When Land Becomes Longing - How do We Belong?

From the Archives: Jeremiah on Exile and Hope, marking Day 1001 since 10/7 and 250 years of USA

Friends,

Americans today prepare for the 4th of July - celebrating 250 years of American independence - with much to be grateful and hopeful for during these difficult and gilded days in the United States.

Yesterday marked 1000 days since October 7th.

I posted a reflection yesterday, focusing on the call to tone down our toxic speech so that we do not fan the flames and fuel the fires of fury any further.

You can read my post on Facebook or on my Instagram page:

This somber milestone, so many sorrowful days later, so much suffering still going on, coincided with the 17th of Tammuz, the first of the two summer fast days that commemorate historical calamities of the Jewish people - focusing on the tragic destruction of Jerusalem and the exile from Judah in 586 BCE. We are now in the Three Weeks of Sorrow - leading to the next fast day of the Ninth of Av.

Part of the tragedy of this history is that Jerusalem became vulnerable to Babylon’s assault because of inner strife and civic discord. “Baseless Hatred” is how the sages named it. People were already fighting over everything and it was what made the enemy’s task even easier. United societies stand strong against challenges. Divided societies dont’ stand a chance.

The 17th of Tammuz recalls the very first crack that appeared in the walls of Jerusalem before Babylon broke down the walls - and it may likely also be a metaphor for how kingdoms begin to collapse.

This day also marks the mythic day on which Moses broke the Ten Commandments in response to the creation of the Golden Calf. This would make it the day that marks the first civil war in our history - fueled by furious faith and conflicting visions of the divine. So this fast day and these three weeks are a reminder to reexamine the ways in which we let discord get out of hand, and consider the consequences. Maybe we will learn from the past to do better next time - like now?

That’s why this year-long journey to better understand our origins of schism and the dignity in different narratives - matters so much.

The growing gaps between us at this time give these days and milestones an ominous overtone that echoes this exploration. The Judah-Israel divide is still very much with us - as labels such as left vs. right, religious vs. secular, Liberal vs. Conservative, and Zionist vs. Anti Zionist define our identities and binary building blocks. Life, we know, is far less black or white — there’s much more breathing space in the both/and of nuance. And yet polarization, once again, pulls us apart.

As we enter these three weeks of communal commemoration of exile we once again dare ask:

How is it that these ancient tales of terror left such a strong imprint in our national collective - even after so many golden ages in other cultures and civilizations?

Long past Babylon and Rome’s demise - what is the cognitive and spiritual price we’re paying for the longing for a past and an era long gone? How does this play out now that there is an active presence in the homeland - with such fierce fighting over what this presence means, and how it can be secured without brutality?

And finally - among the many critical questions - what are the stories we are not telling and the narratives we are not lifting up that will help us heal despite divides and chart a hopeful path?

We will focus on these questions at our next monthly LIVE LEARNING session on July 19: The Tale of Two Exiles.

It was not just Jerusalem that was burned by an empire. It was also Samaria - 150 years earlier. The Kingdom of Israel suffered a terrible fate that has almost no mention in the Bible or our history, yet it stand along the later destruction of the Kingdom of Judah as our defining national narratives of longing and belonging.

To prepare for this session I invite you to read one of the chapters from the archives of Below the Bible Belt - this is the farewell to Judah written by Jeremiah - one of its last prophets:

"How Judah Was Exiled from Its Land"

🚩 Our Next LIVE LEARNING Session:

Sunday 7/19/26, 2pm ET

A Tale of Two Exiles - Mourning Both Jerusalem and Samaria

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You’ll get the recording and resources within the week of each LIVE LEARNING session, just like today’s post.

More info on the rest of the course:

Judaism: Born Divided Landing Page

Wishing us all Shabbat Shalom, healing and consolation.

Happy Birthday America!

Peace שלום سلام

Amichai

BTW: I’m turning this course into a book -

want to help?? Looking for capable editors and people in publishing to help find the perfect agent and deal.. Thank you