My Word: Shavuot's striking legacy of Jewish pain, historic success

The Jerusalem Post, as a prominent Israeli news outlet, often frames discussions of Jewish holidays through the lens of contemporary Israeli security concerns and historical Jewish experiences. This opinion piece by Liat Collins exemplifies that approach, weaving together religious observance with the harsh realities of conflict and antisemitism.

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When the Shavuot festival starts on Thursday night, I will be both celebrating and worrying about what is happening in Jewish communities around the world – what’s happening in Israel and the global village in general.

Collins's perspective is deeply personal and nationalistic, reflecting a common sentiment in Israel where historical trauma and ongoing security threats are intrinsically linked to Jewish identity and religious practice. The article's tone is one of concern and remembrance, acknowledging the joy of Shavuot while simultaneously underscoring the persistent dangers faced by Jewish communities globally and, particularly, in Israel.

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Simchat Torah, a festival that should be particularly joyous, will forever be associated with the Iranian-funded, Hamas-led invasion and mega-atrocity on October 7, 2023, when 1,200 were murdered, 251 abducted, and thousands wounded.

The juxtaposition of ancient religious significance with modern-day atrocities, such as the October 7th massacre and the historical Farhud pogrom, serves to emphasize the enduring struggle for Jewish survival. The mention of Shlomo Mansour, a survivor of the Farhud who was later murdered on October 7th, powerfully illustrates this unbroken chain of violence and resilience.

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Yom Kippur – the holiest day in the Jewish calendar – will always have a double connotation with the war launched against Israel on that day in 1973, another failed attempt by the Arab world to annihilate the Jewish state.

From an Israeli viewpoint, the article's focus on military achievements, like the 1981 strike on the Osirak nuclear reactor, during a religious holiday also resonates. It highlights a narrative of proactive defense and the determination to protect the Jewish state, a theme frequently explored in Israeli media. This perspective often contrasts with Western media's tendency to focus solely on the immediate aftermath of conflicts, sometimes overlooking the historical context and existential anxieties that shape Israeli public discourse.

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In the “Farhud” (“violent dispossession”), the Jewish community in Iraq was attacked by its Muslim neighbors, incited by the former grand mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Hussein, an anti-British admirer of Hitler.