for Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Leadership ›

At Abraham Foxman’s funeral, an elegy for the last generation with direct ties to the Holocaust

Andrew Silow-Carroll in Forward

Mourners recently gathered to bid farewell to Abraham Foxman, a towering figure in Jewish communal leadership and a Holocaust survivor, who passed away at age 86.

0 Leadership Communities

UJA-Federation of NY taps Jewish day school leader Michael Kay as its next CEO

JTA

Michael Kay, head of Westchester County's Leffell School, has been appointed CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York.

0 Leadership Antisemitism

An Ode To Abe: World Figure And Down-To-Earth Mensch

Gary Rosenblatt in Between The Lines

Abraham Foxman, highlighted for his passionate and personal approach to combating antisemitism, is remembered as a pivotal American Jewish leader over the past five decades.

0 Leadership Education

UJA-Federation of New York taps Leffell School’s Michael Kay to serve as next CEO

Nira Dayanim in Jewish Insider

Michael Kay, currently head of the Leffell School in New York, has been appointed as the next CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York, succeeding Eric Goldstein.

Politics ›

0 Politics Gender/Identity

Israeli report on ‘systematic’ Oct. 7 sexual violence seeks to shift debate from denial to accountability

Deborah Danan in Forward

The new Israeli report by the Civil Commission on Oct. 7 Crimes presents exhaustive documentation of sexual violence as a deliberate strategy during the Hamas-led attacks, aiming to shift the debate from denial to accountability.

0 Politics Israel

Strange Trip

Lee Smith in Tablet

The article "Strange Trip" by Lee Smith explores the geopolitical complexities surrounding President Donald Trump's stance on Iran amidst tensions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

0 Politics Jewish Law

Mamdani supersizes NYC hate crimes office, as tensions simmer over synagogue protests

Jacob Kornbluh in Forward

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a substantial increase in the city's budget for the prevention of hate crimes, in response to rising antisemitic incidents and community tensions, particularly in Brooklyn's Jewish neighborhoods.

0 Politics Ethics

United States vs. Southern Poverty Law Center: How this case could impact Jewish advocacy organizations

eJewishPhilanthropy

The federal case against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is being closely watched due to its potential implications for other advocacy organizations, including Jewish groups.

0 Politics Education

Debating Zionism is fair. Protesting Israel's president at commencement crosses the line

Menachem Creditor in Forward

Rabbi Menachem Creditor challenges the appropriateness of protesting Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s presence as a commencement speaker at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS).

0 Politics Communities

As protesters swarm Brooklyn Israeli real estate expo, attendees say support mattered more than sales

Grace Gilson in JTA

The Israeli real estate event held at Young Israel of Midwood in Brooklyn was marked by significant pro-Palestinian protests, illustrating the ongoing tensions surrounding Israeli settlements and support for Israel in the West Bank.

0 Politics Israel

EU sanctions Israeli settlers after Hungary, under new leadership, clears path

Shira Li Bartov in JTA

The European Union has moved forward with sanctions against Israeli settlers responsible for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

0 Politics Israel

Everything You Need to Know About Israel's Nuclear Deterrent

Nachum Kaplan in Future of Jewish

Israel's nuclear deterrent, although never publicly admitted, is a strategic cornerstone that influences regional and international dynamics.

0 Politics Ethics

Three simple rules for navigating a new season of protest against Israel

Elliot Cosgrove in Forward

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove reflects on the complex ethics surrounding protests against Israel, particularly in light of recent incidents in the U.S.

0 Politics Antisemitism

Alleging conflicts, California judge boots Jewish DA from trying Stanford pro-Palestinian protesters

Niva Ashkenazi in Forward

A California judge has disqualified Jewish District Attorney Jeff Rosen from retrying a case against five pro-Palestinian protesters accused of vandalizing Stanford University's president's office, after Rosen cited anti-Semitism in a campaign message.

0 Politics Israel

Race to replace Pelosi offers early test of whether progressive Jews welcomed on the left

Gabe Stutman in Jewish Insider

In the race to replace Nancy Pelosi, California State Senator Scott Wiener faces a challenging political landscape as a progressive Jew who is critical of Israel yet pressured by the far left for not denouncing Israeli actions strongly enough.

0 Politics Israel

The American Left is becoming Iran’s defense attorney.

Bob Goldberg in Future of Jewish

In a charged critique, Bob Goldberg examines the stance of certain U.S. Democratic Party members, particularly those pressing for U.S. public acknowledgment of Israel's nuclear capabilities, amidst Iran's undisclosed nuclear activities and military provocations.

