for Friday, April 19, 2024

Israel ›

0 Israel Politics

Israel reportedly strikes in Iran, days after fending off Iranian missile attack

JTA Staff in JTA

Israel has reportedly carried out airstrikes in Iran, following Iran's missile attack on Israel which was successfully intercepted days prior.

0 Israel Politics

To Be on Everyone’s Side Is to Be on No One’s

Liel Leibovitz in Tablet

The text discusses a panel where a participant grapples with feeling sympathy for both Israelis and Palestinians affected by conflict.

0 Israel Communities

King Khat

Dana Kessler in Tablet

"King Khat" explores the story of an Israeli scientist named Gabi who, fascinated by the psychoactive effects of the khat plant, synthesizes its active substance, cathinone, to create a legal drug known as Hagigat.

0 Israel Communities

Empathy Is Part of Our Jewish DNA

Elliot Cosgrove in Tablet

The Passover Seder, a night of questions and reflections, takes place against the backdrop of current events, such as Israel's conflict with Hamas, making intergenerational gatherings more charged.

0 Israel Politics

Israel Must Respond Forcefully to Iran’s Attack

Bernard-Henri Lévy in Tablet

The text emphasizes the escalating threat from Iran to Israel through various proxy wars and its nuclear program.

0 Israel Politics

Israel is desperately losing the PR war. Here are 10 ways to change that.

Nachum Kaplan in Future of Jewish

Israel is facing challenges in the realm of public relations amidst its conflict with Hamas, which has a strong PR machine influencing international opinion.

0 Israel Politics

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Mother of Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Makes Time100 List of Most Influential People

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the dedicated mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a hostage in Gaza, has been named to the TIME100 list for her relentless efforts to bring her son and other hostages home.

0 Israel Communities

Six months into war, Israeli soldiers still count on donations for basic supplies. Why?

Asaf Elia-Shalev in JTA

Despite the Israeli military's assertion that it provides for its soldiers' needs, many soldiers still lack basic equipment and supplies even six months into war.

0 Israel Holidays

Cancellations skyrocket for Passover trips to, from and within Israel

Susan Greene in Forward

Passover trips to, from, and within Israel are experiencing a significant increase in cancellations, with a 65% decrease in Passover travel compared to last year due to ongoing security concerns and conflicts in the region.

0 Israel Politics

Survey taken 5 months into the Gaza war finds most American Jews felt close to Israel, but not its government

Ron Kampeas in JTA

A survey conducted during the Gaza war found that most American Jews felt emotionally close to Israel but were uncomfortable with the actions of its government.

0 Israel Leadership

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Alex Edelman among Jews on Time’s 2024 ‘Most Influential’ list

Jackie Hajdenberg in JTA

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of an Israeli-American hostage, is among the Jews named in Time Magazine's 2024 Most Influential list for her advocacy in securing the release of captives in Gaza.

Jewish Law ›

0 Jewish Law History

Ten Plagues, Three Acronyms, Seven Opinions

Stuart Halpern in Jewish Review of Books

Rabbi Judah the Prince proposed the acronym Dtzakh Adash Bachav to summarize the ten plagues in the Haggadah, prompting diverse interpretations through the ages.

0 Jewish Law Communities

Why did this Mormon drive 10 hours to buy whiskey? To help out a Jewish friend for Passover

Benyamin Cohen in Forward

Nate Oman, a devout Mormon, went on a 10-hour drive to Philadelphia to purchase whiskey and other leavened products for Passover from a Jewish congregation through a ritual of selling chametz to a non-Jew.

0 Jewish Law Holidays

Pesah as Zeman Simhateinu: What Does it Mean to Rejoice Over Victory?

Judah Kerbel in Lehrhaus

In the discussion of Pesah as Zeman Simhateinu, the text delves into the tradition of referring to the last days of Pesah as a time of rejoicing over victory.

0 Jewish Law Leadership

Excerpt: “Night and Day” from Letters to President Clinton

JA Mag in Jewish Action

Senator Joe Lieberman contributed a Torah-based essay to a book called Letters to President ClintonBiblical Lessons on Faith and Leadership, a compilation of insights sent to President Bill Clinton by Rabbi Menachem Genack and other notable figures.

