About

I write to you as a 95-year-old, with a message that is profoundly meaningful to me.

I vividly remember when World War II started - I was ten years old. That was the beginning of the Holocaust. I am old enough to recognize that the Jewish People are being challenged today in ways I have not seen since I was a child. When I think about Hamas’ invasion of Israel on October 7th - 1,200 innocent Israelis slaughtered, tortured, and raped, and over 200 hostages brutally abducted, some already executed, and now the endless rocket attacks on Israel by Hezbollah – my belief in the idea that Israel must serve as the homeland and safe haven for the Jewish people has strengthened and grown to new heights. And yet, some I’ve heard from and have spoken with in this country have forgotten why Israel is so important. They have also lost touch with how their parents or grandparents came to live here in America in the first place. For most of us, our forebears were fleeing from persecution and expulsion elsewhere in the diaspora.

The Jewish people first settled in the land of Israel over three thousand years ago. Yet, our tragic history shows that we have unfortunately been forced into exile and scattered again and again over the years. While powerless in exile, we continued to persevere through unimaginable atrocities and hatred while maintaining a deep connection and longing for the land of Israel. It is only after 2,000 years of exile that in 1948 we reestablished our homeland in the State of Israel, creating a refuge for all Jews.

Antisemitism is not something new. It is something we as a people have experienced time and again through the ages, and now, we are experiencing it again. What is new is that we now have the State of Israel as a homeland for all Jews with an army to protect the Jewish people. We are no longer defenseless as we have been through our long history. I urge you to be curious and look at the following timeline outlining what the Jews have endured over the millennium. Let this history of the Jewish people remind us that a strong State of Israel is the best guarantee that our future can be different from our past.

Founder of PJ Library