Will Jews Ever Learn?

Much has been and will be written about the Bondi Beach tragedy in Australia on December 14, 2025. It certainly can be called the “October 7th of Australia.” It should also be considered another wake-up call for the Jews who live in various countries of the world.

I had thoughts around the time that I made aliyah to Israel that if God forbid I should die unnaturally, I would prefer to die in Israel at the hands of a terrorist rather than in an automobile accident, for example. Why? Because, if the former, at least I would have given my life “al kidush Hashem“– for the sake of God’s name. Any other death might be meaningless. Now I realize that those Jews in Australia also died “al kidush Hashem“….unfortunately.

Be that as it may, I am not happy using an abhorrent word, but Australia should become “Judenrein”. This was the Nazi term for clearing out all the Jews from Germany 80 plus years ago. This latest tragedy illustrates that Israel is the only home for Jewish people. Few national leaders in the world support and honor Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and even in those places, governments and policies change with the whim of a new leader. I.E, Canada, Australia and some South American countries. In Israel, that could never happen, even if the leader is someone you didn’t vote for.

Even if a Jew has a thriving business in another country and therefore doesn’t want to leave and “come home”, there are many olim (Jewish immigrants to Israel) who have worked out some kind of arrangement to live in Israel while having a business elsewhere. The other excuse that one hears is “but my grandchildren live over there, I will miss them”. Another poor excuse! With today’s jet service and telecommunications, visits can be made easily to “see the grandkids, and they can visit you in Israel just as easily. Of course, the grandkids should be growing up in Israel, where they won’t have to hide their kippah or Star of David necklace. Now wouldn’t that be an advantage? Just think of it, the Israeli university student won’t have to be concerned about a “Palestinian” demonstration at his campus.

Will Galut (diaspora) Jews ever learn?