for Saturday, December 6, 2025

Language ›

0 Language Culture

Hebrew is the coolest language so many people don't know about.

Future of Jewish in Future of Jewish

Hebrew is more than just a language; it is an essential element of Jewish civilization and identity.

Politics ›

0 Politics Leadership

Trump’s new White House ballroom architect is a Jewish immigrant who has advocated for refugees

Philissa Cramer in Forward

Shalom Baranes, a renowned Jewish architect and immigrant from Libya, has been chosen to lead the construction of the new East Wing ballroom at the White House, a project initiated by President Donald Trump.

0 Politics Culture

Trump’s new White House ballroom architect is a Jewish immigrant who has advocated for refugees

Philissa Cramer in JTA

Shalom Baranes, a Jewish immigrant originally from Libya, has been chosen as the architect for President Donald Trump's White House East Wing project.

0 Politics Antisemitism

Eric Adams issues executive order barring BDS, throwing down gauntlet for successor Zohran Mamdani

Joseph Strauss in JTA

New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order prohibiting city officials from participating in actions against Israel, directly challenging his successor, Zohran Mamdani, who supports the BDS movement.

0 Politics Israel

Sen. Van Hollen draws criticism after calling local Jewish leader an ‘apologist for the Netanyahu government’

Grace Gilson in JTA

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has sparked controversy by accusing Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, of being an apologist for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

0 Politics Culture

Ireland, Spain, Netherlands announce boycott of Eurovision following failed effort to oust Israel

Grace Gilson in JTA

Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia have announced a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest due to the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) decision to allow Israel's participation.

0 Politics Israel

Israel has a crucial lesson to learn from apartheid South Africa. It isn't what you think

Libby Lenkinski in Forward

Drawing parallels with historical shifts in South Africa and Serbia, Libby Lenkinski emphasizes the need for Israel to develop a clear political vision to effectively tackle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Culture ›

0 Culture History

It’s time to reconsider what we know about Jewish birthing rituals

Olivia Haynie in Forward

The "First Light: Birth in the Jewish Tradition" exhibition at the Museum at Eldridge Street explores Jewish birthing customs, featuring works by artists like Tobi Kahn and Mark Podwal alongside historic ritual objects.

0 Culture Literature

My favorite Christmas scene in literature — and why it makes me feel so Jewish

Talya Zax in Forward

Talya Zax reflects on how a scene from Louisa May Alcott's lesser-known novel, "Eight Cousins," despite its Christian context, evokes the familial warmth and chaos she associates with her Jewish upbringing.

Food ›

0 Food Holidays

Where to get sufganiyot in NYC for Hanukkah 2025

Jackie Hajdenberg in JTA

With Hanukkah approaching, New Yorkers have a plethora of options for indulging in sufganiyot, the traditional fried doughnuts commemorating the holiday's miracle.

Antisemitism ›

0 Antisemitism Politics

Americans are waking up to right-wing antisemitism. We're still ignoring the root problem

Elad Nehorai in Forward

Elad Nehorai discusses how the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. is driven more by a digital network that amplifies the far-right's messages than by individual extremists like Nick Fuentes.

0 Antisemitism Politics

An Unsatisfying Response from the Vice-President

Emes Ve-Emunah

The article critiques Vice-President JD Vance's response to the rise of antisemitism within the Republican Party, particularly among its younger members who are influenced by figures like far-right Nick Fuentes and previously esteemed figures such as Tucker Carlson.

0 Antisemitism Communities

Synagogue protests have shocked NYC and LA. This Michigan congregation has faced them for 22 years

Hannah Feuer in Forward

For over two decades, Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has faced persistent anti-Israel and antisemitic protests spearheaded by former congregant Henry Herskovitz.

Holocaust ›

0 Holocaust History

A lackluster exhibit gives short shrift to Claude Lanzmann’s legacy — and to the Shoah’s victims

Dan Friedman in Forward

The exhibition "The Recordings: Voices from the Shoah Tapes" at The New York Historical, intended to commemorate Claude Lanzmann's legacy, disappoints by failing to capture the gravity and scope of the Holocaust.

0 Holocaust History

The moral imperative of a name: Yad Vashem documents five million Holocaust victims

Yad Vashem in Forward

Yad Vashem has reached a significant milestone by recovering the names of five million Holocaust victims, an effort aimed at restoring the dignity stripped by the Nazis and transforming empty statistics into real lives and stories.

History ›

0 History Holocaust

The Muslim Who Saved 250,000 Jews

Jewdicious

Sultan Mohammed V of Morocco played a crucial role in protecting the Jewish community during World War II by resisting Vichy France's attempts to implement Nazi racial laws in Morocco.

0 History Politics

The last time Jews invited an empire into Israel, we lost everything.

Joshua Namm in Future of Jewish

In this reflective essay, Joshua Namm draws parallels between historical events from the Hasmonean period and current geopolitical dynamics involving Israel and the United States.

Jewish Law ›

0 Jewish Law Leadership

The hidden cantor: Why members of our clergy are missing from the picture

eJewishPhilanthropy

Cantor Vladimir Lapin addresses the persistent oversight of cantors within Jewish clerical frameworks, highlighting their essential, yet often unrecognized, role in spiritual and communal leadership.

Israel ›

0 Israel Politics

Jewish New Yorkers rally outside Park East Synagogue, 2 weeks after anti-Israel protest there

Joseph Strauss in JTA

Hundreds of Jewish New Yorkers gathered outside Park East Synagogue to rally in response to an earlier anti-Israel protest that featured controversial chants.

Leadership ›

0 Leadership Politics

A Mandarin-speaking Hasidic Jew walks into Washington…

Gabby Deutch in Jewish Insider

Mitchell Silk, also known as Moyshe, made history as the first Hasidic Jew to hold a Senate-confirmed position, serving as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for international markets during the Trump administration.

0 Leadership Gender/Identity

Atra study’s data point on LGBTQ+ rabbinical students is a cause for celebration and hope — and a charge

eJewishPhilanthropy

A recent Atra report highlights that over half of students in non-Orthodox rabbinical programs identify as LGBTQ+, a statistic that both celebrates the progress in Jewish inclusivity and underlines the work still needed.

Music ›

0 Music Culture

New CD of Yiddish children’s songs by composer David Botwinik

Deborah Strauss in Forward

A new CD of Yiddish children's songs titled "Zumer iz shoyn vider do" celebrates the legacy of the late David Botwinik, a Vilna-born composer who passed away in 2022 at the age of 101.

Ethics ›

0 Ethics Politics

Israel’s wars reignite Judaism’s oldest argument.

Nachum Kaplan in Future of Jewish

Nachum Kaplan's essay explores the enduring ethical tension within Judaism between power and morality, particularly in the context of Israel's conflicts with groups like Hamas.

Literature ›

0 Literature Holocaust

‘Hostage’ Memoir May Well Become A Classic

Gary Rosenblatt in Between The Lines

Eli Sharabi's memoir, "Hostage," has quickly achieved best-seller status in Israel and is now drawing international acclaim as a moving testament to his harrowing experience as a captive of Hamas for 491 days.

JL;DR

for Saturday, December 6, 2025

Language ›

Politics ›

Culture ›

Food ›

Antisemitism ›

Holocaust ›

History ›

Jewish Law ›

Israel ›

Leadership ›

Music ›

Ethics ›

Literature ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

December 6's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

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Language ›

Politics ›

Culture ›

Food ›

Antisemitism ›

Holocaust ›

History ›

Jewish Law ›

Israel ›

Leadership ›

Music ›

Ethics ›

Literature ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

December 6's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

for Saturday, December 6, 2025