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Why the Past Gives Us Hope as We Enter a New Year for Jews and Israel
“No such torment … has ever transpired previously in history. The bizarre tortures and the freakish, brutal methods invented by the depraved, perverted murderers, solely for the suffering of Israel, are unprecedented and unparalleled. May God have mercy upon us, and save us from their hands, in the blink of an eye.”
These shocking words were written in the depths of hell — the Warsaw Ghetto in the summer of 1942 — by Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the fabled Piaseczner Rebbe, who, together with hundreds of thousands of Polish Jews, had been forced into the ghetto by the Nazis less than a year earlier.
At its peak, the Warsaw Ghetto held over 400,000 Jews crammed into just 1.3 square miles. The overcrowding led to catastrophic conditions: extreme poverty, widespread disease, and starvation. But worse was yet to come. Between July and September 1942, 265,000 ghetto residents were deported to the Treblinka death camp for extermination, while another 35,000 were viciously murdered in the ghetto.
In April 1943, Jewish resistance fighters staged the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the most significant act of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. The fighters held out against the Nazis for a month before being brutally crushed. The remaining inhabitants were then dispatched to their deaths, including Rav Shapira, who perished at Trawniki on November 3rd, 1943, during the infamous Operation Harvest Festival (“Aktion Erntefest”), when the Nazis eliminated all remaining Jewish laborers in the Lublin District.
Rav Shapira wasn’t just any rabbi. He was a spiritual firebrand and a towering figure of resilience, even when facing the unthinkable horrors of Nazi brutality. He gave weekly speeches in the ghetto about faith, resilience, and divine love, never allowing himself to be crushed by fear and despair.
“With what can someone strengthen themselves, at least a little bit, so long as salvation has not appeared? And with what can the spirit be elevated, even the tiniest bit, while being crushed and broken like this? Firstly, with prayer and with faith that God would never utterly reject His children. It cannot be possible that He would abandon us in such mortal danger as we are now facing for His blessed name’s sake. Surely, He will have mercy immediately, and rescue us in the blink of an eye.” (Sacred Fire: Torah from the Years of Fury 1939-1942, p.333)
Rav Shapira’s words reflected the pain of the moment, but they also exuded unwavering hope. Each week, he recorded his speeches on scraps of paper, hoping to publish them once the horrors ended.
Though Rav Shapira was murdered, miraculously, his teachings survived the Holocaust thanks to the Oyneg Shabbos group, who preserved documents and testimonies from the Warsaw Ghetto by burying them underground in milk urns in early 1943, under the leadership of historian Emanuel Ringelblum, who was discovered in hiding and murdered in 1944.
Rav Shapira’s manuscripts were found after the war. They eventually reached Baruch Duvdevani, a Polish-born religious Zionist activist whose family had been followers of the Shapira Hasidic dynasty. In 1960, he published Rav Shapira’s work in a book titled Eish Kodesh (Sacred Fire).
Although Rav Shapira’s words were not meant to inspire future generations — he composed them as a direct response to the crisis he and those around him were facing in real-time — their preservation has ensured that his faith, resilience, and spiritual defiance continue on as a legacy, speaking powerfully to anyone struggling with suffering and hardship. They remind us that even in life’s darkest moments, the human soul can find strength and connection to the divine, trusting that good times will follow bad.
This past year, in the wake of October 7th and all that has transpired since, I have found myself returning to Rav Shapira’s teachings repeatedly. In particular, that first quote haunts me; he seems to be describing the horrific events of October 7th with vivid clarity — an echo from Jewish history.
But I have also been inspired by Rav Shapira’s faith. When everything seemed dark — as Israel reeled from unimaginable horrors and went to war, and as Jews around the world felt vulnerable and under attack — Rav Shapira’s unshakable faith became my anchor.
