The Fighting Front Lines: Lessons From the Most Consequential Year in Modern Jewish History

The year that passed between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2024, has been one of the most consequential in modern Jewish history. As we commemorate the many tragic events of 10/7—and all that has happened since then—many will focus on mourning the dead, the plight of the hostages, and the rise of anti-Semitism. And that is all important. But this moment also calls for another sort of reflection—a conversation about strength, resilience, the obligation to confront evil, and what both American Jews and Israelis must learn from the last year. This is just such a conversation. A few days before the anniversary of October 7, Tikvah convened Ruth Wisse, Dara Horn, Liel Leibovitz, and Elliot Kaufman to join Jonathan Silver for a discussion about some of the essential questions the Jewish people confront in the wake of the past year. What civilizational lessons must Jews take from this war and the global reaction to Israel's active self-defense? How do the Jewish people stand tall for our interests, reject the self-identification of victimhood, and claim our rightful place in the world? What responsibility do the Jewish people have to defend American ideals in the face of enemies who hate not only Israel but the animating principles of Western civilization? The great Jewish writer Milton Himmelfarb once wrote that "Each Jew knows how thoroughly ordinary he is; yet taken together we seem caught up in things great and inexplicable...Big things seem to happen around us and to us." For good and for ill, never has Himmelfarb's observation been more true. Join the Tikvah community as we reflect on all that's happened and how we can rise to meet this moment in Jewish history. This conversation is generously sponsored by Stephanie Dishal in memory of her parents Sidney and Anna Dishal.