On October 7, 2023, some 6,000 GazansāHamas terrorists and ordinary civiliansācrossed into Israel, murdering and raping 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 more. This modern pogrom constituted the largest single-day loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. For Israel it was a brutal wake-up call. For the Jewish diaspora, it unleashed a different trauma: a tsunami of antisemitismāviolence, harassment, vandalism, boycotts, cancellations, and social and professional targetingāthat rapidly altered the mood, confidence, and behaviour of Jews across the West. Communities that had long felt secure suddenly faced a stark new reality of rising vulnerability.
This Jewish Moment captures this turning point through the voices of more than 100 Jews in the United States and Canada, exploring how October 7 reshaped relationships, spiritual life, political views, trust in institutions, and feelings about safety and belonging. The book records a profound shift in thinking at a critical historical moment, as many now grapple with the existential question of whether Jewish life in the diaspora remains viable.