Our strength – the strength that will enable us to endure and rise above the current horrendous state of world affairs – is not simply a matter of military power, important though this clearly is.
It lies also in the people of Israel and in our society. Sometimes we need to put aside other concerns, acknowledge our indomitable spirit, our extraordinary capabilities, and rejoice in who we are.
Now is such a time.
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Open the link below and you will see a video of Ari Spitz, a soldier who was critically injured in Gaza. He lost both legs and part of one arm.
In the video he is dancing enthusiastically, with a smile on his face and words of praise for the friends who stood by him.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2241614292991360
Ari’s courage and determination are amazing.
But we must note that he is not alone – we see that same courage and determination in many of those who were wounded. This attitude is a reflection of a strength that we should not minimize. It is a mark of the fiber of our nation.
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There is, for example, Michelle Rukovitzin, considered the most severely wounded survivor of October 7. Having suffered seven bullet and shrapnel injuries, she remained in a coma for three month. Her fiancé Rinat Kasimov never left her side; he was with her when she regained consciousness and through a year of rehab.
When she began to recover and started planning a wedding, Michelle declared that she was determined to “walk to the chuppah [wedding canopy] on my own two feet.” And she did, in October.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPQsN55iMZS/?hl=en
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The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) has just released a report on religious observance and political identity in Israel since October 7, 2023. The report indicated a marked rightward shift among Israeli Jews, and an increase in the percentage that engages in religious practices.
The political and religious shifts were strongest among the 18-24 age cohort. This is of considerable significance, as these young people are our future.
Twenty-eight percent of Jews said their faith had increased since 2023, compared to 9% who said that it had declined.
https://worldisraelnews.com/study-israelis-more-religious-more-right-wing-since-october-7/
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Early in November, MK Tzvi Succot (Religious Zionism) submitted a bill calling for Israeli sovereignty to be applied to the Cave of the Patriarchs (Me’arat Hamachpela) compound in Hebron.
According to the bill, which I believe may just have had its first reading of a required three, the Kiryat Arba Council would have jurisdiction over the entire compound. (The Jewish community of Kiryat Arba is immediately adjacent to Hebron.) This would include jurisdiction over the Hall of Isaac, which is currently open to Jews only ten days a year.
“The Cave of the Patriarchs is considered a sacred site in Judaism and the burial place of the patriarchs and matriarchs-Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah…The structure above the cave was built by Herod about two thousand years ago. For centuries, Jews were forbidden from entering the site, and access was allowed only up to ‘the seven steps.’
“Since the Six Day War, Jews have returned to pray at the site, but to this day, full Israeli sovereignty has not been applied, and the site operates under various administrative and security restrictions.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/417789
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I cannot speak for whether this bill will pass, but I see a possibility. For after the bill described above had been submitted, an important step in Jewish control over the Machpela was announced:
“…the Cave of the Patriarch’s electricity, water, and safety systems are no longer under the control of the Muslim Waqf. Responsibility was transferred to Israel in full after a lengthy engineering and legal process that lasted months.
“Until now, the Waqf held the main circuit board and the primary water valves for the cave, a control that gave it the practical ability to turn the lights out in the entire building at the push of a button, including the IDF security cameras, surveillance systems, preparations for mass events, and the movement of Jewish visitors.”
Said MK Succot, who was closely involved, “This is a sovereign step of the highest order…This is not only a correction of a historical injustice, it is a foundation for better defense, proper management and a safe, permanent Jewish presence at the site.“ (Emphasis added)
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/418178
When we stand for our rights, and recognize the importance of our heritage, our future grows brighter.
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Israel is widely noted for its innovation.
This is certainly true with regard to weaponry.
“Within weeks, Israel will field its first operational high-powered laser batteries, adding a cheap, rapid answer to drones, UAVs and rockets; developed in deep secrecy at Rafael, Iron Beam promises to transform air defense and slash interception costs…
“Israel is the first country in the world to present a massive operational laser capability for intercepting threats,” said Brig. Gen. (res.) Danny Gold, head of the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development.
See a description of the laser in operation:
https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/r11alnlwbg
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But it is certainly not only with regard to weaponry that we see the extraordinary Israeli talent for speedy and effective innovation.
“On October 8, 2023, just a day after Hamas invaded Israel’s south on a killing and kidnapping spree that left thousands dead and injured, it was already apparent to staff at Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Center that the country urgently needed new medical innovations to handle the crisis…”
A recognition of the needs of the wounded – who suffered limb injuries and trauma – “set off a chain of events that has led…to an eruption of new health technologies in Israel…
“’This crisis created a drive for innovation. It pushed us to work harder and faster. It’s a tiny silver lining in what is a very difficult and painful situation,’ says Avner Halperin, CEO of Sheba Impact…
“Within about a week, Sheba had already issued a call for collaboration with startups that could come up with technological solutions or adapt existing ones that could accelerate or create more effective rehab.
“Eighty-five startups responded, and Sheba began work immediately supporting the most promising of these.
