JL;DR

Daily Podcasts Video Research

for Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Welcome, visitor! Here's a digest of what's been published in Jewish media over the last day. JL;DR members have access to summaries of everything plus our full archive. Donate & start reading »

Communities ›

0 Communities Ethics

National support group for interfaith Jewish families guts staff amid funding crisis

Jackie Hajdenberg in Forward

18Doors, a nonprofit that supports interfaith Jewish families, has reduced its workforce significantly due to unexpected budgetary issues, retaining only four of its original 15 employees.

0 Communities Leadership

Hadassah Healing Underground and in the Air

Carol Ann Schwartz in Hadassah

Hadassah has become a vital symbol of resilience and community solidarity in Israel, representing a commitment to healing and education.

0 Communities Leadership

The Listening Project

eJewishPhilanthropy

The Jewish Community of Greater Stowe (JCOGS) in Vermont, navigating post-Oct.

Politics ›

0 Politics Ethics

Jewish groups condemn Trump’s threat that a ‘whole civilization will die’ in Iran

Grace Gilson in Forward

President Donald Trump faced intense backlash from Jewish groups for his declaration on social media threatening the destruction of an entire civilization if Iran did not comply with his demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

0 Politics Communities

Is New York City's mayor connected to the Iranian regime?

Yusuf Roso in Future of Jewish

In this guest essay, Yusuf Roso, a Turkish Jew living in the U.S., raises concerns about New York City's Mayor Zohran Mamdani's potential ideological and strategic connections to Islamist movements similar to those that have transformed Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

0 Politics Antisemitism

Trump is backed into a corner on Iran. Get ready for him to start blaming Jews

Rob Eshman in Forward

The article explores the potential for Donald Trump to deflect blame onto Israel and, by extension, Jewish Americans if his confrontational approach to Iran does not yield a satisfactory outcome.

0 Politics Israel

Israel is not exceptional. The way people talk about it is.

Nachum Kaplan in Future of Jewish

Nachum Kaplan argues that Israel is not inherently exceptional compared to other 20th-century states formed amid imperial collapse, but it is uniquely scrutinized.

0 Politics Communities

Our narrow straits: On Iran, freedom and the importance of asking questions

eJewishPhilanthropy

Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, a daughter of Iranian refugees, reflects on her personal and community connection to the political turmoil in Iran, emphasizing how these events are deeply intertwined with Jewish interests, particularly relating to Israel and the wider Middle Eastern context.

0 Politics Communities

Mahmoud Khalil wants to reassure you

Arno Rosenfeld in Forward

Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent figure in campus protests against Israel at Columbia University, finds himself caught in controversy over accusations of antisemitism.

0 Politics Antisemitism

Palestinian-French lawmaker arrested after praising 1972 bomber of Ben Gurion Airport

Grace Gilson in Forward

French Member of the European Parliament, Rima Hassan, has been detained and faces charges for allegedly advocating terrorism following her social media post quoting a perpetrator of the 1972 Ben Gurion Airport attack, which killed 26 people.

0 Politics Israel

I hope diaspora Jews have learned a thing or two.

Joshua Hoffman in Future of Jewish

Joshua Hoffman's article reflects on three critical lessons learned by diaspora Jews from recent geopolitical events.

0 Politics Communities

Israel antiwar protests spur intensifying government crackdown

Rachel Fink in Forward

Amidst ongoing conflict with Iran, Israel is seeing a surge in anti-war protests that the government attempts to suppress under the guise of wartime safety regulations.

Literature ›

0 Literature Philosophy

Ben Lerner’s tale of three hotels is a lyrical novel of loss and human potential

Dan Friedman in Forward

Ben Lerner's latest novel, "Transcription," explores themes of loss, identity, and memory through a narrative about a writer returning to his alma mater, Brown University.

Antisemitism ›

0 Antisemitism Culture

David Schwimmer: Ye’s Antisemitism Has Caused ‘Incalculable, Irreparable Damage’

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

David Schwimmer has publicly condemned the Wireless Festival's decision to headline Kanye West, due to the latter's history of antisemitic behavior.

0 Antisemitism Music

London music festival canceled after UK bars Ye’s entry amid pressure from Jewish groups

Grace Gilson in JTA

Amidst rising pressure from Jewish groups and criticism from officials, the British government denied entry to rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, leading to the cancellation of London's Wireless Festival where he was scheduled to headline.

0 Antisemitism Culture

Frankfurt cinema declines to participate in Jewish film festival, spurring backlash

Philissa Cramer in Forward

A decision by the Astor Film Lounge in Frankfurt not to participate in the city's Jewish Film Days has led to accusations of antisemitism.

0 Antisemitism Politics

Israeli, Serbian leaders denounce antisemitic statements at Belgrade protest

Grace Gilson in Forward

Recent protests in Serbia have drawn international condemnation after a protester made antisemitic remarks targeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and linking Jews to his government.

History ›

0 History Gender/Identity

Forgotten Feminism: Poland in the 1930s

Guest Contributor in Lilith

This piece explores the often-overlooked feminist history in 1930s Poland, focusing on Jewish women who played significant roles in resistance efforts during World War II.

0 History Politics

In her inspired and inspiring history of the Jewish Bund, Molly Crabapple has found her anti-Zionist heroes for our time

Andrew Silverstein in Forward

Molly Crabapple's book "Here Where We Live Is Our Country" revives the Jewish Labor Bund's story, an anti-Zionist socialist group from prewar Eastern Europe.

0 History Politics

From pyramids to skyscrapers: Lessons of our ‘Great Diasporas’

eJewishPhilanthropy

Gidi Grinstein's article explores the enduring lessons from Jewish diasporas, emphasizing their relevance to American Jewry today.

0 History Jewish Law

Lane Igoudin in Tablet

"The Shochet" by Lane Igoudin offers a rare glimpse into the life of Pinye-Ber Goldenshteyn, an ordinary Jewish figure from the 19th-century Russian Pale of Settlement.

Culture ›

0 Culture Jewish Law

Mordecai Kaplan wanted Jews to choose Judaism. Why they didn’t was the bane of his life.

Andrew Silow-Carroll in JTA

Mordecai Kaplan, the architect of Reconstructionist Judaism, sought to transform Judaism into a vibrant, Americanized culture emphasizing choice and personal relevance over obligatory practice.

0 Culture Holidays

How Jewish Celebrities Celebrated Passover 2026

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

Passover 2026 saw Jewish celebrities embracing the holiday with customary and creative celebrations, as shared on social media.

Philosophy ›

0 Philosophy Television/Film

Kubrick’s Angels

David Mikics in Tablet

In a reflection on the impact of Stanley Kubrick's films, particularly "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "A Clockwork Orange," David Mikics explores how these movies resonate with today's anxieties about technology and human nature.