for Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Politics ›

0 Politics Israel

Trump’s Syria strategy tested amid resurgence of ISIS in Damascus

Matthew Shea in Jewish Insider

The article discusses President Donald Trump's efforts to stabilize post-Assad Syria by normalizing relations with the new Syrian government under President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

0 Politics Israel

Netanyahu’s nominee to lead Mossad is his close advisor and an IDF general who fought the system

Lahav Harkov in Jewish Insider

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nomination of Maj.

0 Politics Israel

Pentagon plan to reorganize military could undermine U.S.-Israel security, experts warn

Matthew Shea in Jewish Insider

The Pentagon's proposed reorganization plan under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth aims to consolidate U.S. military commands, potentially reallocating resources from the Middle East and integrating Central Command (CENTCOM) into a larger U.S. International Command.

0 Politics Antisemitism

'Anti-Zionism' has become the most acceptable form of hate.

Andrea Tovah in Future of Jewish

Andrea Tovah, a social worker and clinician, discusses the prevalence of anti-Zionism as a mainstream form of hate, arguing that it has become an accepted ideology that targets Jews and Israelis.

0 Politics Culture

The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre

Natan Slifkin in Rationalist Judaism

Natan Slifkin reflects on a tense protest outside an event opposing special IDF programs for charedim.

0 Politics Communities

Jews mobilized for Darfur 20 years ago. As violence surges again, where are they now?

Andrew Lapin in JTA

In the mid-2000s, the American Jewish community was deeply involved in advocating against the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, often drawing parallels to the Holocaust and invoking the principle of 'Never Again.'

0 Politics Communities

Don’t Ban “Globalize the Intifada”

Ken Silverman in The Beinart Notebook

Ken Silverman discusses the implications of potentially banning the phrase "globalize the intifada" in Australia following a massacre in Sydney.

0 Politics Culture

Why I refuse to choose between Jewish peoplehood and Jewish red lines this Hanukkah

eJewishPhilanthropy

The article discusses the tension between advocating for Jewish peoplehood, promoting unity, and establishing boundaries within the Jewish community, especially concerning Zionism and internal conflicts.

0 Politics Communities

Texas Jewish voters alarmed by James Talarico’s Israel rhetoric

Marc Rod in Jewish Insider

In Texas, Jewish leaders express unease with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's rhetoric on Israel, fearing it could alienate local Jewish voters.

Culture ›

0 Culture Gender/Identity

Seven Feminist Pop Culture Highlights of 2025

Helene Meyers in Lilith

Helene Meyers highlights seven feminist cultural contributions of 2025 that inspire and support resilience amidst ongoing societal upheaval.

0 Culture Antisemitism

How Celebrities Celebrated Hanukkah 2025

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

Jewish celebrities and their loved ones celebrated Hanukkah 2025 by expressing their Jewish pride and connection amidst global challenges, particularly in light of a tragic attack at Bondi Beach.

0 Culture History

When a Jewish paperboy played Santa — and the journalist who never forgot him

Robin Washington in Forward

Robin Washington recounts a touching childhood memory from 1967 when he, then a 10-year-old Jewish paperboy, encountered reporter Leonard Fisher on a cold Chicago night.

0 Culture Communities

Online Dating Needs a Time Machine

Jewdicious

Tammy Salis recounts her personal love story with her husband, contrasting it with the contemporary dating challenges faced by her adult children.

Antisemitism ›

0 Antisemitism Education

Pennsylvania principal to be fired over antisemitic voicemail: ‘They control the banks’

Grace Gilson in Forward

Philip Leddy, a Pennsylvania elementary school principal, is facing termination after making antisemitic comments in a voicemail to a Jewish parent.

0 Antisemitism Politics

Bondi gunmen condemned ‘Zionist’ actions prior to attack and threw bombs that failed to detonate, police say

Grace Gilson in JTA

The Bondi Beach attack involved two gunmen, Naveed and Sajid Akram, who opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, resulting in 15 deaths.

0 Antisemitism History

America, Antisemitism, and J.D. Vance

Emes Ve-Emunah

This reflective piece discusses the historically positive integration of Jewish communities in America, influenced by the nation's founding principles and the embrace from figures like George Washington.

