Daniel Rosenis the former leader of the TorchPAC pro-Israel group at New York University whose activism against campus antisemitism was reported on in much of the media. He worked for the Jewish Agency and now serves as co-CEO of a local family business. Currently, Daniel is the founder and president of Minds and Hearts, a pro Israel advocacy group. You can contact him at [email protected].
There has been a major shift among Jewish and Jewis-allied peoples. There has been a “great recalibration”. People have rethought many assumptions that they believed were facts. There has been a recognition amongst Individuals, but also amongst organizations, that doing things in the same way does not suffice. This extends to include the secular and the religious as well as the conservative and the liberal.
Before October 7, the Jewish community was deeply fragmented along political lines. Conservatives struggled to understand why some Jewish people would support policies that appeared to weaken their security, while liberals found it incomprehensible that any Jewish person could support figures like former President Donald Trump. This ideological chasm seemed insurmountable, giving rise to what felt like two distinct groups within the Jewish population. The events following October 7 and the critical aftermath has shattered the divisions that existed.
The veil has been lifted, revealing clearly who the true enemies and friends of the Jewish people are. This has caused political Conservatives to recognize the necessity of unity among all Jews for collective success. Likewise, Liberals have gained a newfound appreciation for the concerns that conservatives have long voiced. Many of the benefits of this recognition will be revealed in time. This transformation promises to have a lasting impact, reshaping the community’s approach to both internal and external challenges.
To our Enemies- You have acted in such a transparent way. You have shown so many millions of people your outrageous behavior. Your actions have been a catalyst for a profound transformation, not just within the Jewish community, but across broader societal lines. By exposing your despicable behavior, you have inadvertently facilitated a recalibration of perspectives among millions, both Jewish and non-Jewish.
There is now a general recognition that there is much more that unites us than there is that divides us. There’s also a recognition that we cannot afford to focus on those differences. Days of passively observing events as they unfold are gone. A sleeping giant has been awakened.
We have seen people speak out in ways that they’ve never done before. A few examples of that would be Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Rapaport, Amy Schumer, Mark Hamill, J.K Rowling, Quentin Tarantino, Kim Kardashian, and, of course, the prolific and talented Michael Douglas, to name a few. More important is what is happening among the average Jewish person. The number of organizations, initiatives, and WhatsApp groups that have been created post Oct 7 is staggering.
A Sienna poll from February 2024 showed President Biden trailing Donald Trump among the New York Jewish population, 53% to 44%. This is in stark contrast to the Biden who garnered 68% of the NY Jewish vote in 2020, Kamala Harris, with her remark about the antisemitic protests being an acceptable way to show emotion, is not going to change that decline. Change is coming and has already begun in big and small ways. Many thousands of people have decided to become engaged.
Similarly, the divisions that existed in Israel before the October 7th attacks seemed unbridgeable. The fight over judicial reform had Israelis at each other’s throats. The fighting that took place in Rabin Square on Yom Kippur was a stark example of this. Post Oct. 7 a recalibration among Israeli’s has occurred and a recognition, except for a small group of noisy protestors using the hostage issue for political gain, has been reached that the country must be united in order to defeat its multitude of enemies. Another byproduct of the attack is that the Supreme Court has ruled on the enlistment of the Haredi community into the army. Clearly, there will still be resistance if the enlistment is not done wisely, but it seems like there has been a recognition among many haredim that the burden of national service must be shared more evenly.
It is sad that it took events like the ones we are experiencing to create this type of awakening that has resulted in “The great recalibration”. Our enemies have forced so many to say that they cannot afford to sit on the sidelines any longer!
The events we are witnessing today will be remembered as a pivotal moment in history. They will be seen as the impetus for remarkable achievements, strength, and the survival of the Jewish people worldwide. These varied achievements will take time to fully blossom. The Jewish people will confront challenges with a renewed sense of purpose and determination ensuring a prosperous future for generations to come.
In light of the assassination attempt on Former President Donald Trump and President Biden's decision not to run, there is an opportunity for a major recalibration for the American people as well. There presents an opportunity to understand that there’s much more that unites than that divides America.
In this moment we can all learn that extreme rhetoric and rage as a political tool is not only dangerous but represents a true existential threat to our society. Let us hope that Americans and Israelis take this moment to learn these lessons and begin to heal.