The brutal Hamas assault in Israel on October 7th has wrought a permanent change in Israeli society, with almost all Israelis with left-leaning political views completely changing their outlook and hopes for peace, finally understanding that the Palestinians in Gaza are not seeking a better life but are a brutal and cruel enemy with the sole goal of eradicating Israel.

The resultant surge in antisemitism and support for Hamas around the world has also eroded the sense of like-mindedness with “progressive” non-Jews, and sadly even some Jews.

Many Israelis are also growing closer to religion, taking on various practices. One social media influencer recently announced that she’s changing her son’s name, a secular American one, to a Jewish-Israeli name. And others are simply connecting to their Jewish identity for the first in their lives, like author and journalist Omer Barak, who published a post on Facebook this week that elicited a storm of responses.

“As part of my soul-searching and what I thought in the past and think differently today, only two words come to mind, two words that I refused to say: ‘I’m Jewish,'” Barak wrote.

“Wow. How I hated those two words. At every lecture abroad, I would say that I’m Israeli, and if someone asked about my Jewishness, I would say that I’m not – that I was born Jewish, but there is absolutely nothing Jewish about me.”

“And in the past week, this answer pierces my soul and leaves me no rest.

“I grew up in a home where there was contempt for Judaism, and even without that, I think I just didn’t want to believe that I was that kid with the kashket [stereotypical Jewish cap]. And I wanted to believe that I was a great man of the world. Author. Journalist. Screenwriter. My Judaism is not part of my identity, it’s not even on my Teudat Zehut [ID card].

“And I was wrong about that too.

“Because I may not be the kid with the kashket, but I am Jewish. And for the first time in my life I realized that no matter how hard I try, I can’t escape it.

“And for the first time in my life, I realized that I also don’t want to escape it.

“I am proud of my Judaism. I am ashamed that I denied it. I won’t start walking around with a kippah now nor do I think that you’ll see me in shul, but I’ll seek my Judaism. I’ll seek my G-d. I’ll seek the identity that so many years and eras have threatened to destroy, and that I mistakenly almost obliterated with my own hands.

“Today I lit candles with my children – the first time in my life. We didn’t know what brachos to make so we said the Chanukah brachos – so be it.

“And I davened, for the hostages, for the soldiers.

“For us.

“I don’t know if I’ll do it every week. I don’t know where this journey will take me. I do know that I am Omar Barak. Author. Journalist. Screenwriter. Israeli. And a Jew.”

The phenomenon is also happening among Jews outside Israel, as can be heard in the video below by actor Ilan Muallem.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)