A half-century ago the Jewish world found itself in a situation not terribly dissimilar from our own. War arrived brutally and by surprise on an Autumn Yom Tov. Writing in the pages of TRADITION following the war, Rabbi A.H. Rabinowitz, Chief Rabbi of the Air Force, asked “Why Yom Kippur?”—aside from Egyptian tactical strategy and hope for surprise, what was the spiritual meaning of the State being attacked on our holy day?

In reviewing a special issue on War in Jewish thought (TRADITION, Winter 2006), Yitzchak Blau draws to our attention material from our journal’s archive. This collection of essays remains sadly appropriate to the current moment, and we hope it will help frame your thinking about the traumas we have experienced these past two weeks as we pray that the IDF proves successful in defeating our enemies.

At this writing, ten days into the war, the initial shock, horror, and trauma have in no way abated and all thoughts are on the “matzav”—a most abnormal situation. TRADITION’s editor, Jeffrey Saks, writing from Israel, considers the challenges for our religious community, the heartening reality of Jewish unity, and some sharp questions it poses for our way forward.