“’It was very deliberate, and it was a focused and structured process that began right from the start of the war, something that hasn’t happened before in Israel or elsewhere around the world,’ says Halperin…
“Halperin believes that what gives Israeli companies an advantage worldwide is how quickly they can pivot. After October 7, many companies did just that.
“’Israel is very efficient in its innovation response, and has the ability to turn on a dime,’ he explains. ‘It got even better and faster after the attack.’
“As with many innovations developed in response to conflict, the end result is that the civilian market also benefits. ‘Every technology that we talk about is not just valuable for war injuries, but has long-term civilian applications,’ says Halperin.” (Emphasis added)
See https://archive.israel21c.org/war-woes-kickstart-surge-in-medical-innovation/ for descriptions of some of Israel’s amazing innovations.
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“A journey that began more than 2,700 years ago may at last be coming to a dramatic end.
“This past Sunday, the Israeli government announced that it had approved a comprehensive plan to bring all the remaining 6,000 members of the Bnei Menashe community of India on aliyah by 2030.
“The Bnei Menashe are descendants of the tribe of Manasseh, one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel exiled by the Assyrian empire in 722 BCE, toward the end of the First Temple era…
“Despite being cut off from the rest of the Jewish people for so long, the Bnei Menashe remained dedicated to their heritage, stubbornly clinging to the faith of their forefathers. They observed the Sabbath and kept kosher, celebrated the Jewish festivals, practiced the sacrificial rites…
“Centuries ago, they settled in what is now northeastern India, with the overwhelming majority of them residing in the states of Manipur and Mizoram.
“But the Bnei Menashe never forgot who they are or where they came from, or where they would one day return. Against all odds, across continents and centuries, they preserved a memory: We were once part of the people of Israel, and one day we will rejoin them.
“This week, Israel answered the call and responded: ‘Come home.’”
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-876404
The above was written by Michael Freund who chairs Shavei Israel, which reaches out to and assists “lost Jews” seeking to return to the Jewish people. The organization is currently working with a number of groups in addition to the Bnei Menashe, such as the Bnei Anousim (“Marranos”) of Spain and Portugal who were forced to convert and practiced Judaism in secret.
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Over the last 76 years, the State of Israel has brought Jews home from more than 70 countries. There is no record like this elsewhere in the world. Israeli society is blessed with a diversity of Jewish cultures. Jews live in Israel today who came from Middle Eastern countries, European countries, the Americas, Africa and Asia. The majority of Israelis are people of color.
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The movement to rebuild the devastated kibbutzim attacked at the border of Gaza on October 7 is a mark of Israeli resilience and determination.
There were 56 kibbutzim evacuated after October 7 and kibbutz communities lost 318 people in the attacks, close to a quarter of the roughly 1,200 killed that day. Some 40,000 kibbutz members were displaced.
Now some 90% of evacuated Gaza-border residents have returned and more than 2,500 newcomers have moved into the region. The state has instituted a five-year plan for the Gaza periphery, with a budget of 19 billion shekels. Minister Zeev Elkin is overseeing the recovery. The goal is to double the population to 120,000 in the coming years.
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The Kibbutz Movement Rehabilitation Fund, run by Neri Shotan, was set up within hours of the attack; it has sought to fill gaps that the state has not addressed. This group, for example, provided ad hoc farm labor when farmers were called to reserve duty.
Now the fund has a new project called Chalutzi, which “serves as a clearinghouse and matchmaker between kibbutzim seeking members and newcomers looking for a place to live and volunteer…The project’s target is to relocate 1,000 families…alongside placements for young singles who want to live and work in border communities.”
One such single is Ilan Gritsevsky, who in August left Tel Aviv for Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was motivated, he said, by the concept of “defense by presence.” He had been called up to reserve duty during the war, serving in Nahal Oz. Now he sees his relocation to Nir Oz as the natural next stage of service.
“At the beginning of the war I had to protect our borders with weapons, and today I feel that settling on our borders is a meaningful form of protection, for the country’s physical border and for the kind of country we want to be.”
“We’re all still living with this tension that on the one hand, it isn’t over – the grief is still with us and will keep being with us,” said Gritsevsky, “but at the same time, we want to stand up and take responsibility to rebuild.”
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Shotan says that ideology is a strong motivating factor in bringing new people to these kibbutzim. “You have to be a real Zionist to do it. People who don’t have Zionism as a basic value won’t come.”
As he sees it border communities have again become a part of Israel’s defense, as they were in Israel’s early days. “Our defense rests with them, not through the army. If it wasn’t for Nirim, or Nir Oz, Hamas terrorists would have reached Tel Aviv.”
The secretary of Kibbutz Re’im, Zohar Livneh-Mizrahi, said the new arrivals have changed the mood of the kibbutz.
“It isn’t something to take for granted, but I see how strongly people want to be involved and lend a hand. It moved me from the get-go and still does. We are writing a new chapter in the history of the kibbutz and of Zionism.” (Emphasis added)
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-869570
Rebuilding in Kfar Azza:
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Please, pray for all of Am Yisrael: for the wisdom and courage of our leaders, the healing of the returned hostages, return of all deceased hostages, and our final victory over Hamas.
©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