0 Politics Antisemitism

Hochul makes play for Orthodox voters with tuition relief and synagogue buffer zones

Jacob Kornbluh in Forward

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is proactively seeking support from Orthodox Jewish voters in her reelection campaign by advocating for tuition relief for yeshivas and proposing stronger legislation to combat antisemitism.

Antisemitism ›

0 Antisemitism Politics

America’s Conspiratorial Consensus

Izabella Tabarovsky in Tablet

The rise of conspiracist anti-Zionism in America marks a troubling convergence of ideologies that transcends traditional left-right political divides.

0 Antisemitism Culture

Netflix's hate speech policy excludes Jews.

Future of Jewish

The article critiques Netflix's lack of sensitivity towards Jewish issues in its hate speech policy, as demonstrated during "The Roast of Kevin Hart."

Music ›

0 Music Jewish Law

The History Behind the Celine Dion Song Based on a Very Jewish Book

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller

Canadian singer Celine Dion's song "La Mémoire d'Abraham" from her 1995 album "Deux" features unexpected Jewish themes, rooted in the lyrics of French Jewish songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman.

Science ›

0 Science Culture

How Joanna Stern gets it done — with some help from AI

Dan Friedman in Forward

Joanna Stern, a tech journalist, shares her experiences of living a year where AI heavily influenced her daily life in her new book, "I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything."

History ›

0 History Culture

The Litterateur and the Cultural Zionist: a WWI Footnote

Allan Arkush in Jewish Review of Books

Georg Morris Cohen Brandes, a notable Danish literary critic, unexpectedly intersects with Jewish history through his writings on the plight of Eastern European Jews during World War I. Brandes, often criticized by Jewish thinkers such as Ahad Ha'am for his disconnection from Jewish culture, employed his platform to criticize the antisemitic actions of Polish and Russian forces against Jews in war-torn regions.

Food ›

0 Food Culture

Are You Ready for the Bagel Revolution?

Leah Koenig in Jewish Table

Bagels, long a staple of Jewish-American food culture, are undergoing a transformation as they inspire a new wave of culinary creativity across the U.S.

Culture ›

0 Culture Gender/Identity

I won’t hide my Judaism to belong to the punk scene I love

Sara Lim in JTA

In this personal narrative, Sara Lim explores the intersection between Judaism and punk rock culture, drawing on her experiences in the New Jersey punk scene.

0 Culture History

A British spy, a notorious murderer, the Indiana Jones of the insect world, and a very Jewish history

Barbara Brotman in Forward

Author Joel Greenberg explores the adventurous lives of Jewish naturalists and environmentalists who defy the stereotype of Jews as strictly urban intellectuals.

0 Culture History

The Man Who Haunted My Bookstore

J.C. Halper in Tablet

J.C. Halper narrates a gripping tale about a mysterious, menacing figure from his past who unexpectedly reappears in his Jerusalem bookstore.

Communities ›

0 Communities Education

Getting messy on purpose: How Jewish teen programming can serve as a respite from achievement culture

eJewishPhilanthropy

Amidst the pressures of modern achievement culture, Jewish teen programs are reconceptualizing their approach to engagement.

Education ›

0 Education Politics

Don’t walk away from the table

eJewishPhilanthropy

Recent actions by Jewish donors to withdraw financial support from elite universities in response to perceived anti-Israel sentiments have sparked debate within the community.

Ethics ›

0 Ethics Politics

Cavemen of Different Kinds

Natan Slifkin in Rationalist Judaism

Natan Slifkin reflects on the dangers of tribalism and the tendency to view issues through a binary lens of pro- and anti-Torah, or friend versus enemy, through the lens of issues like evolution and current events in Israel.

Philosophy ›

0 Philosophy Jewish Law

Rabbi Lamm, Aliens, and Imitating God in the Age of AI

Max Hollander in Lehrhaus

Exploring the intersection of Jewish theology, extraterrestrial life, and artificial intelligence, Max Hollander examines Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm's 1965 essay on the theological implications of alien life.

JL;DR

for Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Leadership ›

Politics ›

Antisemitism ›

Music ›

Science ›

History ›

Food ›

Culture ›

Communities ›

Education ›

Ethics ›

Philosophy ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

May 13's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

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Leadership ›

Politics ›

Antisemitism ›

Music ›

Science ›

History ›

Food ›

Culture ›

Communities ›

Education ›

Ethics ›

Philosophy ›

Editors' Note

Top Topics in Jewish Media

May 13's Short Reads

Recent podcast episodes

for Wednesday, May 13, 2026