Rav Shapira never allowed moments of pain and confusion to turn into a crisis of faith, and I found strength in his incredible resolve. We have all struggled this year, when even victories — whether against Hamas in Gaza or antisemitic mobs on college campuses — have been twisted into weapons to attack us. Thankfully, Rav Shapira’s model of faith provided a firm foundation for me to stand on. His resilience reminded me that even when we don’t understand the world’s darkness, God is still present, shaping a future redemption.
Just as the Nazis were ultimately brought down, despite their early victories and seeming dominance, so too will the enemies of Israel today — Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran — meet the same fate.
Rav Shapira’s words remind us that evil’s apparent success is always temporary, and its defeat inevitable. We stand today as witnesses to the unraveling of their power, knowing that just as the Jewish people survived then, we will rise again now, stronger than before.
Tragically, Rav Shapira did not live to witness the fall of the Nazis. But his faith was not misplaced. The Nazis were ultimately defeated, and the Jewish people, whom they sought to annihilate, rose from the ashes of Europe to rebuild their lives — not just in the newly founded State of Israel, but in vibrant, thriving communities around the world. The Jewish spirit was not broken; it came back stronger, fortified with faith and determination.
And today, as we celebrate a new Jewish year and reflect on the past year, we can see that our faith was not in vain. Though we have endured profound loss and faced the painful reality of rising hatred against Israel and Jews across the globe, we are also witnessing the collapse of our enemies — their plans and strength unraveling before our eyes.
Hamas, who heinously butchered our people and then celebrated our grief, has been decimated, and its leaders are dead. Hezbollah is weakened, its leadership gone, and its threats subdued. Iran, the puppet master behind this indescribable evil, scrambles to defend itself against the inevitable. Like Hitler in the final days in Berlin, they know that their time is coming.
And so, as we continue to navigate these turbulent times, Rav Shapira’s words resonate across the decades with renewed significance: “Even if you are broken and oppressed, you must nevertheless be sincere and whole. Take strength in God because you know that God is with you in your suffering. Do not attempt to project into the future, saying, ‘I cannot see an end to the darkness.’ Rather, simply accept whatever happens to you, and then you will be with God…[and] your salvation will draw close.” (Sacred Fire, p.213)
These words are as true today as when Rav Shapira first spoke them. Though the challenges we face are immense, our faith must remain firm. Time and again, we have experienced God’s presence, even in our darkest hours, leading us toward a brighter future.
The Nazis were defeated, and today’s enemies will also fall — and when that day comes, the Jewish people, resilient and steadfast, will rise stronger than ever. We have overcome destruction before, and with unwavering faith, we will meet the challenges ahead, knowing that our adversaries will be vanquished, and the Jewish people will stand tall and strong.
The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.
The post Why the Past Gives Us Hope as We Enter a New Year for Jews and Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Syria’s Sharaa Says Talks With Israel Could Yield Results ‘In Coming Days’
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks at the opening ceremony of the 62nd Damascus International Fair, the first edition held since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, in Damascus, Syria, Aug. 27, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Wednesday that ongoing negotiations with Israel to reach a security pact could lead to results “in the coming days.”
He told reporters in Damascus the security pact was a “necessity” and that it would need to respect Syria’s airspace and territorial unity and be monitored by the United Nations.
Syria and Israel are in talks to reach an agreement that Damascus hopes will secure a halt to Israeli airstrikes and the withdrawal of Israeli troops who have pushed into southern Syria.
Reuters reported this week that Washington was pressuring Syria to reach a deal before world leaders gather next week for the UN General Assembly in New York.
But Sharaa, in a briefing with journalists including Reuters ahead of his expected trip to New York to attend the meeting, denied the US was putting any pressure on Syria and said instead that it was playing a mediating role.
He said Israel had carried out more than 1,000 strikes on Syria and conducted more than 400 ground incursions since Dec. 8, when the rebel offensive he led toppled former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Sharaa said Israel’s actions were contradicting the stated American policy of a stable and unified Syria, which he said was “very dangerous.”
He said Damascus was seeking a deal similar to a 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria that created a demilitarized zone between the two countries.
