[Editor's note : The term "woke" originated in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and was originally used to describe a heightened awareness of social and political issues, particularly related to racial injustice. Over time, it has evolved and been adopted more broadly to refer to awareness and activism in various social justice contexts.]

You were on cloud nine when your children were born, with all the celebratory markings of either a briss or a baby naming.

The naches you felt at their coming of age with the bar or bat mitzvah, was savoured by all family. They collectively rejoiced that milestone as a sacred part of Judaism.

Only a parent can embrace their offspring’s transition into the years of maturing and developing as incredible human beings.

Do they challenge you as many teenagers do during that rebellious phase? Of course, but you weather that storm with patience and an understanding that experimentation is par for the course. They are navigating their journey and have the right to ponder various aspects of life, including drugs, sex, political activism, etc.

In the vast majority, it seems to pass, as they respectfully come into their own, find their calling in life and making you so proud of their journey thus far.

October 7th, 2023 altered that trajectory for many Jewish families.

The unprovoked attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas, a terrorist group, took everyone by surprise. As details of the atrocities, filmed by Hamas wearing Gopros and in their rejoicing in the torture, mutilation and killing of innocent Jews, plus taking hundreds as hostages, trickled into our news feed, it left the world in shock.

But these unspeakable crimes, quickly turned into an uprising, as Israel rightfully started its ground invasion of Gaza to eradicate Hamas and attempt to retrieve the hostages.

Suddenly, we were besieged with questions about Israel, our collective homeland. They ranged from; Are Jews colonialists and do they possess an indigenous claim to the land?; Is Israel an Apartheid state?; Was the IDF sent into Gaza to conduct ethnic cleansing? All this and more put under the microscope by many Jews themselves under the influence of the Woke movement. I dare to say even the notion that the Holocaust occurred was thrown into this melting pot of suspicion. It’s not hard to find Jewish descendants from the Holocaust, on tictoc, bemoaning the rights of Jews worldwide, and their rhetoric threatening the existence of a Jewish state itself. Their grandparents would be turning over in their mass graves, ashamed that their murders now fall under the category of massacre deniers.

Jews for Palestine is a far left group, which encourages a cease fire and doesn’t want violence used in “their name” to account for the collateral damage of Palestinian civilians who voted in Hamas in 2007. One does not hear their outcry for the hostages held by Hamas,  whose Charter espouses “From the River to the Sea!”: a blatant call to dismantle the State of Israel.  Hamas's Charter also calls to eradicate Jews not just from Israel, but from the world. Equally, the statements by Jews for Palestine seriously lack any acknowledgment of the October 7th slaughter of Jewish civilians at the Nova music festival plus the various kibbutzim. Where is the outrage? If the raping of women, the beheading of babies, the kidnapping of the elderly, doesn’t sicken you, then what would?

Israel is the only nation I know who sends multi-faceted messages to hundreds of thousands of civilians, warning them to evacuate prior to an invasion.  One side values human life, whilst the other uses people as shields.  What other military group hides their bases under hospitals, schools etc.?

Bill Maher defines “WOKE” as: “…not the building on liberalism but the undoing of it.” (YouTube)

 John Cleese says:” Woke is not a new idea. It’s about being nice to everyone,” and he continues to say a guy named Jesus Christ came up with that. “I think we all know he got cancelled.” (YouTube)

 In this day of political correctness have we gone too far?

 So many have looked at those they bore and wondered if their souls have been abducted by ALIENS, whose huge eyes seem to always be open; perhaps the most WOKE of all of us.

Just because you are born into a religion doesn’t necessarily mean you must agree with all the nuances it beholds. I don’t keep kosher or believe in organized religion. Yet I know the utter importance of having the existence of a Jewish homeland.

BUT now we hear many Jewish offspring asking if any people should have the right to a land?

Well, the Jews aren’t just any people. They in fact are more indigenous to Israel than we are to Canada. Absorb that historical fact for a moment.

The UN acknowledged Israel as a Jewish State post the slaughter of 6 million Jews, who also had a history of persecution throughout the ages. And it’s noteworthy that within Israel, Jews, Muslims and Christians live side by side in peace holding political office, serving as doctors, lawyers, etc.

What affect is this WOKE movement having on the world as primarily, young Jews ( but not exclusively) questioning the existence of Israel? I dare say that it is adding fuel to the fire of antisemitism, as we’ve never seen it before.

 Bottom line is: you can’t negotiate with terrorists! Could we have stopped Hitler without intervention? Hamas is out front with their agenda. We aren’t the same Jews as our brethren of the 1930’s. At that time naivety played a role. Families huddled into cattle cars to the slaughter.

Fast forward 84 years, and there is turmoil in many families having these discussions about the existence of the State of Israel, Judaism and perhaps some delusion about antisemitism in 2023.

 Those in the concentration camps feared for their lives simply because they were Jews. Those who survived and went to Israel understood they were finally going home, to a place where they could live a dignified life.

 War is bad as people die. Who welcomes that avenue? But the reality of October 7th cannot be questioned. We need to be wide awake, before history repeats itself.

 If we turn a blind’s eye this time to the atrocities committed by those killing Jews, then collectively we are sitting ducks.

 Don’t let WOKE break your ties with your family, your Jewish roots. You have lived a privileged life outside of Israel where missiles are the norm. WE are in the battle of a lifetime. OPEN your eyes to EVIL before it’s too late.

 “When peace comes, we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.” Golda Meir