The Blogs: October 7th: A New Literary Genre Emerges

Deep within our spiritual DNA is a profound value of the written word. It’s not enough that we read the Torah every week; we follow along word for word, letter by letter, from a specific scroll that must adhere to strict criteria. We are thus taught from infancy that there is a divine spirit in the written word.

Now, as we mark two years since the barbaric attacks on October 7^th we are now seeing a new genre of literature emerging; one that varies in scope and tone, but sheds light on our lived experience since that day. Like many artists who have crafted beautiful works from their pain, these authors are using the written word to process, examine, bear witness, grieve, imagine, and seek some semblance of clarity.

Of the twenty-nine English books that appear on Amazon to date, we see a multitude of voices that show the harrowing to the Herculean; reflections from the abyss of those wretched tunnels to firsthand accounts by first responders; stories about the remarkable efforts of regular citizens who sprang into action, and poetry by women who pray for the safety of their husbands, brothers, and children at war. We see works from investigative journalists, military personnel, photographers, and even heroic stories for children.

While these relate to works in English, many Hebrew books have been published as well, perhaps even more raw. These include commemorative works in memory of the fallen, diaries of milu’imnikim (reservists) who document their firsthand experiences fighting Hamas terrorists, and the personal reflections of military personnel who must await clearance before their books see the light.

The very publication of these books in a world ridden by palpable antisemitic vitriol is in and of itself a fight for survival and legitimacy. Since October 7^th, Jewish authors – especially those who include any aspect of Israel in their works – have faced blatant discrimination in the mainstream publishing industry. Contracts have been cancelled, speakers have been uninvited, events cancelled or disrupted, manuscripts disregarded. Writers in closed Facebook groups have shared that their editors have advised them to remove Jewish characters and/or references to Jewish traditions or Israel. Any pushback from the author is seen as problematic and carries risk of being rejected under the guise of “marketability”.

With this in mind, we can now acknowledge the importance of supporting works about Jewish life, particular those written about October 7^th.

Our voices, our people, our stories matter.

The drive to document this time in our history reminds me of the famous debate amongst Jewish historiographers – those who study how the Jewish narrative is written and presented.

Salo Baron (d. 1989) – one of the most respected Jewish historians of the 20^th century and professor of Jewish Studies at Columbia University – took issue with how previous scholars wrote about the history of the Jewish people. He called the approach “lachrymose,” seeing that these thinkers focused on the suffering and persecution that our people endured for centuries. Such an approach was so tragic that it could make you cry.

No, Baron said. Our story offers so much more than dismal lachrymosity. Look at the literary, cultural, liturgical, and intellectual achievements that the Jewish people created in between those periods of persecution, and you will see a richness and vitality that should be recognized. (This, from a man whose own parents were murdered in the Holocaust.) Fortunately, Baron’s approach helped shift how subsequent scholars examined and wrote about Jewish history.

Since October 7th, 2023, I have often wondered what historiographers would say about how we are documenting this time in our history. To call the events of October 7^th and the world’s subsequent reaction ‘lachrymose’ seems like an understatement. Horrific, brutal, and sickening, absolutely. At the same time, we see bravery, heroism, strength, mutual responsibility, unity, and hope.

In a word: resilience.

It is now on all of us to educate ourselves and support those who have managed to articulate their understanding of that day, the factors that led to it, and how it is shaping our identities as “post October 7^th Jews”.

The following 29 Books about October 7^th (as of October 2025) are testaments to a people who are grappling for meaning with inner strength, intellectual fortitude, and a God-given creative force.

Go out, buy these books, and support these brave voices. These new works have now created a new genre; one that will surely grow and strengthen the narrative that we will persevere.

Am Yisrael Chai.

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29 Books in English about October 7^th (in no particular order)

Hostage (Eli Sharabi)
The Heroes of October 7^th: Heroic Stories for Children (Hadassah Ben Ari)
The October 7 War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza (Seth Frantzman)
We Will Dance Again: A novel about October 7th and Jewish Resilience (Aviva Gat)
The Rescue: October 7 through the Eyes of Israel’s Para-Rescue Commandos (Guy M.)
While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East (Yaakov Katz)
October 7^th: Bearing Witness – a photographic book (Chen Schimmel)
The October 7^th War (Ziv Koren)
Angels in Orange (Nachman Seltzer)
One Day in October: Forty Heroes, Forty Stories (Yair Agmon & Oriyah Mevorach)
The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands (Amir Tibon)
10/7: 100 Human Stories (Lee Yaron)
Testimonies Without Boundaries: Israel: October 7^th, 2023 (Alon Penzel)
October 7: Voices of Survivors and Witnesses (Tal Chaika)
Miracles, Missiles and Mesiras Nefesh The Heartbreak, The Miraculous Moments, and Military Operations of the October 7^th War (Nachum Seltzer)
Echoes of October (Ami Adan)
To Resist the Academic Intifada: Letters to My Students on Defending the Zionist Dream (Gil Troy)
Black Saturday: An Unfiltered Account of the October 7th Attack on Israel and the War in Gaza (Trey Tingst)
After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation (Brendan O’Neill)
Morning Has Broken: Faith After October 7^th (Dr. Erica Brown)
Fire of Faith: What the October 7th War Taught Us About God and Israel (P. Mordechai)
Israel After 7th Oct: Through the lens of Ilan Ossendryver (Ilan Ossendryver)
Aftermath: An October 7th Memoir (Binyamin Klempner)
Despite Everything: A Chronicle of Jewish Resilience in the Aftermath of October 7^th (Chaim Steinmetz)
October 7: The Day Everything Changed A Former IDF Officer’s Perspective (Rami Yahel)
October 7: The War Against Hamas Through the Eyes of an Israeli Commando Officer (Capt. Elkana (Kuno) Cohen)
Shiva: Poems of October 7 (Rachel Korazim)
Az Nashir- We Will Sing Again: Women’s Prayers for Our Time of Need (Shira Lankin Sheps, Rachel Sharansky Danziger & Anne Gordon)
The Road to October 7: Hamas, the Holocaust, and the Eternal War Against the Jews (Rafael Medoff)