He said Syria sought the withdrawal of Israeli troops but that Israel wanted to remain at strategic locations it seized after Dec. 8, including Mount Hermon. Israeli ministers have publicly said Israel intends to keep control of the sites.
He said if the security pact succeeds, other agreements could be reached. He did not provide details, but said a peace agreement or normalization deal like the US-mediated Abraham Accords, under which several Muslim-majority countries agreed to normalize diplomatic ties with Israel, was not currently on the table.
He also said it was too early to discuss the fate of the Golan Heights because it was “a big deal.”
Reuters reported this week that Israel had ruled out handing back the zone, which Donald Trump unilaterally recognized as Israeli during his first term as US president.
“It’s a difficult case – you have negotiations between a Damascene and a Jew,” Sharaa told reporters, smiling.
SECURITY PACT DERAILED IN JULY
Sharaa also said Syria and Israel had been just “four to five days” away from reaching the basis of a security pact in July, but that developments in the southern province of Sweida had derailed those discussions.
Syrian troops were deployed to Sweida in July to quell fighting between Druze armed factions and Bedouin fighters. But the violence worsened, with Syrian forces accused of execution-style killings and Israel striking southern Syria, the defense ministry in Damascus and near the presidential palace.
Sharaa on Wednesday described the strikes near the presidential palace as “not a message, but a declaration of war,” and said Syria had still refrained from responding militarily to preserve the negotiations.
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Anti-Israel Activists Gear Up to ‘Flood’ UN General Assembly
US Capitol Police and NYPD officers clash with anti-Israel demonstrators, on the day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC, July 24, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Anti-Israel groups are planning a wave of raucous protests in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) over the next several days, prompting concerns that the demonstrations could descend into antisemitic rhetoric and intimidation.
A coalition of anti-Israel activists is organizing the protests in and around UN headquarters to coincide with speeches from Middle Eastern leaders and appearances by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The demonstrations are expected to draw large crowds and feature prominent pro-Palestinian voices, some of whom have been criticized for trafficking in antisemitic tropes, in addition to calling for the destruction of Israe.
Organizers of the demonstrations have promoted the coordinated events on social media as an opportunity to pressure world leaders to hold Israel accountable for its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, with some messaging framed in sharply hostile terms.
On Sunday, for example, activists shouted at Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon.
“Zionism is terrorism. All you guys are terrorists committing ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza and Palestine. Shame on you, Zionist animals,” they shouted.
BREAKING: PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTORS CONFRONT “ISRAELI” AMBASSADOR DANNY DANON AT THE UNITED NATIONS
1/5 pic.twitter.com/4G1VYEMGzV
— Within Our Lifetime (@WOLPalestine) September 14, 2025
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), warned on its website that the scale and tone of the planned demonstrations risk crossing the line from political protest into hate speech, arguing that anti-Israel activists are attempting to hijack the UN gathering to spread antisemitism and delegitimize the Jewish state’s right to exist.
Outside the UN last week, masked protesters belonging to the activist group INDECLINE kicked a realistic replica of Netanyahu’s decapitated head as though it were a soccer ball.
US activist group plays soccer with Bibi’s mock decapitated HEAD right outside NYC UN HQ
Peep shot at 00:40
Footage posted by INDECLINE collective just as UN General Assembly about to kick off
‘Following the game, ball was donated to Palestinian Genocide Museum’ pic.twitter.com/TQ84sgZhKr
— RT (@RT_com) September 9, 2025
Within Our Lifetime (WOL), a radical anti-Israel activist group, has vowed to “flood” the UNGA on behalf of the pro-Palestine movement.
WOL, one of the most prolific anti-Israel activist groups, came under immense fire after it organized a protest against an exhibition to honor the victims of the Oct. 7 massacre at the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel. During the event, the group chanted “resistance is justified when people are occupied!” and “Israel, go to hell!”
