Theodor Herzl stands for many things to many different people. For the State of Israel, Herzl is a founding father – the creator of modern political Zionism, the movement that eventually led to the establishment of the state. To many Jews, he is just another interesting person in Jewish history, nothing too special, and a man with many flaws that disqualify him from admiration. To Israel’s enemies and opponents, Herzl was an evil man who created a movement to dispossess people from their land.
One undeniable achievement of Herzl was his uniting Diaspora Jews from all corners of the world toward one goal and to think of themselves as one nation. For hundreds of years before Herzl took the stage as the leader of a movement, Jews in different areas of the world never really viewed themselves as one people. Jews from one shtetl saw themselves as Jews from that particular shtetl and weren’t really concerned, or even aware, of the issues facing Jews from other shtetls and cities. Herzl implored Jews to think of themselves as one nation and to unite in the Jewish historical homeland, the Land of Israel.
A question that has been on my mind and plaguing me since October 7 is why the Jewish people can only unite in times of crises. It seems that when they are safe and prosperous, they find every opportunity to divide.
In the 18 months leading up to the October 7 Palestinian attack, the State of Israel was torn apart by division over a proposed reform of the Israeli judiciary. Over a hundred thousand people would demonstrate each week against the government. The division was seen by many as reflective of a larger schism between religious and secular Jews in Israel. An even more unfortunate devolution was the spread of the division to Diaspora Jewry and the subsequent break many Diaspora Jews felt with the Jewish state.
In one horrific scene a mere ten days before the October 7 attacks, Jews lobbied the Tel Aviv City Council to forbid the traditional mehitzah – a temporary wall that separates the genders during prayer – from being erected during the long established Tel Aviv communal Yom Kippur prayer service. This prayer service, held annually at the conclusion of Yom Kippur day brought all types of Jews together.
Israeli flag as a divider
The rabbis who organized it felt the prohibition to set up the mehitzah was wrong, and even after losing an appeal to the Supreme Court, set up a unique partition made of Israeli flags. The Tel Aviv police responded to complaints about the flag mehitzah, and the Jewish people were subject to images of Israeli police tearing down Israeli flags and arresting rabbis – all on Yom Kippur. Our people couldn’t seem more divided.
Then Israel changed forever.
On the morning of October 7 Palestinian Arabs breeched the fence that kept Israel safe from Gazan terrorists and began the brutal systematic slaughter, kidnapping, and rape of more than a thousand innocent Jews.
In an instant, the country united against its enemies. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli soldiers were called to protect the Jewish state. Their call-up started a chain reaction that included acts of communal kindness stretching across all areas of Israeli society. Entire organizations were established to help families with soldiers serving on the front lines, families who had lost members in battle, and those facing life transforming injuries. It seems that the entire nation was called up to serve in whatever way they could help.
It also seemed that the divisions of the last 18 months were forgotten, and a new Jewish unity had overtaken the Jewish people. This new unity extended, not just to all corners of the State of Israel, but to Diaspora Jewry as well.
A fallacy of sociological thought is to assume that disagreement equals division. Disagreement is one of the fundamental aspects of Judaism. Our most fundamental legal work, the Talmud, is a recording not of straight law but rather of hundreds of years of disagreement between Torah scholars. These disagreements are not seen as flaws or dysfunction, but rather the process that leads the Jewish people to greater understanding and more efficient communal life. Many people understand mahlokes – disagreement – as the backbone of successful Jewish life.
United always, not only in crises
I don’t think the assumption that Jews only unite during crises is accurate. Even during the height of the judicial reform demonstrations, Jews from both sides of the issue were cordial to each other and there was no violence. Yes, different parts of society disagreed virulently with each other, but in a healthy democracy, especially a Jewish one, disagreement is a sign of healthy and functioning government, not one being torn apart by division. Jews don’t unite only in times of crises; rather, it is in times of crises that Jewish unity – always present but never highlighted – rises to prominence in the community’s focus.
Herzl’s vision of fulfilling God’s command – and the dreams of millions of Jews who came before him of a united Jewish people living in their land together, thriving and fighting off any enemy foolish enough to attack us – has come true. The reality of a united Jewish people – even the Jews of the Diaspora – has been true for over seven decades.
Instead of bemoaning the disagreements Jews see in the headlines, they should focus on the unity they see daily in their own communities. The key to the Jewish people defeating their enemies and developing their state to even greater success is focusing on the unity of the Jewish people. Using that unity to find opportunities for growth will ensure a bright future for the Jewish people.
The writer is a Zionist educator at institutions around the world and recently published his book, Zionism Today.