Fires and Fury: Holding Zionism in a Time of Grief and Grit
by a heartbroken but unshaken Zionist
This is meant to be a sacred week in the rhythm of our people.
We begin with Yom HaShoah—remembering the six million murdered simply for being Jews, in a world without a Jewish army, without a Jewish state, without refuge.
Then comes Yom HaZikaron—Israel’s Memorial Day—when sirens sound and the entire country stands still to honour those who gave their lives so there would be a Jewish state. For many Israelis, it’s not abstract. It’s family. It’s friends. It’s fate narrowly escaped. It’s sacred.
And today, we arrive at Yom Ha’atzmaut—Israel’s Independence Day. A moment of pride, joy, and defiant hope. A miracle that continues, against all odds.
But this year… it feels different.
Israel is at war—with Hamas, and heartbreakingly, with itself. Fires are burning in the hills around Jerusalem. Rockets rain from the sky. And while those threats are painfully real, another front has opened—quieter, but no less frightening.
In Ra’anana this week, a Reform synagogue gathered for Yom HaZikaron. Founded by a grieving father who lost his son in Lebanon, it was meant to be a place of mourning and memory. Instead, it became a target. A mob of Jews surrounded the building—spitting, screaming, throwing rocks, blocking the doors, and chanting “Death to Arabs.” They weren’t mourners. They were Kahanists. Their hatred was organised, fuelled, intentional.
And they weren’t the only ones.
In Netanya, on Yom HaShoah, another Reform shul was vandalised—for the fifth time. Spray-painted across the front: “FUCK REFORM.” Hostage posters torn. Israeli flags shredded. A fence destroyed. A synagogue desecrated. A clear message delivered: You’re not safe here.
These are not one-offs. These are not fringe. They are part of a growing campaign—against liberal Jews, against religious diversity, against democratic values. A campaign that doesn’t come from outside our people, but from within.
And it is devastating.
Because this is not the Zionism I love.
My Zionism doesn’t spit on mourners or chant genocidal slogans.
It doesn’t deface synagogues or silence prayer.
It doesn’t weaponise Jewish pain to justify Jewish supremacy.
The Zionism I believe in is rooted in justice, equality, and hope.
It builds. It includes. It remembers the Shoah not to excuse cruelty, but to prevent it—from anyone, to anyone.
It sees every human being as created b’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God.
So yes, today I will still celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut.
Not with blind nationalism, but with fierce, faithful love.
Because even when the dream is bruised, it’s still worth holding onto.
Because even when I’m hurting, I still believe.
And tomorrow night, we’ll gather at The Shtiebel for Blue & White Shabbat. We’ll sing. We’ll pray. We’ll cry. We’ll hope. We’ll wrap ourselves in the colours of our people, and remind one another that this fight—for Israel’s safety, for its soul, for its future—is ours to carry, together.
🕯️ Bar opens for “unwined” at 5:30pm
🕊️ Kabbalat Shabbat Service from 6:00–7:00pm
💙 All welcome
Bring your heart. Bring your hope.
And wear blue and white.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Photo Credit: The image “Fire & Fury” was created with ChatGPT.