Debunking Viral Claim About the Talmud and Minors
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Three key issues—ignorance, division, and antisemitism—threaten Jewish life today. Strengthening ourselves from within is the key to confronting them all.
The three pivotal issues confronting the Jewish people today are ignorance, divisiveness, and antisemitism.
The first two are internal and the third is external. If we address our internal challenges and strengthen ourselves from within, we will also be better equipped to confront the external dangers we face.
Ignorance of Judaism—of our heritage, history, and sacred texts—is rampant. The vast majority of Jews know very little about Judaism. For many Jews, Judaism has been reduced to the Holocaust. Walk into bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and browse the religion section under Judaism, you’ll see that most of the books deal with the Holocaust. A few years ago, I spoke at a museum called the Museum of Jewish Heritage; the entire museum is devoted to the Holocaust.
The Holocaust is not the sum total of Jewish identity, heritage, or history.
The Holocaust was a terrible tragedy. My father, of blessed memory, lost his entire family in the Holocaust. I do not wish to diminish its significance, but the Holocaust is not the sum total of Jewish identity, heritage, or history. Judaism is a vibrant, beautiful, and joyful way of life, rich in ancient wisdom that speaks directly to contemporary issues.
Jean-Paul Sartre once said that antisemitism defined the Jews, and tragically, that may be true for many Jews today. As a community, we have an obligation to educate ourselves—and others—about the incredible and inspiring story of the Jewish people, immersing ourselves in the wisdom and ethical teachings of the Torah.
Jews are also often ignorant of our deep and ancient connection to the Land of Israel—thousands of years of Jewish culture, identity, and spiritual life rooted in that land. Many Jews are unaware that the majority of our sacred texts, prayers, and prophets are inseparable from the Land of Israel.
As long as Jews remain ignorant of their own culture, they cannot be proud of who they are. They cannot confront their enemies, and they cannot transmit their heritage to their children. As a community, we need to reach out and educate our fellow Jews. There are countless books, videos, websites, and media resources available today, making it easier than ever to find something that will resonate with a friend, relative, or acquaintance.
The second issue is unity—or rather, the lack of it. We must recognize that all members of the Jewish people are our brothers and sisters, even if they do not look like us, speak our language, or dress the way we do. Jewish unity is not about uniformity. It is about being one people despite our differences.
Too often, when people speak about “the Jewish community,” they mean Jews who look and think exactly like themselves. When newspapers describe a Jewish community in a particular place, they often mean only the segment that resembles the paper’s readership. This narrow vision must change.
We need to appreciate the diversity, individuality, and shared destiny of the entire Jewish people.
We need to appreciate the diversity, individuality, and shared destiny of the entire Jewish people. The reserve units of the IDF defending Israel over the past two years are a powerful example of this unity. In a single unit, you might find the CEO of a high-tech company, the owner of a falafel stand, a rabbi, a secular socialist, an Ethiopian Jew, a Russian Jew, and a Moroccan Jew. Despite their differences, they share a common purpose, a common goal, and a shared fate.
We need to emulate this model of unity where what we have in common overrides what separates us. This means actively building relationships with fellow Jews, identifying with them, and supporting Jewish communities everywhere. Practically speaking visit a synagogue with different customs every now and again. Attend events that are “outside” your regular circle. Read something written by another Jew even if it makes you feel uncomfortable. Expand your Jewish universe.
We were all aware of antisemitism before October 7th, but its explosion following the Hamas attack on Israel has shocked many of us. Not only was there a stunning lack of sympathy for Jews who were murdered, tortured, raped, and kidnapped, but there was widespread support for the perpetrators.
Since October 7th, crowds around the world have openly demonstrated for the destruction of Israel. College students and academics, Christians and leftists, Muslims and atheists—groups with little else in common—have united in hatred of Jews. Influential bloggers and commentators now link every global problem to Israel and the Jewish people. We are blamed for the weather, international conflicts, global warming, and political and societal corruption.
Classic medieval blood libels have returned in modern form: accusations of genocide, organ harvesting, and the deliberate killing of babies and children by the State of Israel. This hatred has not remained theoretical. It has manifested in physical attacks against Jews, synagogues, and Jewish symbols worldwide. Jew-hatred is becoming normalized.
I do not pretend to have solutions to antisemitism; that challenge lies far beyond my pay grade. What is clear, however, is our responsibility to remain vigilant, to vote, to advocate, and to do whatever is within our power to confront the forces of hatred and evil. We need to stand behind Israel and support one another.
Ignorance of Judaism among Jews is connected to ignorance about Jews in the non-Jewish world. And disunity among Jews exposes a vulnerability that can be exploited by those who seek to harm us.
Jewish sages have long taught that internal spiritual weaknesses within the Jewish people are often reflected externally in how the world relates to us. I believe that ignorance of Judaism among Jews is connected to ignorance about Jews in the non-Jewish world. Likewise, a lack of unity among Jews exposes a vulnerability that can be exploited by those who seek to harm us.
My hope is that if we can begin by addressing the internal struggles of ignorance and divisiveness, God will help us confront the external ones. We pray for the day when, in the words of the prophet Isaiah (2:4), “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war anymore.”
I agree that we assume that all we need to know is that I am a Jew and that’s that. My husband and his family arrived in Israel in the late 1950’s from Poland, did the best they could in the new land called Israel and that was that. He,my husband, still knows little about being a Jew as he was never taught either by his family nor at school. This also became apparent with then people we came to know from Israel whose children taught them about the hagim because they went to a Jewish school here where they learnt what being a Jew meant and what it involved. Israel does not teach its people about being Jewish and that is a huge failure in my opinion. Since coming back to Australia my children and grandchildren are immersed in Jewish life in all senses of what it entails.
