for Thursday, February 20, 2025

Israel ›

0 Israel Ethics

Trump’s Gaza plan will cost Israel its soul

Sruli Fruchter in Forward

Sruli Fruchter argues against President Trump's proposal to forcibly displace two million Palestinians from Gaza, a plan which has received endorsement from various Israeli politicians.

0 Israel Politics

As news of Bibas deaths sinks in, orange becomes color of Jewish grief

Louis Keene in Forward

In response to the tragic deaths of the Bibas family members, orange symbols became widespread online as expressions of Jewish grief, honoring the young family held hostage by Hamas.

0 Israel Politics

Shiri Bibas and her children Kfir and Ariel, redheaded symbols of Israel’s anguish, were killed while held hostage in Gaza, Israel confirms

Philissa Cramer in JTA

The tragic deaths of Shiri Bibas and her young sons, Kfir and Ariel, who were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, have been confirmed, marking a somber chapter in Israel's hostage crisis.

0 Israel Culture

It's our Jewish responsibility to see the full picture when it comes to Israel. We're failing.

Jeremy Kalmanofsky in Forward

Jeremy Kalmanofsky explores the multifaceted perspectives regarding Israel among Jews, emphasizing the importance of viewing Israel's realities with both eyes open.

0 Israel Politics

At a Jaffa community center and beyond, confusion, mourning and rage surface upon news of the Bibas family’s tragic fate

Deborah Danan in Forward

Following the tragic and conflicting reports about the Bibas family, notably Shiri and her children Kfir and Ariel, Israelis are left grappling with grief, rage, and uncertainty.

Politics ›

0 Politics Israel

Their Time Is Up

Liel Leibovitz in Tablet

Liel Leibovitz grapples with the aftermath of the brutal murder of Israeli civilians by Hamas, focusing on both the grief and the need for a strong political and military response.

0 Politics Jewish Law

What Peter Beinart misunderstands about Jewish values

Yonkel Goldstein in Forward

Yonkel Goldstein criticizes Peter Beinart’s book and perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arguing that Beinart fails to appreciate the importance of debating different viewpoints, a foundational Jewish value.

0 Politics Education

DeSantis appointee to Florida university board under fire for comments about Jews, women

Andrew Lapin in JTA

Scott Yenor, a conservative activist appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to chair the University of West Florida board, is facing widespread criticism for tweets critiquing Jewish and female Senate Democrats.

0 Politics Israel

Israel's Impossible Plight

Joshua Hoffman in Future of Jewish

Since October 7, 2023, Israel faces a moral and strategic conflict as it seeks to rescue hostages taken by Hamas and neutralize the terror organization.

0 Politics Gender/Identity

Does Elon Musk have a Jewish child?

Louis Keene in Forward

Ashley St. Clair, a controversial Jewish right-wing influencer, claims that Elon Musk is the father of her five-month-old child, a claim Musk has neither confirmed nor denied.

0 Politics Communities

Shiri Bibas and her children Kfir and Ariel, redheaded symbols of Israel’s anguish, were killed while held hostage in Gaza, Israel confirms

Philissa Cramer in JTA

The death of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel, who were among those kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack, has been confirmed.

0 Politics Leadership

The New Jewish Caucus in Congress

Emes Ve-Emunah

A new Jewish caucus has been formed in the U.S. House of Representatives, comprising entirely of liberal Jewish Democrats, with the aim of creating a unified Jewish voice on policies affecting the Jewish people.

0 Politics Communities

Brawls break out surrounding pro-Palestinian protest in heavily Jewish neighborhood of Borough Park

Ben Sales in JTA

Tensions flared in Borough Park, a predominantly haredi Orthodox neighborhood in New York City, as a pro-Palestinian protest clashed with a pro-Israel counterprotest.

0 Politics Ethics

How USAID Funded Ukraine’s Propaganda Machine. Plus. . .

River Page in The Free Press

The article explores the controversial actions of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), focusing on its role in funding Ukrainian media, which allegedly engaged in practices that suppressed journalistic freedom by ignoring forced conscription stories while smearing independent journalists.

0 Politics Culture

The Left Wing's Moral Black Hole

Samuel J. Hyde in Future of Jewish

Samuel J. Hyde explores the Western Left's perceived misunderstanding of Islamism, arguing that secular liberals often fail to distinguish between Islam and Islamist extremism.

0 Politics Israel

Alleged violations of Israel-Egypt peace treaty ring alarm bells in Israel

Lahav Harkov in Jewish Insider

Tensions between Israel and Egypt have surfaced recently regarding the military buildup in Sinai, seen as a potential violation of the 1979 peace treaty.

0 Politics Leadership

A Bridge Too Far?

Lee Smith in Tablet

The article delves into the controversies surrounding Elbridge (Bridge) Colby's nomination for a significant role in the Department of Defense under the Trump administration.

0 Politics Education

Military schools removed a book on Ruth Bader Ginsburg because of 'equity ideology'

Mira Fox in Forward

A children's picture book on Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been removed from U.S. military school libraries, alongside other books like "Freckleface Strawberry" and "Becoming Nicole," due to executive orders targeting gender and diversity discussions.

Philosophy ›

0 Philosophy Holocaust

Discourses on Destruction and Rebirth: The Rav on the Shoah, Zionism and the American Diaspora

Alan Jotkowitz in Lehrhaus

Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik's recently translated discourses in "The Return to Zion: Addresses on Religious Zionism and American Orthodoxy" reveal his perspectives on the Shoah, Zionism, and American Jewry between 1939 and 1958.

