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Marking two years after the mass murder of the events of October 7th, which profoundly impacted global Jewish populations unlike anything else following the founding of Israel as a nation.

For Jews it was deeply traumatic. For the Israeli government, it was a significant embarrassment. The whole Zionist project rested on the assumption that Israel would prevent things like this from ever happening again.

Some form of retaliation seemed necessary. However, the particular response that Israel implemented – the obliteration of the Gaza Strip, the deaths and injuries of many thousands non-combatants – constituted a specific policy. This particular approach complicated the perspective of many US Jewish community members understood the initial assault that precipitated the response, and it now complicates their observance of the anniversary. How can someone grieve and remember a tragedy affecting their nation while simultaneously devastation experienced by other individuals attributed to their identity?

The Challenge of Mourning

The difficulty of mourning exists because of the reality that little unity prevails about the significance of these events. In fact, among Jewish Americans, this two-year period have experienced the collapse of a half-century-old unity about the Zionist movement.

The early development of a Zionist consensus across American Jewish populations extends as far back as writings from 1915 by the lawyer and then future Supreme Court judge Louis Brandeis titled “Jewish Issues; Finding Solutions”. However, the agreement really takes hold following the six-day war during 1967. Previously, Jewish Americans maintained a fragile but stable cohabitation among different factions which maintained diverse perspectives regarding the need of a Jewish state – pro-Israel advocates, neutral parties and anti-Zionists.

Previous Developments

That coexistence persisted during the post-war decades, in remnants of Jewish socialism, in the non-Zionist US Jewish group, among the opposing religious group and similar institutions. Regarding Chancellor Finkelstein, the head at JTS, pro-Israel ideology was more spiritual instead of governmental, and he prohibited singing Israel's anthem, the Israeli national anthem, during seminary ceremonies during that period. Furthermore, Zionist ideology the central focus for contemporary Orthodox communities before that war. Alternative Jewish perspectives existed alongside.

But after Israel routed adjacent nations in that war that year, seizing land comprising the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and Jerusalem's eastern sector, US Jewish connection with Israel underwent significant transformation. Israel’s victory, along with persistent concerns regarding repeated persecution, resulted in a growing belief regarding Israel's essential significance to the Jewish people, and generated admiration in its resilience. Rhetoric about the extraordinary quality of the outcome and the freeing of areas provided the movement a religious, almost redemptive, significance. During that enthusiastic period, a significant portion of existing hesitation toward Israel dissipated. In the early 1970s, Publication editor Norman Podhoretz stated: “Everyone supports Zionism today.”

The Agreement and Its Limits

The Zionist consensus left out strictly Orthodox communities – who typically thought a nation should only emerge by a traditional rendering of the Messiah – however joined Reform Judaism, Conservative, contemporary Orthodox and most non-affiliated Jews. The common interpretation of the unified position, identified as left-leaning Zionism, was founded on the conviction in Israel as a progressive and liberal – though Jewish-centered – country. Numerous US Jews viewed the administration of local, Syrian and Egyptian lands after 1967 as temporary, believing that a solution was imminent that would ensure Jewish demographic dominance in Israel proper and regional acceptance of the nation.

Multiple generations of American Jews grew up with pro-Israel ideology a core part of their religious identity. The nation became a central part in Jewish learning. Israeli national day evolved into a religious observance. National symbols decorated most synagogues. Youth programs became infused with Hebrew music and the study of contemporary Hebrew, with Israeli guests educating US young people national traditions. Trips to the nation expanded and peaked via educational trips by 1999, offering complimentary travel to the nation became available to young American Jews. The nation influenced nearly every aspect of US Jewish life.

Evolving Situation

Paradoxically, during this period following the war, American Jewry grew skilled regarding denominational coexistence. Open-mindedness and dialogue across various Jewish groups increased.

Yet concerning support for Israel – there existed diversity found its boundary. One could identify as a rightwing Zionist or a progressive supporter, but support for Israel as a Jewish homeland was assumed, and challenging that perspective placed you outside mainstream views – an “Un-Jew”, as one publication termed it in writing in 2021.

However currently, during of the destruction of Gaza, food shortages, young victims and frustration regarding the refusal by numerous Jewish individuals who avoid admitting their complicity, that agreement has collapsed. The moderate Zionist position {has lost|no longer