From October 7 to Yom Kippur: An Opportunity for Collective Renewal

Another year, another Yom Kippur.

But the world feels darker, not brighter.

Israel fights for survival, yet grows more isolated on the world stage.

Antisemitism spreads with no end in sight.

Jews everywhere feel anxious, unsettled.

And yet - the Jewish spirit endures.

A 2025 survey by Israel’s Channel 12 revealed a remarkable shift: 53% of Israelis aged 18–29 now fully observe Shabbat—the highest of any age group. Twenty-two percent say they’ve grown closer to religion since October 7.

In America, a JFNA survey found that 31% of Jews are more engaged in Jewish life today than before October 7, 2023.

This is the secret of our endurance: a paradox.

We have shaped the course of history, yet remain anchored in a faith that transcends it.

We adapt quickly, yet cling to timeless values.

We create, yet we preserve.

We work tirelessly, yet lift our hearts in prayer.

We see the challenges clearly, yet remain hopeful for the future.

We live in the finite, yet are etched in the infinite.

We are bound by time, yet our essence is timeless.

The Torah calls Yom Kippur Achas Bashana - once a year.

It was the moment when the Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies, where the Ark stood. The Talmud teaches the Ark occupied no space - hinting at a reality beyond nature.

So too with time: Yom Kippur may be a single day, yet it transcends time itself. It is where the finite meets the infinite, when eternity breaks into our world and lifts us beyond its bounds.

The mystics speak of three dimensions of existence: time, space, and soul. On Yom Kippur, the limits of time and space dissolve as infinity radiates in all is glory! And the spark of the Jewish soul is revitalised as it is absorbed with G-d on this holiest of days.

As we are challenged across the globe simply for being Jewish, our response must be to rise—drawing deeply from the reservoir of infinite light within our souls, and allowing it to shine as brightly as possible.

Perhaps this moment in our history can be called a Yom Kippur moment - a time of collective renewal, of realignment with the words and vision of our prophets. A moment when the Jewish people will dwell in peace and security, serving as a beacon of light to the entire world.