WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION

U.S. believes Iranian missile strike on Israel is imminent, only two universities score “A” on new ADL campus report card, men behind tunnel melee at Chabad headquarters arraigned in court, a dog named Hitler gets an art installation, and take a peek at the Taylor Swift Haggadah.

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ISRAEL AT WAR

Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages during a rally Saturday in Tel Aviv. (Getty)

Hamas says it can't find 40 living hostages for ceasefire deal:Around 98 hostages were presumed to be alive. Nearly three dozen more hostages are believed to have been killed or died in captivity. Among those missing are the youngest hostages, Kfir, 1, and Ariel Bibas, 4, and their mother, Shiri. The other remaining captives range in age from 19 to 83. Hamas’ claim raised worries that more hostages are dead than previously thought. Read the story ➤

Jewish groups signal new interest in Gaza aid following Israel’s strike on World Central Kitchen workers: “Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are on the brink of famine,” said Daniel Sokatch of the New Israel Fund, which launched a fundraiser for Gaza aid on Wednesday. “We believe we have a moral obligation to help feed them.” He added: “Jewish memory and tradition demand that we provide food aid to innocents.” Read the story ➤

‘This is not your house’ | Anti-Israel protester disrupts Berkeley law dean’s backyard dinner, refuses to leave: What was meant to be a congratulatory spring dinner for around 60 graduating students at the home of UC Berkeley’s law school dean turned confrontational when a pro-Palestinian activist stood up with a microphone and began making a speech. Read the story ➤

A girl sits in a swing Wednesday in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. (Getty)

The latest…

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday that Israel will open a new land crossing and “‘flood Gaza with aid.” About 500 aid trucks are expected to cross through daily.

The U.S. believes an Iranian missile strike on Israel is imminent: It’s a matter of when, not if, said one official.

German airline Lufthansa said it temporarily suspended flights to Tehran due to security and safety concerns.

Canadian families whose relatives were murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7 sued to block the government’s plan to reinstate funding to UNRWA, the U.N. group that provides aid to Palestinians and had some staff members accused of helping Hamas.

Indonesia is ready to normalize ties with Israel as part of a deal to smooth the entry of the world’s most populous Muslim nation into a global forum for developed countries.

Brandeis was one of only two schools to score an “A” on a new ADL campus report card. (Wikimedia)

On campus…

Only two U.S. universities — Brandeis and Elon — earned a top grade, an “A” for being “Jew-friendly” in a new ranking from the Anti-Defamation League released Thursday. With the sole exception of Dartmouth, all Ivy League schools earned a “D” or a failing “F” grade.

Ten Jewish students filed a lawsuit against The Cooper Union for allegedly failing to protect them and their classmates from antisemitism. The complaint stems from an Oct. 25 incident in which the students were locked in the campus library as pro-Palestinian protesters marched nearby.

Several university leaders — including at Pomona, Columbia and Vanderbilt — began cracking down in recent weeks on anti-Israel disruptions on campus.

A former student at Cornell University pleaded guilty Wednesday to posting threatening statements against Jews on campus shortly after the start of the war in the fall. He faces up to five years in federal prison.

More than 1,000 academics worldwide, including two Nobel laureates, signed a petition calling for the United States to stop arming Israel. The two dozen Israeli professors on the list are now facing a backlash from their schools.

ALSO IN THE FORWARD

The teachings of Aaron David Gordon inspired followers, including these as seen in 1939. (Wikimedia)

Could a Jewish voice from a previous century be a prophet for our times? A new book tells the true story of Aaron David Gordon, dubbed the first Jewish environmentalist, who was also, a century ago, well ahead of his time on Arab-Jewish cooperation. “After being physically attacked by Arabs in 1909, Gordon resolved that the solution was not to answer in kind,” writes Benjamin Ivry in a review. “Judging all Arabs by things some may have done to Jewish settlers would be like antisemites finding justifications for despising all Jews.”

British cringe comedy Hapless arrives on American shores — but is it a Jewish show? Arriving on Peacock Wednesday, the sitcom about a reporter for a Jewish newspaper was briefly removed from a British airline’s inflight offerings after Oct. 7. But the show — which finds humor in Jewish-Muslim coalitions, Sephardic stuffed zucchini and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — is not just a Jewish show, according to its creator. As our PJ Grisar writes in his review of Season 2, “It is as fundamentally British as it is Jewish.”

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

A Jewish mother and an illustrator teamed up to create an unofficial Taylor Swift Haggadah. (JTA)

🎶 Swifties can now combine their love for the pop icon while celebrating Passover, thanks to the Unofficial Taylor Swift Haggadah. Yes, you read that right. (JTA)

⚒️ Thirteen young men were charged on Wednesday for their involvement in a January melee at the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Brooklyn. Some of them are accused of breaking through a wall between the sanctuary and a tunnel. (New York Times)

⛽ The organization representing Reform Judaism, America’s largest denomination, is pledging to divest from the fossil fuel industry as a response to the climate crisis. It is one of the highest-profile climate actions ever taken by a Jewish organization. (JTA)

🕍 Jews and non-Jews in Germany are rallying to the side of the Jewish community in Oldenburg after an attempted arson attack last week on its synagogue. (JTA)

😞 A Scottish politician apologized after his father, a former politician, shared a swastika inside a Star of David on social media. (LBC)

🐕 An Austrian artist’s latest installation hanging outside Vienna's renowned Burgtheater since Saturday has sparked controversy. Why? It includes 10 Nazi-like flags featuring an image of his late dog named Hitler. (Jewish Chronicle)

Mazel tov ➤ To Forward reporters Arno Rosenfeld and Louis Keene, who are finalists for the 2024 Deadline Club Awards.

Shiva call ➤ Trina Robbins, a creator and historian of comic books, died at 84.

What else we’re reading ➤ How a gravestone conservator is helping preserve a historic Jewish cemetery in Pennsylvania … Joe Lieberman lived life 110% to the end … Jewish and African American folk music traditions to entwine at the Brooklyn Fiddle Summit.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Criticizing President Biden’s efforts in Israel’s war with Hamas, former President Donald Trump said Wednesday, “Any Jewish person who votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined.” It is the second time this week that he’s made such comments. Here’s a rundown of every time he’s accused American Jews of disloyalty.

Thanks to PJ Grisar and Jacob Kornbluh for contributing to today’s newsletter, and to Beth Harpaz for editing it. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at editorial@forward.com.

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