for Friday, July 25, 2025

Education ›

One people, too many campuses: It’s time to rethink Jewish professional education

Facing declining enrollments and financial challenges, Jewish colleges and seminaries in America are urged to consider collaboration and consolidation.

0 Education Holidays

Meaningful Mourning: Helping Kids Connect With Tishah B’Av

Sari Kopitnikoff in Jewish Action

Helping children connect with Tishah B'Av, a day of mourning for the Beit Hamikdash's destruction, can be challenging due to its abstract nature.

0 Education Communities

Passing the mic: How we let students take the lead

eJewishPhilanthropy

Future Tense is a podcast initiated by the Shalom Hartman Institute to bring the voices of young Jewish leaders to the forefront, amidst the challenging landscape of rising antisemitism and divisive Israel politics.

Communities ›

0 Communities Culture

Meeting the Maleku

Natan Slifkin in Rationalist Judaism

Natan Slifkin details his visit to the indigenous Maleku tribe in Costa Rica, which he connected with both personally and professionally as part of research for his new book "The Lions of Zion."

0 Communities Antisemitism

A Trotskyist’s Road to Teshuvah

Kathleen Hayes in Tablet

Kathleen Hayes reflects on her transformative journey from being a Trotskyist in her youth, participating in anti-Sharansky protests, to embracing her Jewish identity and pursuing a path of teshuvah (repentance).

0 Communities Politics

I was kicked out of an antisemitism watchdog group after asking a question. What has happened to us?

Amy Klein in JTA

Amy Klein reflects on being expelled from the Facebook group "Mothers Against College Antisemitism" (MACA) after questioning the group's stance on a keffiyeh worn by a public park employee.

0 Communities Politics

Concerning Community

Sources

The article explores the multifaceted nature of community within Jewish life, especially in the wake of events like the October 7th attacks in Israel and the subsequent global Jewish response.

0 Communities Politics

Two Inward Turns: Canadian Jews Since Multiculturalism, Since October 8, and Since Trump’s Annexationist Threat

David S. Koffman in Sources

David S. Koffman examines the notable shifts in Canadian Jewish life over the decades, particularly in light of recent global and national events.

0 Communities Jewish Law

When Community Becomes a Zero-Sum Game

Deborah Barer in Sources

The article by Deborah Barer discusses the complexities of Jewish identity and peoplehood, specifically the tension between Jewishness as inherited by birth or conversion, and as shaped by active engagement with Jewish traditions and texts.

0 Communities Culture

A Sword at the Entrance: Pluralism, Polarization, and the Future of Jewish Community

Benjamin Berger in Sources

Benjamin Berger explores the rising ideological polarization within Jewish communities, drawing on the Talmudic story of Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel.

0 Communities Jewish Law

“In the Way that They Grow”: An Old-New Approach to Building a Community of <em>Mitzvot</em> and Obligation

Guy Austrian in Sources

Rabbi Guy Austrian explores a nuanced approach to cultivating Jewish observance and community at the Fort Tryon Jewish Center in New York.

0 Communities Jewish Law

An Invitation to Rise from our Communal Mourning

Na’ama Levitz Applbaum in Sources

Na’ama Levitz Applbaum reflects on the communal mourning faced by Jews globally after the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

0 Communities Politics

In Druze town where hundreds breached border with Syria, residents mourn one tragedy while fearing another

Deborah Danan in JTA

In Majdal Shams, a Druze community on Israel's northeastern border, residents grappled with grief and ongoing conflict as they mourned past tragedies and faced new ones.

0 Communities Ethics

Undocumented people need Jewish allies. Why can't they find them?

Analucía Lopezrevoredo in Forward

Analucía Lopezrevoredo, a Latin Jewish woman and former undocumented immigrant, urges the Jewish community to support undocumented immigrants amid escalating immigration crackdowns.

Politics ›

0 Politics Israel

Tel Aviv rally calls for war’s end, as hunger reigns in Gaza and ceasefire talks collapse anew

Deborah Danan in JTA

In a significant protest held in Tel Aviv's Habima Square, thousands gathered to demand an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has lasted over 21 months.

