israeli soldier prays in front of an IDF (Israeli Defense Force) tank on the outskirts of Kiryat Shmona, a northern town near the border with Lebanon.
Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon in southern Israel.
Photo provided by CNN
Egyptian Synagogue, Once Home To The Famed ‘Cairo Geniza,’ Reopens
The Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, famed for once housing the “Cairo Geniza,” a treasure trove of Jewish communal documents, was reinaugurated last month after an extensive restoration project. The Ben Ezra is one of the oldest and most important synagogues in Egypt, believed to date to 882 CE, although the building itself has been damaged and rebuilt several times through the centuries.
The geniza documents were discovered in 1896 by Jewish scholar Solomon Schechter, who reportedly climbed a rickety ladder into an attic-like opening behind a wall in the synagogue’s upstairs women’s section and discovered hundreds of thousands of items that have provided insight into the life and activity of the community. The material has been distributed to more than 70 institutions and collections around the world. Times of Israel photo
Ukraine Welcomes First New Rabbi Since Onset Of The Current War
The historic city of Chernovtzy, also known as Chernovitz, located in Western Ukraine has been relatively peaceful compared to other parts of the war-ravaged nation. Here, even amid the turmoil of war, the Jewish community of about 2,000 has been experiencing a renaissance. A new Chabad husband-and-wife team is setting down roots in the city to join the already thriving Chabad-Lubavitch of Chernovtzy team.
Enter Rabbi Mendy and Mushky Halperin, the first rabbi-and-wife team to move to Ukraine since the onset of the war. Mendy is from the Chassidic village of Kfar, Israel. Mushky grew up in Riga, Latvia, where her parents are Chabad emissaries. The couple, together with their 4-month-old son, Ari, crossed the border from Moldova into Ukraine on August 30, arriving in their new hometown the same day.
Prior to the arrival of the new team, the community was led by Rabbi Mendy Glitzenstein and his wife Pnina who, since 2003, have laid the foundation for a thriving Jewish community, establishing Shabbat and holiday services, and developing programming for Jewish women, children and seniors.
The Halperins are aiming to place even greater emphasis on youth. Rabbi Mendy is hoping to work closely with teenagers, while Mushky focuses on the younger children. Also, the rabbi hopes to strengthen ties with Jews who left during Ukraine during the war.
“I know it sounds crazy for a young couple to move to Ukraine in the middle of a war. We are not here for adventure. We are here because we want to work with the Jews of Chernovtzy, the Rabbi said.
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