From October 2023, despite all evidence to the contrary, many Israelis and members of the Zionist diaspora had been telling themselves that they were ‘battling the forces of darkness’ alone and unaided. But now that the Trump administration and major Western institutions are beginning to distance themselves from the Jewish state, the deeper psychology emerges — one anchored in messianic yearnings and misplaced hopes of redemption.
In the hands of Hashem
“I think the reason that the forces of darkness are beating us so much,” said Rav Doniel Katz, “is that they are fighting a religious war, and we keep ignoring the fact that it’s a religious war.”
The video, it turned out, had been uploaded on 24 April 2025. At just over 80 minutes in length, it was a conversation between Rav Katz and his much younger colleague, Reb Adam. Both rabbis, I knew, were ba’alei teshuvah — a Hebrew phrase, meaning “masters of return”, for Jews who had been born secular but had later found Torah. Accordingly, their dialogue was aimed at those who were “just beginning” the journey, as well as those who were “already immersed in Torah learning.”
The subjects covered, if one were to ignore the Jewish connection, could have made up a New Age podcast from just about anywhere on the internet. From meditation techniques, breathwork and trauma healing to the laws of attraction and “the rise of the divine feminine”, there wasn’t much that was left off the table.
