MARCH 2025
VOL. 1 NO. 2
JIAAC NEWSLETTER
Jewish Identity and Antisemitism Collective
Never Again Is Now:
Israel’s Fight FOR Peace
by Inna Rozentsvit
In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, a stark truth has emerged on the world stage: Israel stands alone in a unique struggle. Unlike other conflicts around the globe, Israel is not fighting to conquer territory or acquire resources. It is not fighting against a people or an ideology simply for dominance. Israel is fighting for peace – a fundamental right that citizens of most nations take for granted.
Table of Contents:
Page 1: Never Again Is Now: Israel’s Fight FOR Peace
Page 1: Women’s History Month: The Silence Around Israeli Women’s Trauma Is Deafening
Page 2: Seeking Truth מחפש אמת: Is Israel an “Apartheid State”?
Page 3: A Brief Timeline of the History of the Jewish People – From Earliest Times to 1948
Page 4: JIAAC Kicks Off Book Celebration Series
Page 5: A Visit to a Synagogue in Mexico
Page 6: Poem for the Bibas Family: Am Yisrael Chai
Women’s History Month:
The Silence Around Israeli Women’s Trauma Is Deafening
by Inna Rozentsvit
As we commemorated Women’s History Month last month, a disturbing contradiction has emerged that demands our attention. While March each year is devoted to celebrating women’s achievements and advocating for their rights, March of this year was characterized by a deafening silence surrounding the sexual violence experienced by Israeli women during and after the Hamas attacks of October 7th, 2023.
The horrific events of that day included documented cases of sexual assault, rape, and mutilation of women’s bodies. Survivors and witnesses have come forward with harrowing accounts. First responders discovered women’s bodies with evidence of sexual violence at massacre sites. Yet these firsthand and eyewitness testimonies have not received the widespread acknowledgment nor have they stimulated the outrage that similar atrocities elsewhere have generated.
For the women who were taken hostage and later released, a second layer of trauma emerged. Many reported ongoing sexual abuses during their captivity. For example, Amit Soussana, who was held for 55 days, bravely shared her experience of sexual assault while in captivity.