0 Politics Antisemitism

The Real Reasons People Care So Much About the Israel-Hamas War

Joshua Hoffman in Future of Jewish

The global fascination with the Israel-Hamas conflict, as analyzed by Joshua Hoffman, is less about direct impact and more about identity politics, virtues signaling, and the ease with which people engage when issues seem morally binary.

0 Politics Antisemitism

Josh Shapiro accuses Zohran Mamdani of condoning ‘blatantly antisemitic’ supporters

Shira Li Bartov in Forward

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a prominent Jewish politician, has criticized Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral nominee for New York City, for not actively condemning antisemitic remarks from his supporters.

0 Politics Israel

The left is turning on AOC over Israel — and imperiling its own agenda

Nora Berman in Forward

Since entering politics, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been a prominent figure on the progressive left, but her positions on Israel have led to significant backlash from leftist factions.

0 Politics Ethics

A new humanitarian outrage is unfolding in the Middle East. It's not in Gaza

Rob Eshman in Forward

The article by Rob Eshman highlights the severe and underreported humanitarian crisis facing Afghan refugees in Iran.

0 Politics Education

It Is Time to Take the Palestinian Narrative More Seriously

Michael Koplow in Sources

Michael Koplow examines the need for American Jews to engage with the Palestinian narrative, particularly in light of its divergence from the dominant historical accounts accepted in many Jewish communities.

0 Politics Israel

Telling Israel’s Story in the Community of Nations: A Conversation with Tal Becker

Abigail Pogrebin in Sources

Abigail Pogrebin engages Tal Becker, Vice President of the Shalom Hartman Institute, in a profound discussion on Israel's place in the global community of nations.

0 Politics Antisemitism

Why Jewish students aren’t celebrating Columbia’s antisemitism deal with the Trump administration

Arno Rosenfeld in Forward

Columbia University's settlement with the Trump administration over antisemitism allegations has prompted mixed reactions among Jewish students and leaders.

0 Politics Israel

Democratic Israel lives: Responding to Omer Bartov yet again

eJewishPhilanthropy

Menachem Z. Rosensaft critically responds to Professor Omer Bartov's New York Times interview where Bartov accused Israel of heading towards becoming an apartheid authoritarian state and committing genocide in Gaza.

0 Politics Culture

My identity as a progressive Zionist Jew shouldn’t be at stake

eJewishPhilanthropy

Jenna Harris reflects on the growing challenge faced by progressive Zionist Jews reconciling their identity with criticisms of Israel, especially after recent conflicts.

0 Politics Antisemitism

Canada’s antisemitism envoy resigns abruptly: ‘It was hard to get people to speak up’

Grace Gilson in JTA

Canada's Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, Deborah Lyons, has resigned unexpectedly due to exhaustion and frustration over the difficulty in galvanizing public discourse and action against rising antisemitism.

Antisemitism ›

0 Antisemitism Communities

Stanford suspends student co-op that it said asked Jewish students to leave

Grace Gilson in Forward

Stanford University has suspended the Kairos co-op house after it was found to have discriminated against Jewish students.

0 Antisemitism Politics

Antisemitism, DEI, and Columbia University

Emes Ve-Emunah

Columbia University has reached a $220 million settlement with the Trump administration over allegations of antisemitism on campus, a move applauded by many Jews despite the university not admitting wrongdoing.

0 Antisemitism Politics

Columbia reaches $221M settlement with Trump administration over antisemitism allegations

Grace Gilson in JTA

Columbia University has settled with the Trump administration for $221 million amid antisemitism allegations on its campus.

Television/Film ›

0 Television/Film Culture

Is Lena Dunham’s latest show doing too much — or not enough — with its Jewish characters?

Mira Fox in Forward

Lena Dunham's latest show, "Too Much," explores romantic comedy tropes with a distinct twist, primarily through its quirky protagonist, Jessica, who embodies a range of Jewish stereotypes.

0 Television/Film Antisemitism

In an Orthodox Western, Jewish soul breaks through the tropes

Olivia Haynie in Forward

Guns and Moses, featuring Mark Feuerstein as Rabbi Mo Zaltzman, challenges typical Jewish stereotypes in Western films by portraying the rabbi as a determined investigator who becomes adept at defending his community in High Desert, California.

