search
Yanki Jacobs
Netherlands Student-Rabbinate

The Secret of Jewish Survival: Family!

This upcoming Shabbat, we read in the parasha (Shemot – Exodus 1:1–6:1) about the earliest forms of discrimination and antisemitism. It is an ancient story, yet painfully relevant. In Egypt, a new ruler came to power—a colonial overlord, not even Egyptian himself—who oppressed both the Egyptian people and the Jews. To prevent an uprising against his regime, this Pharaoh created a scapegoat: a group that would be visibly worse off than the average Egyptian. The tactic is hauntingly familiar. A minority, recognizable and different, became the victim of fake news and hate campaigns. Pharaoh sowed fear: “The Jews are growing too numerous, too powerful. They will overtake us.” What began with demonization and boycotts escalated into systematic oppression and slavery.

A minority, recognizable and different, became the victim of fake news and hate campaigns.

Initially, the Jews complied. Their labor was framed as a “contribution to society.” They helped build Egyptian cities, hoping their usefulness would offer protection. But it soon became clear that their status was being eroded further and further. The Egyptian people bore their own chains, but they found cold comfort in one thought: at least they stood just slightly above the Jews in the social ladder. It was a toxic dynamic, where people conformed to injustice as long as it did not affect them personally. In this way, an entire society became corrupted.

And yet, the Jewish people survived. Thousands of years later, we are still here. How is that possible? The answer lies in the very first sentence that opens the book of Exodus: Ish u’beito—a man and his household. When Jacob and his family descended into Egypt, it was explicitly noted that they came as families. At the end of their enslavement, 200 years later, as the Exodus approached, this terminology reappears. In preparing for the Exodus, each family was instructed to gather a lamb. Once again, we find the same words: Ish lebeit avot—a man and his household.

The secret to survival does not lie in power and strength, but in the warmth of family life. The family is the cornerstone of Jewish resilience: parents, children, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents. Even in difficult times, the home must be an oasis of safety. It was this strength that kept the Jews united during their exile in Egypt, and it remains the strength that binds us together today.

Shabbat Shalom!

This column is part of a new series on the Weekly Torah Reading by Amsterdam Rabbi Yanki Jacobs, originally written in Dutch.

About the Author
Yanki Jacobs is an Amsterdam-based rabbi and the 15th generation of Dutch Jews. He offers spiritual guidance to individuals in the Netherlands University Campuses and 'Zuidas,' the financial district of Amsterdam South. In addition to his rabbinical duties, he conducts research and publishes works exploring a range of topics such as ethics, education, leadership, identity, and communal values. Alongside his wife, Esty, he leads the Dutch chapter of Chabad on Campus and as well as the Chabad Community of Amsterdam South.
Related Topics
Related Posts