Tuesday is the the 17th day of the month of Tammuz. For many Jews this date holds no significance, but in Jewish history and observance, it matters a lot. And I recently had two experiences that reminded me anew why this day is so significant.
Five calamities are said to have occurred on that date, the most important being the Romans breaching of the outer walls of the Jerusalem. Three weeks later, the Temple was destroyed, a catastrophe commemorated by Tisha B’av. The 17th of Tammuz is a minor fast day. Why should we fast for the beginning of the end of sovereignty two thousand years ago?
On a recent visit to Israel, I toured the soon-to-be-opened National Campus for the Archeology of Israel. This remarkable new building will hold and display some of the most important archeological treasures in Israel and indeed in the world. Recently uncovered were intact Roman swords, unique in the world, with scabbard from wood and handle of leather and blades still strong. Found in a cave in the Judean hills, they were taken by Jewish rebels from Roman soldiers and hidden for the revolt; and you can see them before your eyes.
Later that day, I flew up to the Technion, Israel’s premier institute of science and technology. There I met with several remarkable students, all in their twenties. Each of them has lost months from study to serve on the front lines in Gaza and the North. They have buried their friends and seen them injured. One, who lived with his family in a border kibbutz barely escaped on Oct. 7 with his family.
These brilliant young men and women, who dream of innovating in computer science and cancer research and aerospace engineering, are spending their time carrying rifles, the modern equivalent of swords, into battle to protect the land they love. If you ask why the ADL fights against hate, we do it in part for them.
Rebels trying to take back their land from the Romans two thousand years ago; students trying to protect their land from terrorists today. The line of Jewish love for the land is unbroken as is the willingness of our people to sacrifice for safety and sovereignty.
As I flew back from Haifa along the coast and saw Roman amphitheaters and crusader ruins, I thought about the 17th of Tammuz. And about October 7th. This Tuesday, whether you fast or not, spare a thought and a prayer for those who fought thousands of years ago and those who fight today. Am Yisrael Chai.
