#We will dance again

[silly-little-zio]

this pesach, remember, our people have overcome hardships just like this, and we WILL dance again

chag pesach semeach 💟✡️

[magnetothemagnificent]

People hate Jewish resilience. They hate us in general, but they *especially* hate our resilience.

[the-lesser-light]

"They're running towards the house on fire." -Rubin talking about all conversion students after Oct 7th.

A recent notion came to me about a month back. "I feel like a sleeper agent."

Something woke up my Jewish soul. It feels like it has always been there, waiting for me. Nothing has felt more like coming home than working on my conversion.

I've heard from a Rabbi in New York that Judaism's introduction courses have a seven month wait list and have doubled in size.

Hebrew classes have grown and the demand for them is growing still.

Hebrew reading comprehension courses are being introduced to learning apps that have long ignored Hebrew in the past. Prayer book study courses are increasing and attendance to the bigger services this year like Yom Kippur were quite massive compared to previous years.

Not only are we seeing more new faces in Synagogues of people looking to convert or who are curious, but OLD faces are starting to come back.

This past Friday the Rabbi stopped while looking out at the crowd and went, "I see some faces I have not seen in over ten years!!"

I spoke with a man that only appears at the holiday events and he admitted that it had been a while since he had done anything, but he was starting to hear a calling to come back.

Antisemitism is on the rise. Violence towards Israeli and Jews in the Diaspora is growing and there has been a lot of betrayal from former safe places and groups.

Yet there is a sold out Jewish Music concert happening downtown next week. Synagogue tours are still happening and Judaica decor is certainly on the rise. The Jewish Bakery near me today was having a special Hanukkah festival and the line was incredible.

The Jews are Tired. A saying that has been going around any time we read idiotic posts filled with Antisemitism. I think that table has turned. The Jews are Angry.

The Mountain is calling and it feels like so many more are coming home.

[loki-god-of-mischief-13]

The Nova site

[al-kol-eleh]

Vivid

[gaelic-symphony]

Feels so surreal that it’s October again. Last October was simultaneously just yesterday and several lifetimes ago. October used to be my favorite month, but now I’m starting to believe that it will never stop being October, and it fills me with a gnawing sense of dread.

[fdelopera]

I'm praying for Israel and all my Israeli friends. Stay safe. We love you.

Am Yisrael Chai. We will dance again.

[fromchaostocosmos]

It took Purim to remind me that as dire as things are right now there will be a point in the future where we can laugh and celebrate.

I am sure when the events of the Purim story were unfolding it felt like the idea that there would such widespread simcha amongst Am Yisrael and a day without fear was an impossible thought.

And yet here we are thousands of years later making simcha and celebrating Purim.

We remember and we find joy.

It is not only that we will survive, but we will live. It is not only that our enemies will not destroy us, but we will thrive.

Am Yisrael Chai. We will dance again.

[tikkunolamresistance]

hi i’m back to share a kindness i received today and some somber words:

a jewish tenant just came into the office and gave me a honey cake and prosecco to say thank you for helping her with rosh prep (getting her balcony cleaned up and some paint touch ups before the holiday) and to bring me some positivity and love on the one year anniversary of the October 7th Massacre.

i wasn’t going to say anything at all today because it’s just too much and there are far more eloquent people out here but this moment reminded me that even in our darkest times we have each other so why would i not share my thoughts with all of you.

today as i think about the last year, i am reminded of the strength of our bonds and the lengths we are willing to go to stay together. i am in awe of my community and how we have come together in the twelve months to fight for our ongoing existence in so many ways. i see how we have all been affected by this war so differently and yet we each take responsibility to stay true to our values in the face of hate and violence.

judaism isn’t just an ethnoreligion, we are a family. when one of you hurts i feel it too. when so many of us are hurt, we grieve together. we build back together, we grow together.

a year ago today, October 7th 2023, my friend evyatar david was kidnapped and today, October 7th 2024, is still being held in gaza as a hostage.

if there is ever a day to cry am yisrael chai, today is that day. i need to believe it.

i need him to hear it.

we will dance again.

we will bring them home.

am yisrael chai.

i love you all so fucking much.

please take care of yourself, be safe, and be proud of who we are.

