Against All Odds

Every era brings new names, new threats, the same hatred.

And still — we light candles. We build families. We walk the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa. We plant flowers in the desert, and we teach our children songs older than any empire.

To live as a Jew has never been simple. It has meant resilience that defies history’s cruelty, and a stubborn faith that tomorrow is worth holding on to. Our survival is not an accident. It is a choice, made again and again, to live, to rebuild, to believe.

We do not forget what has been done to us. But we refuse to let destruction have the final word.

I was struck by what Simmy Allen wrote recently in The Jerusalem Post—that “Jewish education is not an afterthought; it is our anchor” jpost.com. In a world where hatred returns with each generation, our classrooms may well be the strongest form of resistance. It is where a child learns not only history but hope; where stories like that of Samuel Pallache become living beacons of courage. Even in times that feel darkest, Jewish learning gives us roots—and a way forward.

Against all odds — we are still here.

Watercolor illustration of a red anemone flower and a glowing candle on parchment background, symbolizing Jewish resilience.

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