0 Antisemitism Politics

Tucker Carlson named ‘Antisemite of the Year’ as 2024 winner Candace Owens ramps up anti-Jewish rhetoric

Philissa Cramer in JTA

Tucker Carlson has been named "Antisemite of the Year" by the activist group StopAntisemitism, citing his mainstreaming of antisemitic stereotypes through his platforms.

0 Antisemitism Leadership

AJC CEO calls for Jewish organizations to unify over communal security

Marc Rod in Jewish Insider

Following a deadly terrorist attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney, American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch urges Jewish organizations to unify for global security efforts.

Communities ›

0 Communities History

Warsaw Jewish cemetery director fired amid clash over who controls the preservation of Poland’s Jewish past

Shira Li Bartov in JTA

Witold Wrzosinski, director of Warsaw's Jewish cemetery, has been dismissed amidst a controversy over the control of restoration projects, which he claims often exclude local Jewish input.

0 Communities Culture

Club Midwood

Rina Shamilov in New Voices

In "Club Midwood," Rina Shamilov reflects on her childhood in a multicultural apartment building in the heart of Jewish Brooklyn.

0 Communities Culture

A new organization aims to combat antisemitism and spread Jewish joy in New York’s theater industry

Cara Joy David in JTA

Seth Rudetsky, a prominent figure in New York's theater scene, co-founded the Jewish Broadway Alliance (JBA) to combat antisemitism and foster Jewish pride within the theater industry.

0 Communities Jewish Law

Listening, witnessing and sharing the light: An approach to interfaith partnership

eJewishPhilanthropy

Rabbi Jay Stein reflects on how an initially reluctant participation in an interfaith clergy trip to Israel three years ago transformed his approach to religious leadership and community engagement.

0 Communities Holidays

Lighting up Washington: Rabbi Levi Shemtov brings Hanukkah to the halls of power

Gabby Deutch in Jewish Insider

Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), plays a pivotal role in Washington D.C.'s Hanukkah celebrations by bringing the festival's light and message to both Republican and Democratic circles, including the White House, Capitol Hill, and various government institutions.

Holocaust ›

0 Holocaust Television/Film

Righteous gentiles in the Holocaust were no 'ordinary thing'

Simi Horwitz in Forward

"This Ordinary Thing," a documentary by Nick Davis, highlights the often-overlooked bravery of non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jewish people during the Holocaust.

0 Holocaust History

My childhood echoes in newly released Shoah recordings

Louise Mirrer in Forward

The newly released Shoah recordings by Claude Lanzmann, featured in exhibitions at the Jewish Museum Berlin and The New York Historical in New York, capture the voices of Holocaust perpetrators and survivors, providing a poignant reminder of the Holocaust's horrors.

Jewish Law ›

0 Jewish Law Culture

How Does Halacha View Non-Jewish Holidays?

Michael J. Broyde in 18forty

The article explores how Jewish law (halacha) navigates the complexities of responding to non-Jewish holidays, particularly those that have evolved from religious to secular contexts.

Israel ›

0 Israel Jewish Law

Zionism can no longer be treated as optional.

Ariel Beery in Future of Jewish

Ariel Beery argues that Zionism is not a separate ideology but is now integral to contemporary Judaism, akin to past evolutions within the Jewish faith.

Torah ›

0 Torah Israel

What Avram and Sarai Taught the World Zionist Congress: An Orthographic Exploration of Parashat Lech Lecha

Gabriel Slamovits in Lehrhaus

The article by Gabriel Slamovits explores an intriguing orthographic aspect of Parashat Lech Lecha, focusing on the presence of a dotted yud in Bereishit 16:5, a unique feature in the Torah that has significant grammatical and interpretive implications.

History ›

0 History Culture

A Brief History of Judaism, for the Confused

Joshua Hoffman in Future of Jewish

Exploring the complexities of Jewish history, Joshua Hoffman's article serves as a primer for understanding the roots and evolution of Judaism.

JL;DR

for Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Politics ›

Culture ›

Antisemitism ›

Communities ›

Holocaust ›

Jewish Law ›

Israel ›

Torah ›

History ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

December 23's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

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Politics ›

Culture ›

Antisemitism ›

Communities ›

Holocaust ›

Jewish Law ›

Israel ›

Torah ›

History ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

December 23's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

for Tuesday, December 23, 2025