JL;DR

Daily Podcasts Video Research

for Monday, October 20, 2025

Ethics ›

0 Ethics Holocaust

We cannot forget the fallen

eJewishPhilanthropy

The emotional plea highlights the ongoing struggle of families whose loved ones, taken as hostages, remain unreturned after their deaths in Gaza.

Leadership ›

0 Leadership Communities

Turning the page

eJewishPhilanthropy

Mark S. Charendoff of the Maimonides Fund outlines the critical challenges facing American Jews and Israel in the wake of recent turmoil in Gaza.

Jewish Law ›

0 Jewish Law Politics

The Starvation of Gaza: A Halakhic Argument

David Polsky in Lehrhaus

David Polsky explores the contentious issue of whether Israel should block humanitarian aid to Gaza in response to hostage situations, assessing it through the lens of Halakhah.

Music ›

0 Music Culture

Taylor Swift’s Hollow Gematria

Arye Dworken in Tablet

In a critical examination of Taylor Swift's marketing tactics, Arye Dworken highlights how Swift's use of numerology and so-called 'Easter egg' hunting has created a fan culture focused more on decoding hidden messages than on evaluating the substance of her music.

Politics ›

0 Politics History

Macron Occupies a Jewish Family Home in Baghdad

Alexander Kippen in Tablet

The French government occupies a property in Baghdad originally owned by a Jewish family, the Lawees, who fled Iraq amid anti-Jewish violence in the mid-20th century.

0 Politics Israel

Tom Suozzi finds comfort zone in the political middle, speaking up for Israel

Marc Rod in Jewish Insider

Representative Tom Suozzi, a moderate Democrat from New York, emphasizes the importance of maintaining bipartisan support for Israel, a stance that sets him apart from some in his party.

0 Politics Communities

At a synagogue meeting about how to beat Mamdani, Sliwa faces calls to exit NYC mayor’s race

Joseph Strauss in JTA

In a gathering at Fifth Avenue Synagogue, members discussed strategies to defeat Zohran Mamdani's candidacy for New York City mayor.

0 Politics History

They don't hate Israel. They hate losing.

Joshua Hoffman in Future of Jewish

The article by Joshua Hoffman explores the psychological underpinnings of the global anti-Zionist movement, asserting that it is less about opposing Israel's policies and more about a psychological response to the humiliation of losing.

0 Politics Communities

It's time for the pro-Palestinian movement to make a radical change

Dany Bahar in Forward

Dany Bahar argues for a transformative shift in the approach of the pro-Palestinian movement, urging activists to focus not just on divestment from Israel but on substantial investment in rebuilding Gaza.

0 Politics History

The Gaza genocide narrative won’t age well.

Ben Koan in Future of Jewish

Ben Koan presents a critique of the narrative that the Gaza conflict has permanently damaged Israel's reputation and the West's moral standing.

Torah ›

0 Torah Education

The Case for Reading the Parsha Twice Each Week

Rivka Bennun Kay in 18forty

Rivka Bennun Kay's article explores the practice of Shnayim Mikra, the tradition of reading the weekly Torah portion twice along with the translation once, highlighting its significance in Jewish spiritual and communal life.

0 Torah Philosophy

A Tale of Two Rages: God Confronts Cain and Jonah

Dan Ornstein in Lehrhaus

Dan Ornstein's analysis explores the Tanakh's portrayal of divine rage through a comparative lens of the narratives of Cain and Jonah.

Art ›

0 Art Education

The Ultimate Noah's Ark

Natan Slifkin in Rationalist Judaism

Natan Slifkin highlights the development of the Noah's Ark exhibit at the Biblical Museum of Natural History, turning it into an elaborate display featuring artistic models from around the world.