Meanings
plural October 8th Jews · alternative October 8 Jew
- neologismA Jewish person who reconnected with their Jewish identity as a result of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
What can Oct. 8 Jews do? We can stop being embarrassed, equivocal or defensive about Zionism, which is, after all, one of the world’s most successful movements of national liberation.
2023 November 7, Bret Stephens, “For America’s Jews, Every Day Must Be Oct. 8”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 15 Nov 20231 more example
At a recent conference in Philadelphia, Bret Stephens coined the term, “October 8th Jew.” It was meant especially for left-wing Jews who, observing the glee with which their ideological fellow travelers responded to the previous day’s mass murder of Jews, belatedly realized that progressive politics are no safe haven from antisemitism.
2023 November 19, David Bernstein, “Jewish Community Relations and the October 8th Jew”, in SAPIR
Origin
Coined by New York Times writer Bret Stephens.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
October 8th Jew. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/October%208th%20Jew
“October 8th Jew.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/October%208th%20Jew. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “October 8th Jew,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/October%208th%20Jew.
Source: October 8th Jew on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.