0 Television/Film Culture

I Need Jewish Actor Ike Barinholtz to Play Elon Musk

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

Jewish actor Ike Barinholtz is rumoured to play Elon Musk in the upcoming film "Artificial," directed by Luca Guadagnino.

Israel ›

0 Israel Politics

Reframing the Zionist Narrative in Recognition of Palestinian Experience

Joshua Levisohn in Sources

Joshua Levisohn argues for reframing the traditional Zionist narrative to acknowledge the Palestinian perspective and experiences.

0 Israel Communities

Hope Across the Atlantic

Masua Sagiv in Sources

The article explores the intertwined narratives of hope and suspicion within the Israeli and American Jewish communities.

Jewish Law ›

0 Jewish Law Communities

Jewish Marriage and Intermarriage: A Pastoral Perspective

Aaron Brusso in Sources

Aaron Brusso, Senior Rabbi at Bet Torah, explores the challenges and evolving perspectives surrounding Jewish intermarriage.

0 Jewish Law Israel

A quiet revolution is taking shape in the IDF.

Chaim Goldberg in Future of Jewish

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has significantly enhanced its kosher food standards over the past decade under the leadership of IDF Chief Rabbi Eyal Krim and other officials.

History ›

0 History Philosophy

Lifting the Ban? Spinoza and the Boundaries of Belonging

Daniel B. Schwartz in Sources

On the occasion of Baruch Spinoza's 350th yahrzeit, Daniel B. Schwartz reflects on the enduring significance and controversy surrounding Spinoza's excommunication from the Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam in 1656.

Ethics ›

0 Ethics Politics

We Must Renew Our Commitment to Israel’s Defining Values

Tomer Persico in Sources

Tomer Persico emphasizes the urgent need for Israel to recommit to its founding principles, paralleling America's transformation post-Civil War.

0 Ethics Politics

The Endless Cruelty of War

Zach Truboff in Lehrhaus

Zach Truboff’s article reflects on the enduring impact of war on the morality and spirit of the Jewish people, particularly amid the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.

Philosophy ›

0 Philosophy Jewish Law

In Search of and in Need of <em>Knesset Yisrael</em>

Leon A. Morris in Sources

In the search for a term that accurately embodies Jewish collective identity, Leon A. Morris explores the inadequacies of existing concepts such as 'Jewish peoplehood' and 'Klal Yisrael.'

Torah ›

0 Torah History

Kamtza and Bar Kamtza Revisited

Rabbi Yochanan Zweig and Joseph Rackman in Jewish Action

The story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, traditionally studied during the month of Av, is examined for its deeper lessons on human behavior and societal failure.

Culture ›

0 Culture Philosophy

Why ‘beach reading’ is a joke on Jews like me

Andrew Silow-Carroll in JTA

The article explores the complex feelings Jewish individuals may experience when indulging in light summer reading amidst global turmoil, particularly from an Israeli perspective.

0 Culture Antisemitism

Billy Porter sparks controversy while promoting his ‘Cabaret’ cast: ‘Black people have replaced the Jews’

Grace Gilson in JTA

Billy Porter ignited debate with his recent claim that Black people have supplanted Jews in facing cultural discrimination during a CBS Mornings interview while promoting his role in the Broadway revival of "Cabaret."

Art ›

0 Art History

A Head in the Clouds

David Jager in Tablet

Jacqueline Gourevitch, celebrated for her cloud paintings, is a vibrant link to the New York School of the mid-20th century, painting in the tradition of purity and abstraction reminiscent of her early teacher, Robert Motherwell.

JL;DR

for Friday, July 25, 2025

Education ›

Communities ›

Politics ›

Antisemitism ›

Television/Film ›

Israel ›

Jewish Law ›

History ›

Ethics ›

Philosophy ›

Torah ›

Culture ›

Art ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

July 25's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

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Education ›

Communities ›

Politics ›

Antisemitism ›

Television/Film ›

Israel ›

Jewish Law ›

History ›

Ethics ›

Philosophy ›

Torah ›

Culture ›

Art ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

July 25's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

for Friday, July 25, 2025