Young Jews around the world are facing a historic turning point
Imagine this scene as a chapter from Tanach: Am Yisrael tries to return to Eretz Yisrael without fully observing Torah and mitzvos. After several decades, a terrible tragedy occurs, but on its heels, there is a great awakening, and several lost tribes that had almost vanished in the Diaspora decide to return to their true identity. That’s pretty much how I felt during the recent Pegisha shabbaton, with its powerful focus on Jewish identity, reminding each of the 2,000 student participants that they’re part of something greater, stronger, something eternal, empowering them to fearlessly carry that resilience, unity, and inspiration back to their campuses.
Today’s generation of university students, almost fully assimilated, had now received a Divine, historic opportunity to return to its roots. The 2,000 who participated represent hundreds of thousands who didn’t, but who are out there, farther away, in the many campuses across the globe. One student told me, “On September 11, the West needed to learn a lesson. On October 7, the Jews needed to learn a lesson. We are the Jews of October 8. We’ve woken up.”
In this spirit, students spent the weekend going from class to class, from hall to hall, to hear compelling lectures and shiurim, to take part in tefillos and workshops. On Friday afternoon, a thousand young women stood in front of the Shabbos candles and recited the brachah together, literally shaking the walls with their intense prayer. I can only imagine how much light was added to the world in those minutes!
On Friday morning, I joined a group of about 15 students from a prestigious US campus at the ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe zy”a. I was asked to say a few words, but before that, they decided to sing me “their song,” at which point they broke out into an exuberant rendition of “Am Yisrael Chai.” When they were finished, I said, “You just said the three most important words that sum it all up. Who wants to translate for me what you sang?” Silence. No one even tried to answer. I sensed their embarrassment and tried to help them: “What does ‘Am’ mean? What does ‘chai’ mean?”
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