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| Today's newsletter is sponsored by Other Israel Film Festival JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT. Give a tax-deductible donation Torah destroyed at GWU frat house, last Jew in Afghanistan is not who you think it is, Facebook's new name means 'dead' in Hebrew, praying at the World Series and more. THE WEEK AHEAD IN POLITICS Elections are happening across the country on Tuesday, a crucial budget vote will test the longevity of the new Israeli government and our senior political reporter, Jacob Kornbluh, got an early peek at the highly anticipated memoir from Huma Abedin. Here’s Jacob’s rundown of what he’s watching this week.
Races to keep an eye on...
Virginia: A competitive governor’s race is unfolding between the well-known Democratic nominee, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, and Glenn Youngkin, a first-time Republican candidate who has the backing of former President Donald Trump. Democrats accused Youngkin of engaging in antisemitic tactics. The race is in a dead heat, according to recent polls, and is seen as a test for Trump’s post-presidential power; a Youngkin win could discourage Democratic voters and embolden the GOP ahead of the 2022 midterm election.
New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy is hoping to become the first Democratic incumbent to win re-election in 44 years. Murphy, who has a 9-point lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, has earned the support of both progressive and Orthodox Jews.
New York City: Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee for mayor, is expected to win by a landslide in the heavily Democratic city over his Republican challenger, Curtis Sliwa. Sliwa failed to make a dent in Adams’ popularity among Orthodox voters, who favor Republicans in national elections.
Voters in the nation’s most Jewish city will also be choosing their representatives in New York’s 51-member City Council. A Forward survey this spring found that most of the candidates would continue council members’ tradition of traveling to Israel, despite growing criticism of Israel by candidates affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America.
Beyond the ballot box...
A conference in Puerto Rico will bring together New York lawmakers and activists later this week in what is billed as an opportunity to form alliances ahead of the January vote for City Council Speakerand 2022’s heated Democratic primary for governor. Israel’s new Consul General, Asaf Zamir, plans to attend, and the Met Council, the city’s largest Jewish charity, is hosting an event following Shabbat dinner at the local Chabad house.
The Israeli government is expected to face its most consequential test with a vote on the national budget. The coalition needs all of its 61 members to approve the budget in order to avoid another round of elections. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has promised to deal with the complicated issues once the coalition has stabilized, but the challenges will nonetheless only intensify.
ALSO IN THE FORWARD Excerpts: Reading Huma Abedin’s book through a Jewish lens: The Muslim-American wife of disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner recalls how the two argued about the Mideast conflict on their first date, over a grilled cheese sandwich and a glass of Coke … and trying to persuade supporters of Bernie Sanders that Hillary Clinton supported Palestinians … and being a distinct minority in a team of American Jews preparing for President Bill Clinton’s trip to Gaza in 1998 … and Weiner’s abstaining from pork and alcohol and even fasting for Ramadan during their marriage. Read the exclusive excerpts >
But wait, there’s more... After last night’s game, the Braves are up 3-2 in the World Series – and still doing the Tomahawk Chop, despite years of complaints from Native Americans that this popular crowd chant is offensive. Our Louis Keene talked to Atlanta rabbis about the chop – and some say it’s fine. A Cleveland suburb is trying to shut down an Orthodox synagogue for safety and zoning violations – including live wires hanging from the ceiling and no fire exits. Now the shul is suing the city. Facebook changed its name to Meta, which means “is dead” in Hebrew. “Our mission remains the same, it’s still about bringing people together,” Mark Zuckerberg said on announcing the change. Our PJ Grisar thought it sounded like a shiva. Last week, we reported that a Texas lawmaker is investigating 850 books taught in public schools, including one about the Holocaust. One of the list’s Jewish authors has a response to the politician: Bring it on.
A message from our sponsor: Other Israel Film Festival 15th Annual Other Israel Film Festival Nov 4 – 11 Virtual + In Person Don’t miss this year’s Other Israel Film Festival, providing an in-depth look into Israeli and Palestinian societies. For more info and tickets, visit otherisrael.org. MORE INFO + TICKETS
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY 😮 Vandals broke into a predominantly Jewish fraternity at George Washington University, tore apart its Torah scroll and covered it in laundry detergent. The rest of the house was doused with hot sauce. The incident occurred days after Hillel and the Anti-Defamation League released a survey showing a third of Jewish college students experienced antisemitism last year. (JTA)
🇦🇫 Turns out Zebulon Simentov, the last Jew in Afghanistan, may not have actually been the last Jew in Afghanistan. That distinction should probably go to Simentov’s distant cousin, Tova Moradi. She recently escaped the war-torn country and is now in Albania, where she saw some of her sisters for the first time in half a century. Meanwhile Zebulon, now at a hotel in Istanbul, is refusing to go to Israel as planned and says he will return to Afghanistan unless he is given $10 million, plus cash for a winter coat. (AP, Jewish Chronicle)
🌎 Rabbis in the U.S. and Israel called on President Biden and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to take the issue of climate change seriously, saying it is a matter of “pikuach nefesh,” the Jewish dictum for saving a life. Leaders from around the world are gathering in Scotland this week for the COP26 global climate summit. (JTA)
📺 Martin Lawrence will star in a new TV series based on the Israeli show “Nehama,” about a father of five who quits his tech job to become a stand-up comedian – then his wife suddenly dies. The original Hebrew version won two Israeli Emmy Awards. (Variety)
ON THE CALENDAR The cast of 'God of Vengeance' went on trial. On this day in history: Sholem Asch, a Yiddish playwright and novelist, was born on Nov. 1, 1880. One of his most famous plays is “God of Vengeance,” about a Jewish brothel owner who commissions the writing of a Torah scroll and marries his daughter to a yeshiva student. During a performance in 1923, the entire cast was arrested on obscenity charges. “This play libels the Jewish religion,” Rabbi Joseph Silberman said at the time. “Even the greatest antisemite could not have written such a thing.”
Also on this day, another playwright – maybe you’ve heard of him, William Shakespeare – debuted “Othello,” in 1604. Remarkably, on the exact same day in 1611, “The Tempest” was performed for the first time. So it’s a good day to brush up on the secret Jewish history of Shakespeare.
In honor of National Cinnamon Day, check out this recipe for cinnamon sugar snowflake cookies with rich and creamy cocoa.
Today, vaccinated foreigners will be allowed to enter Israel, the first time since the onset of the pandemic that large numbers of tourists will be welcomed into the country.
PHOTO OF THE DAY (Photo courtesy of Joey Wilson) Before last night’s World Series game between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros, a minyan of Jews gathered outside the stadium for impromptu afternoon prayers. Rabbi Adam Starr, a devoted fan of the team, invited others to stop by via Facebook. “It is not yet clear whether Max Fried will be joining us,” he said of the home team’s Jewish pitcher. (Houston won, 9-5.)
Thanks to Jacob Kornbluh for contributing to today’s newsletter. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at editorial@forward.com. Support Independent Jewish Journalism The Forward is a non-profit 501(c)3 so our journalism depends on support from readers like you. You can support our work today by donating or subscribing. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of US law.
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