That is unfortunate, but I must say that many, many Jews in Israel are fully immersed in Judaism. There are wonderful schools, yeshivot and seminaries that teach Judaism to all ages. I'm sad that it didn't work out for you.
What to do re. Uniting with fellow Jews, when some choose to side with Islamists and demand we stop being Jewish? What to do when those who side with Islamists are prominent figures in the community where we live? In Raleigh NC a local Imam issued a fatwa against Jews circa 2018-2019 and ended up in deportation proceedings. You can look it up on Google and on MEMRI. Two Raleigh area “Rabbis” traveled to Georgia to testify in his favor in immigration court so the local imam got asylum so he could take part in local demonstrations in favor of Hamas in the past two years. What about Jews voting for Mamdani in NYC? There are so many examples.
This is a real problem and I am not sure I know how to deal with these people. At the end of the day, they are still Jewish, and my feelings towards them should be of pity for their ignorance, sympathy for their stupidity and opposition to their views and actions.
How did HaShem dealt with Korach and all his followers? How did the Maccabees deal with the Hellenists? How did the concentration camp survivors deal with the Kapos once they were liberated? These "Jews" are the moral equivalent of the Association of National German Jews who voted for Hitler, yemach sh'mo, because they believed that when Hitler spoke of the Jews he was referring to the religious Jews, not "good" Germans like them. Guess where they ended up?
I was taught that it takes three things to be a Jew: Ahavas HaShem, Ahavas, HaTorah, and Ahavas Yisrael. These "Jews" fail on all three accounts. They scoff at your feelings of brotherhood and pity. Another approach is needed. And no, I'm not saying they should be killed, but we need to find a way to neutralize them.
Can they be placed under herem, so at least they can't keep saying "as a Jew"?
The Jews are like the canary in the coalmine, when you start with the Jews/ Israel then civilized society will crumble , the Muslims want to take over the world and make everyone a Muslim, Jews/ Israel are trying to protect western and Judeo- Christian values, and whoever doesn't help Jews/ Israel confront this evil then western values and Judeo- Christian values will not exist anymore G _ d forbid, the Jews/ Israel are actually the good guys trying to save the world from backward barbaric evil terrorists that will put people in the dark ages
So true, thank you
cont. some Jews unfortunately voted for Mandani a hater of Jews and Israel and also some Jews even voted for Hitler ( Y"S) too, I guess some Jews don't know the concept of self preservation to protect yourself from harm, I am a child of a Holocaust Survivor ( obm) ipand it is horrifying and painful to see such hate against Jews and now Israel in 2026, the rise of anti Semitism was in the 1930s/ 1940s in Germany where Nazis ( Y"S) were, and I guess the Muslims are Nazis( Y"S) who speak Arabic or other languages but they have the same goal like the Nazis ( Y"S) to make the world and Israel " Judenrein " ( free of Jews), but the reality is it starts with Jews/ Israel then it ends with everyone else, this theory happened in the past, in the Holocaust times
It is sad that Jews are confronting these issues especially anti semitism/ or hatred against Jews/ Israel, some Jews are ignorant and side with our enemies, also the haters of Jews/ Israel don't care who you are if you are Jewish you are a target, one time a religious person went into a taxi in Israel where the taxi driver was a non religious Jew the religious person asked the unreligous person who is your rabbi the answer was" Hitler " ( Y"S) was my rabbi( it means in the end our enemies don't care if you are religious or not religious, Askenzi or Sephardic, any part of Europe or from Arab countries, you are still a Jew and a Israeli) it should be a lesson learned to get out of exile Jews should love one another, but sometimes some Jews are their own worst enemies,
i have seen a video made by rabbi pesach krohn about this (saying I learned from Hitler) . However, you must be very careful when you say I learned this from Hitler. (y's) It means one thing and one thing only; A jew is a jew and we are all brothers and sisters and we must care about each other no matter how religious or not religious we are.
I think I see it clearly but am confused by what different words mean. Jewish is an ethnicity not a religion. It seems as a nation Israel was commanded to follow the Mitzva's and the Tribe of Juda was commanded to carry the TORAH through time. It seems the Jewish people (ethnicity) are the chosen, however if a Jewish person rebukes or does not follow the Commandments they cannot be part of Israel. It seems a person who it not Jewish but desires to follow the TORAH, to be like G-d's chosen people they can convert to ( To persuade or induce to adopt a particular religion, faith, or belief) Judaism and be part of Israel but not Jewish. It seems that Israel is supposed to be governed the way G-d told them to, but it is not today, and this part of the reason why the Messiah has not come.
See my previous article on this website where I discuss this exact issue
one horrible thing that people are doing that has to stop, is using social media to destroy restaurants, companies that make airline food....caterers, or any other malicious comment about jewish businesses.ITS PURE LOSHON HORA.(evil speech which is absolutely forbidden) If you have a problem. SPEAK TO THE OWNER OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. Another is commenting on other people's clothing when they do not conform to YOUR religious beliefs. I pray in a chabad shul and women come in all types of clothing. I focus on their behavior, not the way they dress.
"beyond my pay grade", no really Rabbi Becher, you're in it for the money?!
I agree in principle with you, but I think the divisiveness portion is, well, ignorant in itself. The divisiveness comes from circles of Jews who use their "Judaism" to praise our enemies and malign our people. People like Hanna Einbeinder, and her ilk in Hollywood, who have a large megaphone, a massive following, but a tiny brain, create this divisiveness and there is no way to meet these people in the middle. Their destruction is the only thing that will bring unity to the people actually proud of their Jewisness instead of using it for their political crap. I won't meet this people "half-way." They have to come all the way back or drown in their own filth. There is no alternative.
And around and around the endless Jewish cycle goes. It’s baked into the Jewish cake. It’ll never end.