JL;DR

Daily Podcasts Video Research

for Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Leadership ›

0 Leadership Communities

Don’t plan for succession. Plan for success.

eJewishPhilanthropy

Avi S. Olitzky argues for a shift from traditional succession planning to "success planning" in organizations.

0 Leadership Communities

For Jewish leaders, sustainable growth starts by looking inward

eJewishPhilanthropy

Jewish leaders, particularly religious ones, are grappling with unprecedented challenges like rising antisemitism and the pressures following significant events impacting the Jewish community.

Politics ›

0 Politics Communities

Ruth Messinger endorses Zohran Mamdani, joining ranks of his Jewish advisers

JTA

Ruth Messinger, former Manhattan borough president and a notable figure in the Jewish community, has endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City.

0 Politics Communities

American Jewish support for Israel is cracking. Occupying Gaza may break it.

Rob Eshman in Forward

American Jewish support for Israel is being tested as the possibility of Israel re-occupying Gaza becomes more likely.

0 Politics Antisemitism

The Left’s Israel problem isn’t policy. It’s stupidity.

Joshua Hoffman in Future of Jewish

Joshua Hoffman critiques the stance of many progressive voices on Israel, highlighting a lack of understanding and contradictions within their arguments.

0 Politics Antisemitism

California Jewish groups say Trump $1B demand of UCLA ‘does not make Jewish students safer’

Andrew Lapin in Forward

California's leading Jewish organizations, led by the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), have opposed a $1 billion demand from the Trump administration for UCLA to address federal antisemitism allegations.

0 Politics History

Germany had a complicated reckoning with its Nazi past — will post-Trump America face a similar reckoning?

Terrence Petty in Forward

The article draws a provocative parallel between postwar Germany's struggle with remnants of Nazism and contemporary America's turmoil under Donald Trump.

0 Politics Israel

A Lot of Tough Talk

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's troubled relationship with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir underscores the tense political and military situation in Israel, particularly concerning Gaza.

0 Politics Israel

When Good People Start Condemning Israel

Emes Ve-Emunah

The piece reflects on the shifting global perceptions of Israel, once celebrated as a beacon of democracy and innovation but now increasingly condemned, particularly in light of the current geopolitical tensions with Hamas and the Palestinians.

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.

Culture ›

0 Culture Leadership

Thou Shalt Not Scroll Past a Hot Priest

Maggie Phillips in Tablet

Maggie Phillips explores the rise of 'hot priests' in social media, a trend showcasing attractive Catholic priests as digital influencers, aiming to rejuvenate Catholicism's appeal amid declining numbers.

0 Culture Science

Inside Out: Fade It Away

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

Cindy Scarr navigates the complexities of hyperpigmentation, highlighting its causes and treatments.

0 Culture Ethics

My Daughter’s Endless Wants

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

Cindy Scarr addresses the challenging relationship dynamics between a mother and her married daughter who remains highly demanding of parental support.

0 Culture Communities

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

In Cindy Scarr's humorous reflection, a mother relishes her newly completed backyard deck, a space meant to be a personal sanctuary.

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.

Music ›

0 Music Culture

Is Taylor Swift's new album about the tortured lives of artists in communist Russia?

Talya Zax in Forward

Taylor Swift's upcoming album, "The Life of a Showgirl," seems to draw unexpected parallels with the experiences of artists like Marc Chagall facing creative challenges under oppressive regimes, notably post-revolutionary Russia.

Television/Film ›

0 Television/Film Holocaust

The First Trailer of Scarlett Johansson’s Very Jewish Debut Movie Is Here

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

Scarlett Johansson makes her directorial debut with "Eleanor the Great," a film that intertwines themes of the Holocaust, strong Jewish women, and grief.

Communities ›

0 Communities Politics

An uptown synagogue faces an uncertain future after a surprise visit from the NYC Department of Buildings

Jackie Hajdenberg in JTA

Mt. Sinai Jewish Center in Washington Heights is facing a financial crisis after a surprise inspection by the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) revealed serious structural issues, leading to a partial vacate order and costly required repairs.

0 Communities Education

From Outside the Camp

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

Cindy Scarr recounts her experiences as a young camper feeling out of place at Camp Bais Yaakov, where cultural and geographical differences initially highlighted her outsider status.

0 Communities Jewish Law

The Moment: Issue 1074

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

Shmuel Mashiach, a Chicago businessman, offered $1,000 to teens he met at Ben Gurion Airport if they kept Shabbos for four weeks on their return to the U.S., hoping to inspire them to embrace the practice after experiencing it in Israel.

0 Communities Culture

Color War and Peace

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

Summer camps have legendary tales, particularly the 'color wars' that inject friendly competition into camp life.

0 Communities Leadership

This small, stubborn Appalachian synagogue is defying the odds — and so is its new rabbi

Benyamin Cohen in Forward

Rabbi Adam Berman is set to lead Congregation Bnai Jacob, an Orthodox-turned-Conservative synagogue with deep roots in Charleston, West Virginia, defying the national trend of diminishing synagogues.

0 Communities Leadership

How Jewish camp models the leadership our communities need

eJewishPhilanthropy

Jewish camps have proven to be pivotal in fostering leadership and community resilience among young people.

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.

Food ›

0 Food Culture

Dinner Diaries: Homemade but Not (Always) Healthy

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

Adina Levy, a London-based high school food and nutrition teacher, shares her approach to home cooking, emphasizing homemade meals even if they're not always the healthiest options.

0 Food Culture

Persian Spinach and Yogurt Dip

Leah Koenig in Jewish Table

Leah Koenig revisits her newsletter column, "Adventures in Cooking My Cookbook Collection," by featuring a Persian Spinach Dip recipe from the late Gil Marks' cookbook, "Olive Trees and Honey."

Science ›

0 Science Jewish Law

A Leap into the Lab

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

This gripping story shares the incredible journey of the Landsman family, who fought tirelessly to get FDA approval for an experimental gene therapy to treat their sons' rare Canavan disease.

Ethics ›

0 Ethics Jewish Law

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha

Rebbetzin Shira Smiles, Rebbetzin Debbie Greenblatt, and Mrs. Shira Hochheimer explore the concept of chesed (kindness) through the lens of the Biblical widow of Tzarfas, highlighting her as an exemplar of generosity despite personal hardship.

Literature ›

0 Literature Antisemitism

The Thing That Broke the Sabbath

Francisco J. Bernal in Future of Jewish

Francisco J. Bernal's essay "The Thing That Broke the Sabbath" creatively explores the tragic events of October 7, 2023, through a literary style inspired by Jorge Luis Borges.

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.

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.

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.