[the-daughter-of-lilith]

Pro Palestinian activists need to address the obvious mischaracterization of Hamas as a "resistance" and watch the translated livestream footage of Hamas brutally slaughtering civilians on October 7th.

It's important to recognize the difference between a resistance army and antisemitism, instead of ignorantly promoting the death of Jews.

[mylight-png]

I know it's been over a week since Simchat Torah, but I have thoughts so I'm writing them now. First of all, this was probably my most meaningful Simchat Torah thus far. It was my first time celebrating with my university's Chabad and it was great to be dancing and singing with everyone.

However, the way the celebration was advertised was with things like "we're going to dance again" and "we'll dance for them". I follow a few different university Chabads, as well as a few Chabads from near where I grew up. All of their Simchat Torah posts had the same message.

Simchat Torah is special for two reasons (well, for many reasons, but I'm bringing up two). Firstly, it's supposed to be the happiest day on the Jewish calendar. Not just a happy day. The happiest. Second, it's not a "despite" holiday. What I mean by that is it isn't one of the "they tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat/celebrate" holidays. Simchat Torah is about the joy of being Jewish, the joy of having the Torah. It's a celebration directly between us and Hashem. There is no "despite". (Of course, I am not a rabbi or a scholar, so if I'm wrong in this feel free to correct me, but this is what I was taught.)

What Hamas did was turn the happiest day on the Jewish calendar into the eternal anniversary of a tragedy. What Hamas did was take this holiday that was about our joy and love of Torah and being Jewish, and turned it into a "despite" holiday.

This is yet another thing they stole from us.

We dance despite what happened. We sing despite our heartbreak.

I found myself thinking, will Simchat Torah ever be untainted again? Will it ever stop being a "despite" holiday again?

Will we ever dance without thinking of those who couldn't, and never will again? Will we ever dance without thinking of those who were taken from us, either killed or not yet returned?

We will dance again, but will we dance the same?

[silly-little-zio]

it’s all i think about

[magnetothemagnificent]

In the Jewish calendar, the anniversary of the Simchat Torah pogrom hasn't happened yet. Simchat Torah is in a few weeks. But if the rest of the world is going to desecrate the memories of those we lost on this day, we must commemorate the pogrom on the Gregorian calendar as well.

I will never be the same person I was before October 7th. We as a people will never be the same. But that's what has allowed us to survive all these millennia - we don't try to go back to how we were: we rebuild, we move forward. When the first Beit Hamikdash was destroyed, we began to set our calendar. When the second Beit Hamikdash was destroyed, we began to record oral Torah. Through thousands of years of successive colonization, genocide, and exile, we have recontextualized and reiterated to ourselves and to the world what it means to be a Jew.

We are Ivrim- people from the "other side", never fully part of the dominant society, but proud of who we are.

עברי אנכי ואת ה' אלוקי השמים אני ירא

"I am an Ivri and I revere YHVH the Lord of the Heavens"

[Yonah 1:9]

We are Yehudim- descendents of the majesty of the united sovereignty of Malchut Yehudah, yearning to return to the time of peace and unity under David and Shlomo.

ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששן ויקר

"The Yehudim had light and joy and happiness and esteem"

[Esther 8:16]

We are Bnei Yisrael- all descendants of the man who wrestled an angel and conversed with G-d

ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת לעשות את השבת לדרתם ברית עולם

"And Bnei Yisrael shall observe the Shabbat to establish the Shabbat for their generations as a forever covenant"

[Shemot- Ki Tisa 31:16]

We are a small nation scattered across the globe, united time and time again by immense loss. But there will come a day when we are united with one heart and one soul not by tragedy, but by joy.

We will rebuild. We will survive. We will dance again.

✡️עם ישראל לעולם חי🎗️

[ineffablecrisp]

One year ago today, my whole world shattered. What should've been the happiest day of my life instead felt like the world turned its back against me and the rest of the Jewish community. Today on my birthday, I am choosing to celebrate the resiliency of the Jewish people. Many people tried and failed to eradicate us, but we are still here. I am still here. Am Yisrael Chai.

[quickdraw-casanova]

The more people hate Jews

The Jewish-er I get. Like, I’m going to be so aggressively Jewish now—

[nonjewishzionist]

Me, a leftist and a feminist since I remember, seeing all the antisemitism from the left and the feminists and be like: