JL;DR

Daily Podcasts Video Research

for Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Education ›

0 Education Communities

From disaster to revival: Israel’s Academic Kibbutz and the rebirth of a generation

eJewishPhilanthropy

Faced with the challenge of mobilizing a seemingly "lost" generation, Israel sees a potential renewal through the establishment of the Academic Kibbutz.

0 Education Antisemitism

Advice to a Jewish Freshman

Sapir

In this thought-provoking piece addressed to Jewish freshmen entering university, the author offers advice for navigating antisemitism and misconceptions about Jewish identity and Israel on campus.

0 Education Antisemitism

5 Tips To Help Jewish College Kids Navigate Life on Campus

Dr. Jessica Zmood in Kveller

As Jewish students head to college in an environment increasingly marked by antisemitism, parents may wonder how to help their children maintain a strong Jewish identity and navigate campus life effectively.

0 Education Communities

Piercing the solitude of the financially insecure Jewish college student

eJewishPhilanthropy

A new report by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and the Jewish Foundation for Education of Women highlights the challenging experiences of financially insecure Jewish college students in the U.S. While education remains a priority, with most Jewish students attending college regardless of financial background, the report reveals that those facing economic hardship often feel isolated on campuses.

0 Education Culture

Jews Were Chosen to Think

Sapir

The obituaries of three influential Jewish thinkers, Philip Sunshine, Peter Lax, and Richard Garwin, highlight a broader cultural phenomenon of Jewish intellectual achievement.

Literature ›

0 Literature Culture

Prophetic Fervor and the Jewish Writer

Sapir

Saul Bellow's reflection on the role of Jewish writers evokes the ancient tradition of Jewish prophecy as a means of grappling with societal decline and moral failures.

0 Literature Culture

Jewish Masterpiece: The Chosen

Sapir

Chaim Potok's "The Chosen" is a seminal Jewish novel that explores the complexities of friendship across religious divides, set in 1940s Williamsburg.

Politics ›

0 Politics Israel

Israel draws criticism after killing 5 journalists, including one it targeted over his Hamas ties

Grace Gilson in JTA

Israel faces international criticism after an Al Jazeera correspondent, Anas al-Sharif, was killed in a strike on Gaza City.

0 Politics Communities

Zohran Mamdani’s Fantasy Island

Armin Rosen in Tablet

Zohran Mamdani, a left-wing state assemblyman and mayoral candidate, embodies a challenge to New York City's traditional political spectrum, advocating for policies like a $30 minimum wage and rent freezes.

0 Politics Israel

Israel has every right to target Al Jazeera in Gaza.

Andrew Fox in Future of Jewish

Andrew Fox, a former British Army officer, argues in this guest essay that Israel has the right to target Al Jazeera in Gaza due to its dual role as a media outlet and an active participant in the conflict.

0 Politics Jewish Law

Third-generation Conservative rabbi resigns from movement after facing punishment for performing intermarriages

Asaf Elia-Shalev in Forward

Rabbi Ari Yehuda Saks, a third-generation Conservative rabbi, resigned from the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly after it launched an ethics investigation into his participation in interfaith weddings.

0 Politics Communities

The first Jewish woman to win a NYC mayoral primary has a message for voters about Mamdani

Jacob Kornbluh in Forward

Trailblazing Jewish political leader Ruth Messinger has endorsed Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, citing his focus on affordability and opposition to authoritarianism.

0 Politics Jewish Law

A Communal Response to Charedim

Natan Slifkin in Rationalist Judaism

Natan Slifkin critiques the charedi community's lack of participation and acknowledgment in Israel's defense efforts, particularly during wartime.

0 Politics Communities

Reform rabbis made to leave stage at London hostage rally after calling for end to Gaza war

Philissa Cramer in JTA

At a London rally supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza, two rabbis from the UK's Progressive Judaism movement, the equivalent of Reform Judaism, were jeered off stage by fellow attendees.