0 Jewish Law Education

Joe Lieberman’s Love of Shabbat

Rabbi Menachem Genack in Jewish Action

Former Senator Joe Lieberman was widely admired for his steadfast commitment to observing Shabbat, despite the challenges it posed during his career as a United States senator.

Holocaust ›

0 Holocaust Holidays

Harry Truman’s Seder Message

Stuart Halpern in Tablet

Vice President Harry S. Truman delivered a Passover address in 1945, praising Jewish contributions to ethics and expressing gratitude for their resilience and support for oppressed minorities.

0 Holocaust Literature

Paying Tribute to Paul Celan in Chernivtsi

Edward Serotta in Tablet

The text pays homage to the poet Paul Celan and reflects on the impact of the Holocaust.

0 Holocaust Communities

My First Yizkor

Judy Batalion in Tablet

The author reflects on her experience attending her first Yizkor service in 1982 as a child and her more recent attendance following her mother's death in 2023.

0 Holocaust Holidays

Bringing Passover back to the town where Nazis killed our relatives

Hilda Chazanovitz in Forward

Holocaust survivors' descendants, Hilda and Sharon, who had roots in the same Polish town, Radom, bonded over their shared history and embarked on a journey to reconnect with their past.

Politics ›

0 Politics Israel

Inside the State Department’s anti-Israel listening sessions

Gabby Deutch in Jewish Insider

Amidst internal meetings at the State Department, concerns have been raised about U.S. policy towards Israel and Gaza, with some employees advocating for harsher actions against Israel.

0 Politics Israel

With Iran strike, Netanyahu is tested on his flagship issue

Lahav Harkov in Jewish Insider

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reputation as a strong leader on security matters faced a test following an unprecedented Iranian attack on Israel.

0 Politics Antisemitism

100+ arrested in day of unrest and mass protest at Columbia U over Gaza and Israel

Luke Tress in JTA

A mass protest erupted at Columbia University over the Israel-Hamas conflict, leading to more than 100 arrests and student suspensions.

0 Politics Communities

Police arrest son of prominent DC-area rabbi after alleged altercation with protesters outside Israeli Embassy

Ron Kampeas in JTA

Ezra Weinblatt, the son of a well-known rabbi in the Washington D.C. area, was arrested after an altercation with protesters outside the Israeli Embassy, where he allegedly pushed individuals and damaged their sound equipment.

0 Politics Literature

What happens when a free speech group gets boycotted for not speaking out enough

Mira Fox in Forward

Several authors have withdrawn from the PEN America literary awards due to the organization's response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, criticizing its perceived failure to support Palestinian writers and denounce actions in Gaza.

0 Politics Antisemitism

Antisemitism and Iranian Influence in the Americas

Moment in Moment

The newsletter discusses the rising antisemitism in Latin America, particularly fueled by Iranian influence and its proxy Hezbollah.

0 Politics Literature

Literary lemmings now coalesce around Hamas

Jewish Chronicle

The text discusses how some in the literary world are shifting from promoting freedom of expression to supporting propaganda by Hamas and Palestinian activism, often targeting individuals associated with Israel, particularly Jews, for bullying, banning, and boycotting.

0 Politics Communities

Survey: Jews feel close to Israel; its government, not so much

Ron Kampeas in Forward

A survey conducted by the Jewish Federations of North America found that, during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, a majority of American Jews expressed feeling close to Israel but were uncomfortable with the actions of its government.

0 Politics Israel

In Gaza, collective punishment is probably what's needed.

Joshua Hoffman in Future of Jewish

The text discusses the concept of collective punishment in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, arguing that it might be necessary due to the support for terrorism among a significant portion of the Palestinian population.

0 Politics Communities

Personal Memories of Joseph Lieberman

JA Mag in Jewish Action

Prominent figures in the Jewish community and beyond have shared heartwarming stories highlighting the kindness and menschlichkeit of the late Joseph Lieberman, the first Orthodox Jew to serve in the US Senate and run for vice president.

0 Politics Leadership

Joe Lieberman: The Man, The Mentsch

Steve Lipman in Jewish Action

Joseph Lieberman, the recently deceased retired senator, is remembered as a kind and unpretentious man who took his Jewish faith seriously but without arrogance.

0 Politics Israel

Why Jordan helped repel the Iranian missile attack on Israel

Lahav Harkov in Jewish Insider

Jordan intercepted Iranian drones attacking Israel, signaling a rare alignment of interests between the two countries due to shared security concerns regarding Iran's attempts to destabilize Jordan.

0 Politics Culture

This Isn’t Working

B. Duncan Moench in Tablet

Alex Garland's new film "Civil War" depicts a dystopian future where a third-term U.S. president dissolves the FBI, leading to an authoritarian state and a violent national breakup.

0 Politics

9 Google employees arrested after sit-in to protest company contract with Israel

Violet Fearon in Forward

Nine Google employees were arrested during sit-ins at the company's offices in New York City and Sunnyvale, California, protesting Google's $1.2 billion Israeli government contract for cloud computing services known as Project Nimbus.

Communities ›

0 Communities Leadership

The Upper West Side mourns Tom Weiss, a congressman’s son and ‘master of chesed’

Julia Gergely in JTA

Tom Weiss, a beloved figure on New York's Upper West Side, passed away at 61 due to a pulmonary embolism.

0 Communities Holidays

Volodymyr Zelensky visits Kyiv Jewish school for model Passover seder

Marcel Gascón Barberá in JTA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited a Jewish school in Kyiv for a model Passover seder, engaging with students and drawing parallels between the holiday of freedom and the current situation in Ukraine facing Russian aggression.

0 Communities Sports

The death of Brooklyn Dodger great Carl Erskine closes a chapter in Jewish history

Andrew Silow-Carroll in JTA

The passing of Brooklyn Dodgers legend Carl Erskine marks the end of an era in Jewish and baseball history.

Antisemitism ›

0 Antisemitism Politics

Barnard suspends Ilhan Omar's daughter for anti-Israel protests

Jacob Kornbluh in Forward

Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar, has been suspended from Barnard College for participating in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, leading to her and two other students being informed of their suspension.

0 Antisemitism Communities

New York is set to expand the definition of hate crimes. What does that mean for Jewish communities?

Luke Tress in JTA

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is pushing to expand the definition of hate crimes by adding 31 offenses to the existing list in response to a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia.

0 Antisemitism Education

Why the ADL is struggling to find its campus footing

Arno Rosenfeld in Forward

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has faced criticism from Hillel for their approach in combating antisemitism on college campuses, particularly with the release of report cards grading colleges and universities.

0 Antisemitism Communities

Why the ADL is struggling to find its campus footing

Arno Rosenfeld in Forward

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recently released controversial report cards grading colleges on their handling of antisemitism, sparking tension with long-time allies like Hillel.

0 Antisemitism Education

The hearing with Columbia's president was political farce

Emily Tamkin in Forward

The article discusses a congressional hearing where Columbia University president Dr. Nemat Shafik testified about the university's handling of antisemitism on campus.

0 Antisemitism Communities

Fostering strong workplace culture to weather tumultuous times

eJewishPhilanthropy

In response to the challenges faced by the Jewish community since October, including antisemitism and polarization, it is essential for Jewish organizations to prioritize fostering cultures of safety, respect, and equity within the workplace.

0 Antisemitism Communities

Fostering strong workplace culture to weather tumultuous times

Rachel Kohn in eJewishPhilanthropy

Amid challenging times since October, Jewish organizations face a turbulent period marked by tragedy, rising antisemitism, and shifting priorities.

0 Antisemitism Politics

FBI investigations of anti-Jewish hate crimes tripled after Oct. 7, director says

Ron Kampeas in JTA

FBI director Christopher Wray reported that FBI investigations into anti-Jewish hate crimes tripled after Oct. 7, following a surge of threats to Jewish people in the United States.

Television/Film ›

0 Television/Film Culture

A Jewish sitcom from Britain gets remade in American suburbia — does the joke translate?

Dan Friedman in Forward

An American version of the British sitcom "Friday Night Dinner" set in a Jewish home has been created, titled "Dinner with the Parents."

0 Television/Film Culture

Television is good for the Jews

Jewish Chronicle

Television is depicted as beneficial for Jews, with a focus on capturing emotions and human experiences more effectively than cinema.

Literature ›

0 Literature Antisemitism

Jewish Poetry’s Renaissance—and Challenges

Judy Bolton-Fasman in Hadassah

The organization Yetzirah: A Hearth for Jewish Poetry, founded by poet Jessica Jacobs, provides a supportive space for Jewish poets and writers to explore and showcase their work through poetry readings, networking, and assistance in publishing.

Holidays ›

0 Holidays Communities

No, your matzo doesn’t need to be drier than the Sinai Desert

Sam Lin-Sommer in Forward

The article explores the history and tradition of matzo, highlighting that traditionally, soft matzo was more common than the dry, cracker-like version typically found today.

0 Holidays Music

This Barbie-Inspired Indigo Girls Parody Is More Than Fine

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

Cantor Lauren Phillips Fogelman's parody song "Four Cups of Wine," based on the Indigo Girls' "Closer to Fine," was a runner-up in Kveller's parody contest.

0 Holidays Food

We tasted a world of charoset – but which was the winner?

Jewish Chronicle

Various versions of charoset were taste-tested by a group, including Ashkenazi and Sephardi styles.

0 Holidays Communities

Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat

guestpost in Jewschool

Rabbi Lara Haft Yom Tov reflects on the traditional Passover declaration "Let all who are hungry come and eat," emphasizing its call to feed the hungry.

Education ›

0 Education Antisemitism

Academia and the American People

Emes Ve-Emunah

In a discussion about antisemitism on college campuses, the responses of university presidents to whether calling for the genocide of Jews violates codes of conduct have raised concerns.

0 Education Politics

Defying Orthodoxies on Israel/Palestine: A YU Student’s Journey

Rina Shamilov in New Voices

An Orthodox Jewish student from Yeshiva University recounts their journey of grappling with their views on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

0 Education Antisemitism

Columbia’s president, at House hearing, says university could do more to fight antisemitism

Andrew Lapin in JTA

Columbia University's President Nemat Shafik, along with other senior leaders at the university, addressed congressional concerns about combating antisemitism on campus amid rising tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war.

Miscellaneous

Perfect Pesach Seder wines picks

Jewish Chronicle

For Pesach Seder wines beyond the traditional kiddush wine, several recommendations are made to elevate your experience.

Joe Lieberman: A Role Model for American Orthodox Jews

Nathan Diament in Jewish Action

Joe Lieberman, a prominent figure in American Orthodox Judaism, demonstrated the importance of bringing Jewish values into the public sphere during an Orthodox Union forum in 1998, leading to the establishment of the OU Advocacy Center in Washington.

Art ›

0 Art Communities

JC Stays: Hotel Sans Souci, Vienna

Anthea Gerrie in Jewish Chronicle

In Vienna, the Hotel Sans Souci offers a unique experience with its world-class collection of Roy Lichtenstein's art, setting it apart from other five-star hotels.

Culture ›

0 Culture Television/Film

New stand-up shows aim to revive the Borscht Belt’s Jewish comedy legacy

Luke Tress in JTA

The Borscht Belt, a historic hub of Jewish comedy in the Catskills, is being revived through new comedy shows organized by the Borscht Belt Museum.

JL;DR

for Friday, April 19, 2024

Israel ›

Jewish Law ›

Holocaust ›

Politics ›

Communities ›

Antisemitism ›

Television/Film ›

Literature ›

Holidays ›

Education ›

Miscellaneous

Art ›

Culture ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

April 19's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

navigate_before navigate_next for Friday, April 19, 2024

Israel ›

Jewish Law ›

Holocaust ›

Politics ›

Communities ›

Antisemitism ›

Television/Film ›

Literature ›

Holidays ›

Education ›

Miscellaneous

Art ›

Culture ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

April 19's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

for Friday, April 19, 2024