JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT. |
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WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION |
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In this edition: Jared and Ivanka’s million-dollar gift to Chabad, Biden’s final White House Hanukkah party, an Israeli actress is playing Jesus' mom on Netflix, and how to talk about Thanksgiving in Yiddish. |
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Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Jan. 2020. (Getty) |
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Opportunity for peace?
President-elect Donald Trump has promised peace in the Middle East during his second term. A plan he came up with during his first term may provide a blueprint. Our senior political reporter, Jacob Kornbluh, looks back at that 2020 proposal, what’s changed since, how Trump’s new team could help or hurt its rollout and whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be on board. Go deeper ►
Opinion | Like many on the left, Ruth Messinger is grieving the election results. Jewish tradition teaches that after sitting shiva, she writes, “mourners are meant to get up and walk around the block, a cathartic reentry into the world.” So she offers others worried about a second Trump presidency four steps for a path forward. Read her essay ►
Plus: Boris Epshteyn, a senior adviser to Trump since 2016, is accused of asking for money from people hoping to secure jobs in the new administration (NY Times), and how a George Soros protege got tapped for Treasury Secretary despite Trump's vilification of Soros (Forward).
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Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon takes questions from reporters Monday at the U.N. (Getty) |
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The latest… Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to convene a meeting with his security cabinet tonight to approve a 60-day truce with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia that has been firing rockets toward Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel. (Times of Israel)
Israeli officials hope that the ceasefire will isolate Hamas, and perhaps pave the way for a ceasefire deal in Gaza. (Times of Israel)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting with officials of the other G7 nations today in Rome to devise a unified response to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, Israel’s former defense minister. (Reuters)
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined Alan Dershowitz on a high-profile legal team to defend Netanyahu after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him. (NY Post, Wall Street Journal)
Yona Betzalel Brief, an IDF soldier injured during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, has succumbed to his wounds. He was 23. (Jerusalem Post)
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The Israeli government will no longer advertise in Haaretz and will cancel subscriptions for state employees. (Getty) |
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Opinion | The Israeli government’s new boycott of Haaretz, an internationally respected news outlet, is straight out of the authoritarian playbook, writes Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists. “Information is a weapon in war,” she argues. “It is at its most effective when those in power control the means of transmission absolutely. Only with the existence of a free, independent and pluralistic media can the public be assured that they are getting the fullest possible picture. Without it, we are all less safe — and less free.” Read her essay ► |
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A mourner attends the funeral of Rabbi Zvi Kogan on Monday in Israel. (Getty) |
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Thousands gathered in Israel Monday night for the funeral of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, who was murdered in the United Arab Emirates over the weekend. In his eulogy, Rabbi Levi Duchman said the Chabad movement would name a new center in the U.A.E. after Kogan, and that three babies had already been named in his honor. Watch it here ►
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump announced Monday a $1 million donation to the Chabad in the U.A.E. Kushner’s work on the Abraham Accords during the first Trump administration paved the way for the group to operate in the country. Read the story ►
Plus… Experts say the murder could end up strengthening ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors, particularly the U.A.E. (JTA)
At the headquarters of Chabad in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, members said they were inspired by Kogan’s dedication and remain committed to the movement’s outreach mission. (NY Jewish Week)
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Our columnist Rob Eshman and a turkey named Justice at the Gentle Barn animal sanctuary. (Courtesy) |
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Talking turkey
Opinion | “I’ve cooked turkeys. I’ve eaten turkeys. But not until this year did I drop to my knees and hug a turkey,” writes our senior columnist and resident foodie, Rob Eshman. He traveled to the Gentle Barn, a California animal sanctuary run by a formerly Orthodox Jew who wrote a book called Cow Hug Therapy. Oh, and he also met a pig named Menorah. Read his essay ►
President Joe Biden pardoned two turkeys, Peach and Blossom, on Monday. What do rabbis say about the 77-year-old White House tradition of forgiving fowl? Read the story ►
Plus… An Israeli actress is portraying Mary, the mother of Jesus, in a new Netflix movie — sparking outrage from fans who wanted a Palestinian in the role.
Los Angeles was once home to a vibrant Yiddish literary scene. A new generation is intent on making it a center of Yiddish culture once again.
One of our most-read stories yesterday: A new Bible-infused curriculum for Texas public schools could lead to a serious misunderstanding of Jews and Judaism, Caryn Tamber-Rosenau, a biblical scholar in Houston, writes in a new opinion essay.
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WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY |
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Students attend a pro-Palestinian rally at the University of Southern California in April. (Getty) |
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On campus…
📉 Universities say that stricter regulations on campus have led to far fewer protests on campus and a huge drop in arrests at them: 50 so far this semester, compared to 3,100 in the spring. (NY Times)
🇮🇱 The student government at Clark University in Massachusetts voted to adopt measures boycotting Israel. Students clubs will no longer be allowed to buy products from Amazon because Israel uses its technology services. (Algemeiner, The Scarlet)
And elsewhere…
⚖️ A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to charges of threatening to bomb synagogues and kill Jews in voicemails left at two synagogues in January 2024. He also admitted to making 98 harassing calls to the Israeli consulate in Boston. (Dept. of Justice)
🇷🇴 A far-right politician who praised Nazi collaborators won the first round of Romania’s presidential election. (JTA)
☕ A Canadian coffee chain cut ties with one of its franchise owners after he was seen giving the Nazi salute and talking about the “Final Solution” at an anti-Israel rally in Montreal. (Times of Israel)
🕎 President Joe Biden will host his final White House Hanukkah reception on Monday, Dec. 16. A free Forward tote bag to anyone willing to bring me as their plus one! (X)
Transitions ► After 10 years, Aliza Klein is stepping down as CEO of OneTable, a nonprofit that helps organize Shabbat dinners.
What else we’re reading… Real life Mrs. Maisel? New book explores the life of America’s first Jewish female stand-up comedian (Times of Israel)
Finding the best of America in small-town Jewish communities (JTA)
Bernie Marcus, the philanthropist and co-founder of Home Depot, thought there was no such thing as a stupid question (eJewishPhilanthropy)
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Watch: As you prep for your Thanksgiving feast — turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie — learn how to talk about the dishes in Yiddish, courtesy of our Rukhl Schaechter.
Plus: Your family is not going to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict around the Thanksgiving table. Here are some tips for productive conversation.
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Thanks to Jacob Kornbluh and Julie Moos for contributing to today’s newsletter, and to Jodi Rudoren for editing it. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at editorial@forward.com. |
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