Holocaust ›

0 Holocaust Leadership

Marian Turski, Holocaust survivor and co-founder of Warsaw’s landmark Jewish museum, dies at 98

Andrew Silow-Carroll in Forward

Marian Turski, a prominent Polish journalist, historian, and Holocaust survivor, passed away at 98.

Communities ›

0 Communities Education

Since Oct. 7, Washington University in St. Louis has quietly opened its doors to Jewish students leaving uncomfortable campus environments

Andrew Lapin in JTA

Following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Washington University in St. Louis has discreetly opened its doors to Jewish students seeking refuge from antisemitic environments on their previous campuses.

0 Communities Holidays

The Bibas family embodied our hope and despair. Where do we turn when hope is dashed?

Rabbi Sharon Litwin in JTA

Rabbi Sharon Litwin reflects on the emotional and spiritual challenges faced by her community in the wake of the Bibas family's tragic story.

0 Communities Education

Columbia University students can now spend their dining dollars at JTS’s kosher café

Jackie Hajdenberg in JTA

Columbia University has introduced a new option for students requiring kosher meals by allowing them to use their meal points at the Jewish Theological Seminary’s (JTS) kosher cafeteria.

0 Communities Education

The cost of leaving small-town Jews behind

eJewishPhilanthropy

The article emphasizes the importance of supporting small-town Jewish communities, highlighting how neglect in this area can lead to spiritual and practical losses within the Jewish people.

0 Communities Culture

This is how Jewish trauma gets passed down.

Hana Raviyt Schank in Future of Jewish

Hana Raviyt Schank reflects on the intergenerational trauma experienced by Jewish families, particularly through the lens of evacuating her son from a war zone in Israel amidst rising tensions.

Television/Film ›

0 Television/Film Culture

Shira Haas Plays a Proud Israeli Hero in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actress Shira Haas stars as Ruth Bat-Seraph, an Israeli character in Marvel's new film, 'Captain America: Brave New World.'

0 Television/Film Culture

A short Yiddish horror film set at the start of the Hasidic movement

Rebecca Margolis in Forward

"Seed of Doubt" is a 20-minute Yiddish-language horror film set in an 18th-century Polish shtetl during the early days of the Hasidic movement, exploring themes of faith and existential uncertainty.

0 Television/Film Culture

The Jewish Woman Who Invented Soap Operas

Alina Adams in Kveller

Irna Phillips, a pioneering Jewish woman from Chicago, is credited with inventing the soap opera genre.

0 Television/Film Culture

Why ‘The Brutalist’ Is Brutal to Watch

Thomas de Monchaux in Tablet

The Brutalist, a film by Brady Corbet, follows the life of fictional Jewish Hungarian architect Lazlo Toth, played by Adrien Brody.

0 Television/Film Culture

The Best Jewish Moments From the SNL50 Reunion Special

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

The SNL50 Reunion Special celebrated 50 years of Saturday Night Live while highlighting its rich Jewish heritage.

Culture ›

0 Culture Politics

Does Elon Musk have a Jewish child?

Louis Keene in Forward

Elon Musk is rumored to have fathered a child with Ashley St. Clair, a Jewish right-wing social media influencer, according to claims made by St. Clair herself.

0 Culture History

How the Pope and my rabbi father changed my life and healed my heart

Jen Rudin in Forward

Jen Rudin reflects on how a serendipitous trip to Rome with her father, Rabbi A. James Rudin, profoundly impacted her life.

Literature ›

0 Literature Culture

Interview | Tova Mirvis

Debby Waldman in Moment

Tova Mirvis, a novelist captivated by the 2014 murder of a Tallahassee law professor implicated in a custody battle, channels this real-life crime into her fictional work, "We Would Never."

0 Literature Culture

Dara Horn Is Obsessed With Passover

Amy Klein in Hadassah

Dara Horn, a renowned author and voice against antisemitism, explores her lifelong fascination with Passover through a unique narrative approach in her new graphic novel, "One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe."

Sports ›

0 Sports Jewish Law

Team USA’s very Jewish '4 Nations Face-Off' team deserved a Canadian counter

Louis Keene in Forward

The NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, featuring U.S., Canada, Finland, and Sweden, highlights a significant moment for Jewish athletes in hockey.

0 Sports Culture

Tale of a Too-Brief Friendship

Jewdicious

Reflecting on the importance of friendship, Michael S. Lewis, a former orthopedic consultant for the Chicago Bulls, shares his poignant relationship with Brian Williams, who later changed his name to Bison Dele.

Education ›

0 Education Politics

2 NYC yeshivas are not meeting standards and must effectively close, state rules

Asaf Elia-Shalev in JTA

The New York State Education Department has decided to cut public funding to two Brooklyn yeshivas in Williamsburg, citing failure to meet secular education standards.

Food ›

0 Food Holocaust

Ten Minute Lox Salad

Leah Koenig in Jewish Table

Leah Koenig's newsletter features a delightful collaboration with journalist and author Bonny Reichert, who shares a quick Ten Minute Lox Salad, a recipe cherished from her childhood.

History ›

0 History Politics

The forgotten U.S. plan to send Jewish refugees to Alaska — and why it matters today

Benyamin Cohen in Forward

Eighty years ago, the U.S. considered a plan, the Slattery Report, to resettle Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany to Alaska.

JL;DR

for Thursday, February 20, 2025

Israel ›

Politics ›

Philosophy ›

Holocaust ›

Communities ›

Television/Film ›

Culture ›

Literature ›

Sports ›

Education ›

Food ›

History ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

February 20's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

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Israel ›

Politics ›

Philosophy ›

Holocaust ›

Communities ›

Television/Film ›

Culture ›

Literature ›

Sports ›

Education ›

Food ›

History ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

February 20's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

for Thursday, February 20, 2025