“We will be there to confront them with the truth: Their silence and inaction enable genocide. The world cannot continue as if Gaza does not exist,” WOL said of its planned demonstrations in New York. “This is the time to make our voices impossible to ignore. Come to New York by any means necessary, to stand, to march, to demand the UN act and end the siege.”
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), two other anti-Israel organizations that have helped organize widespread demonstrations against the Jewish state during the war in Gaza, also announced they are planning a march from Times Square to the UN headquarters on Friday.
“The time is now for each and every UN member state to uphold their duty under international law: sanction Israel and end the genocide,” the groups said in a statement.
JVP, an organization that purports to fight for “Palestinian liberation,” has positioned itself as a staunch adversary of the Jewish state. The group argued in a 2021 booklet that Jews should not write Hebrew liturgy because hearing the language would be “deeply traumatizing” to Palestinians. JVP has repeatedly defended the Oct. 7 massacre of roughly 1,200 people in southern Israel by Hamas as a justified “resistance.” Chapters of the organization have urged other self-described “progressives” to throw their support behind Hamas and other terrorist groups against Israel
Similarly, PYM, another radical anti-Israel group, has repeatedly defended terrorism and violence against the Jewish state. PYM has organized many anti-Israel protests in the two years following the Oct. 7 attacks in the Jewish state. Recently, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) called for a federal investigation into the organization after Aisha Nizar, one of the group’s leaders, urged supporters to sabotage the US supply chain for the F-35 fighter jet, one of the most advanced US military assets and a critical component of Israel’s defense.
The UN General Assembly has historically been a flashpoint for heated debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Previous gatherings have seen dueling demonstrations outside the Manhattan venue, with pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups both seeking to influence the international spotlight.
While warning about the demonstrations, CAM noted it recently launched a new mobile app, Report It, that allows users worldwide to quickly and securely report antisemitic incidents in real time.
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Nina Davidson Presses Universities to Back Words With Action as Jewish Students Return to Campus Amid Antisemitism Crisis
Nina Davidson on The Algemeiner’s ‘J100’ podcast. Photo: Screenshot
Philanthropist Nina Davidson, who served on the board of Barnard College, has called on universities to pair tough rhetoric on combatting antisemitism with enforcement as Jewish students returned to campuses for the new academic year.
“Years ago, The Algemeiner had published a list ranking the most antisemitic colleges in the country. And number one was Columbia,” Davidson recalled on a recent episode of The Algemeiner‘s “J100” podcast. “As a board member and as someone who was representing the institution, it really upset me … At the board meeting, I brought it up and I said, ‘What are we going to do about this?’”
Host David Cohen, chief executive officer of The Algemeiner, explained he had revisited Davidson’s remarks while she was being honored for her work at The Algemeiner‘s 8th annual J100 gala, held in October 2021, noting their continued relevance.
“It could have been the same speech in 2025,” he said, underscoring how longstanding concerns about campus antisemitism, while having intensified in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, are not new.
Davidson argued that universities already possess the tools to protect students – codes of conduct, time-place-manner rules, and consequences for threats or targeted harassment – but too often fail to apply them evenly. “Statements are not enough,” she said, arguing that institutions need to enforce their rules and set a precedent that there will be consequences for individuals who refuse to follow them.
She also said that stakeholders – alumni, parents, and donors – are reassessing their relationships with schools that, in their view, have not safeguarded Jewish students. While supportive of open debate, Davidson distinguished between protest and intimidation, calling for leadership that protects expression while ensuring campus safety.
The episode surveyed specific pressure points that administrators will face this fall: repeat anti-Israel encampments, disruptions of Jewish programming, and the challenge of distinguishing political speech from conduct that violates university rules. “Unless schools draw those lines now,” Davidson warned, “they’ll be scrambling once the next crisis hits.”
Cohen closed by framing the discussion as a test of institutional credibility, asking whether universities will “turn policy into protection” in real time. Davidson agreed, pointing to students who “need to know the rules aren’t just on paper.”
The full conversation is available on The Algemeiner’s “J100” podcast.