0 Politics Ethics

The Unremitting Responsibility

Sapir

The article explores the moral and psychological dynamics central to the 2011 prisoner swap between Israel and the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, where Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was exchanged for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

0 Politics Israel

Hamas Is Winning the Culture War

Liel Leibovitz in Tablet

Liel Leibovitz argues that while Hamas may be losing militarily, it is triumphing in the realm of international public opinion.

Culture ›

0 Culture History

Two Years of JEWDICIOUS!

Jewdicious

Marking the two-year anniversary of JEWDICIOUS, Editor-In-Chief Michael Golden reflects on the site's mission to amplify Jewish voices in sharing perspectives on life, history, and culture.

0 Culture History

When Walt Disney went South of the Border to fight Nazi influence

PJ Grisar in Forward

In 1941, amidst personal and professional turmoil, Walt Disney embarked on a U.S. government-sponsored tour to South America to combat Nazi influence.

0 Culture Ethics

Rabbis Yechiel Eckstein, Dov Landau, and Smartphones

Emes Ve-Emunah

The article discusses the controversial interactions of Orthodox Judaism with Evangelical Christians, focusing on the example of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), who faced ostracism from the Charedi community for fostering relationships with Evangelicals.

0 Culture Television/Film

How a Kentucky-raised comic dodged a beer can and became a Jewish star

PJ Grisar in Forward

Comedian Ariel Elias' debut special, "A Jewish Star," available on YouTube, humorously explores her unique experiences as a Jew growing up in Kentucky.

0 Culture Philosophy

Sapir

In a 2025 reflection on Jewish identity, the concept of 'chosenness' presents both challenges and opportunities for American Jews.

Antisemitism ›

0 Antisemitism Culture

Huda Beauty founder defends anti-Israel conspiracy rant: ‘There is a smear campaign against me’

Grace Gilson in Forward

Beauty mogul Huda Kattan is under scrutiny after making antisemitic remarks linking Israel to various global events, sparking significant backlash.

0 Antisemitism Culture

The podcasters making antisemitism Christian again

Mira Fox in Forward

A new wave of antisemitic rhetoric has emerged from a segment of Christian podcasters known as TheoBros, who claim that Christianity is being corrupted by Jewish influences.

0 Antisemitism Politics

Brooklyn woman charged with making ‘terroristic threat’ to public school over ‘Zionist’ student body

Grace Gilson in JTA

In Brooklyn, a woman named Iman Abdul, 27, has been charged with making a terroristic threat against Leon M. Goldstein High School, allegedly targeting it due to the presence of Zionist students.

0 Antisemitism Politics

History’s most lethal conspiracy theory is trending again.

Lucy Tabrizi in Future of Jewish

The article by Lucy Tabrizi examines the resurgence of the pernicious blood libel conspiracy theory, which historically accused Jews of ritualistic child murder.

Communities ›

0 Communities Prayer

New on Rikers Island: a Jewish prayerbook designed with incarcerated congregants in mind

Marla Brown Fogelman in Forward

Rabbi Mia Simring and Rabbi Gabriel Kretzmer-Seed have introduced a unique Jewish prayer book, "The Very Narrow Bridge: A Rikers Island Siddur," specifically designed for the Jewish community at Rikers Island jail.

0 Communities Ethics

Citing ‘the Jewish imperative’ to act, UJA-Federation pledges $1M for Gaza aid

Asaf Elia-Shalev in JTA

UJA-Federation of New York has pledged $1 million to IsraAID, Israel’s largest nongovernmental aid group, to help provide emergency relief to civilians in Gaza.

Jewish Law ›

0 Jewish Law Culture

Rabbi quits Conservative movement after facing discipline over interfaith weddings

Asaf Elia-Shalev in JTA

Rabbi Ari Yehuda Saks, a third-generation Conservative rabbi, resigned from the Rabbinical Assembly following an ethics investigation into his participation in interfaith weddings.

