JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.

WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION

Today: Israel proposes deal that could release all hostages, Doug Emhoff’s revealing interview, new movie about 1972 Munich Olympic massacre to get Oscar push, Ohio using taxpayers’ money for religious schools, and meet the rabbi running a porn empire.

ELECTION 2024

Former President Donald Trump visits a cryptocurrency-themed bar Wednesday in New York City. (Getty)

On the Trump trail…


► Former President Donald Trump is set to give back-to-back speeches to Jewish audiences today in Washington, D.C., about rising antisemitism and the war in Israel. This morning, our senior political reporter, Jacob Kornbluh, analyzes four themes Trump is likely to touch on. Read the story ►


► “I will end the chaos in the Middle East,” Trump said Wednesday night at a Long Island rally. “A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote to obliterate Israel — that’s what’s going to happen. Israel will not exist in two years.” Trump’s pro-Israel supporters take issue with his prediction of its potentially imminent demise.


► The Secret Service scoped out Gottlieb’s deli in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a kosher eatery frequented by Hasidim and where the proprietor speaks in Yiddish. It’s thought that Trump (or perhaps his running mate, Sen. JD Vance) will be stopping by this morning for some corned beef and kugel. Read the story ►

Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, and Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention last month in Chicago. (Getty)

Elsewhere in the campaign…


What’s your candidate’s position on Israel? Depends who you are


A Republican group is running a series of online ads calling Harris a “strong leader” and saying she’s “standing up for what’s right, supporting Israel.” The videos also show Doug Emhoff, wearing a kippah and visiting Oskar Schindler’s factory; an Israeli flag flashes in the background.

  • But this ad was not shown to Jewish audiences who may be excited about a Jewish first spouse; it was targeted to Arab Americans in Michigan. Harris’ campaign is now running ads, targeted to the same population, stating that she will “not be silent about human suffering in Gaza.”


  • Our digital culture reporter, Mira Fox, looks at how politicians up and down the ballot this election cycle are using new microtargeting tools to reach people with specific concerns and interests.

💰  It was a coming-home moment for Emhoff last night, as he spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of several hundred people in his native Brooklyn. Emhoff got one of the biggest applause in his 25-minute remarks at the fundraiser, which raised $500,000 for the Harris-Walz campaign, when he said, “I’m the first Jew ever to be in this role.”


🎧  Emhoff gave what is likely his longest solo interview (90 minutes!) in a podcast released Wednesday with political journalist John Heilemann. The two talked about the campaign, what Emhoff misses most from his law career and their favorite Gen-X bands.

ISRAEL AT WAR: DAY 349

A man holding a Hezbollah flag attends the funeral Wednesday of people killed after hundreds of pagers exploded in Lebanon. (Getty)

Up first ► Israel has brought a proposed deal to the table that could see the release of all the hostages, an end to the fighting in Gaza and safe passage out for Hamas’ Yahya Sinwar, according to Israeli media.


Israel’s prime minister and defense minister signaled Wednesday that they are shifting their focus from Gaza to Lebanon …


The latest on the pager attacks…

ALSO IN THE FORWARD

Solomon Friedman, a rabbi turned lawyer, now oversees compliance at Pornhub. (Getty)

Why a rabbi is overseeing Pornhub


Rabbi Solomon Friedman is trying to clean up internet porn from the inside by running one of the world’s most-trafficked porn sites. Which may not be as strange as you think.

  • Judaism is generally sex positive. Most Jewish texts about sex focus on understanding and regulating the act, not warning people of its dangers.


  • The Talmud has passages instructing husbands to have regular sex with their wives, emphasizing the importance of pleasure and encouraging experimentation.


  • Friedman is also a criminal defense lawyer and is working on tech challenges at the site, like how to digitally fingerprint videos or implement facial scans to ensure all the performers are consenting and of age.

Related: The antisemitic conspiracy behind the anti-porn movement


Plus…

  • Her relatives were killed by Nazis. Eight decades later, less than a mile from Auschwitz, she has found love.


  • Leonard Cohen’s birthday is Saturday. Here’s a ranking of the top 50 cover versions of his famous “Hallelujah” song. (Yes, the Shrek version is on the list.)

– From our Sponsors: Hadassah–

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

(Getty)

🔫  A man charged in what prosecutors say was a planned terror attack on a New York synagogue in 2022 pleaded guilty to gun possession Wednesday; he is expected to get 10 years in prison. (Forward)


🏫  Ohio is using taxpayer money to support private religious schools in building new facilities and expanding their campuses, a move that’s “nearly unprecedented in modern U.S. history.” (ProPublica)


🇩🇪  A German rabbinical seminary and cantorial program faces an uncertain future after it was rocked by scandal. Now it is launching outposts in Los Angeles and Jerusalem. (JTA)


🩺  Dozens of doctors met with congresspeople and their staff this week about rising antisemitism in the medical field. (Jewish Insider)


✍️  More than 50 celebrities — including Mayim Bialik, Connie Britton, Andy Cohen and Chelsea Handler — signed an open letter urging the Biden-Harris administration “to do everything in its power to bring Israeli hostages home.” (CNN)


🎞️  A new thriller starring Peter Sarsgaard as an ABC Sports executive covering the 1972 Munich Olympics where Palestinian militants took Israeli athletes hostage was one of the buzziest movies at the recent fall film festivals. Paramount acquired it and plans to release it in November with a big Oscar push. (Hollywood Reporter)


📚  A biography of Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz), the creator and longtime producer of Saturday Night Live (it’s about to celebrate its 50th!), is set to publish in February and will include interviews with Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Paul McCartney. (LateNighter)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Now that the weather is finally cooling down a bit, learn how to talk about the fall in Yiddish.

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

Jewish journalism you can trust!

Invest in the future of Jewish journalism. Become a monthly member during our High Holiday Donor Drive to support the Forward all year long!