0 Jewish Law Communities

The Paradoxes of Conversion

Sapir

Conversion to Judaism introduces complex identities and narratives, both for the converts and the Jewish community.

0 Jewish Law Philosophy

Divine Election and Its Contradictions

Sapir

The article explores the complex and often contradictory concept of Jewish chosenness within traditional texts, highlighting tensions between unconditional divine election and the conditional nature of this relationship as depicted in the Bible.

Gender/Identity ›

0 Gender/Identity Politics

The Second Assault on Israeli Women

Meryl Frank in Hadassah

Following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas against Israeli women, survivors of sexual violence have faced a second assault in the form of malicious online disinformation campaigns.

0 Gender/Identity Jewish Law

The Myth of Having It All: Torah, Therapy, and the Truth About Modern Womanhood

Ariel Goldstein in Lehrhaus

Ariel Goldstein's article examines the pressures and myths surrounding modern womanhood, particularly the notion that women can 'have it all' – successful careers, fulfilling family lives, and personal satisfaction.

History ›

0 History Culture

6 Jewish highlights from the ‘Blacklisted’ exhibit at New York Historical

Jackie Hajdenberg in JTA

"Blacklisted: An American Story," a new exhibit at the New York Historical Society, examines the impact of the HUAC hearings on Hollywood during the height of the anti-communist Red Scare in the 1940s and 50s, highlighting its significant Jewish dimension.

0 History Politics

Antisemitism is the reason Zionism exists.

Joshua Hoffman in Future of Jewish

Joshua Hoffman's exploration of the reasons behind the existence of Zionism highlights the enduring impact of antisemitism on Jewish history and the geopolitical developments leading to the founding of the State of Israel.

0 History Philosophy

The Rebirth of Chosenness

Sapir

The article explores England's remarkable historical shift from one of the most antisemitic nations to a leading philosemitic society by the 17th century.

0 History Philosophy

Moses at the Bush

Sapir

Archaeological discoveries in the Sinai Peninsula suggest that the belief in YHWH might have predated the Israelites and was adopted from nomadic tribes such as the Midianites.

0 History Politics

The Origins of Chosenness

Sapir

The article explores the concept of divine chosenness, an idea integral to both Jewish and regional ancient Near Eastern cultures.

Ethics ›

0 Ethics Communities

Let’s not trip and fall in our pursuit of social justice

eJewishPhilanthropy

Jewish tradition emphasizes a balance of Torah, prayer, and acts of loving-kindness.

0 Ethics History

An Unbreakable Covenant

Sapir

Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2018 article post-retirement, addressed the theological relationship between Christianity and Judaism, reaffirming the Catholic Church’s recognition of the unbroken covenant with the Jewish people.

Israel ›

0 Israel Philosophy

A Chosen State?

Sapir

The concept of Israel as the 'chosen state' is examined through biblical references, historical evolution, and modern political and cultural dynamics.

Philosophy ›

0 Philosophy History

A 2,500-Year-Old Problem

Sapir

Jewish theology has wrestled with the concept of chosenness for over two millennia, as exemplified by interpretations that shift the focus from God choosing the people of Israel to their choosing God.

0 Philosophy Politics

Reading Isaiah in Tehran

Sapir

The essay reflects on the dual nature of the concept of chosenness in Jewish philosophy, particularly within the context of the author's personal experience as an Iranian political prisoner.

0 Philosophy History

Judaism is Not About Antisemitism

Sapir

Leon Pinsker, a 19th-century Zionist thinker, diagnosed antisemitism as a chronic condition stemming from fear of the stateless Jew.

0 Philosophy Torah

Faith Is Not Surrender

Jeremy England in Tablet

Reflecting on the Torah command to place a railing on a roof, especially during missile attacks in Israel, this article explores the theological tension between divine providence and human responsibility.