WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION

Scheduling: This newsletter will be off tomorrow and back on Monday.

Today: Families sue Texas over new Ten Commandments law • U.S. voters think America is too supportive of Israel • NBA makes history with Jewish draft picks • And celebrating Mel Brooks’ 99th birthday.

MAYOR MAMDANI?

Zohran Mamdani campaigned Tuesday with Brad Lander, the highest-ranking Jewish official in New York City who co-endorsed with Mamdani in the ranked choice primary. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Jews navigate Mamdani’s rise

Zohran Mamdani clinched the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor despite daunting odds: a better-known rival in Andrew Cuomo, a fraction of the campaign cash — and relentless attacks painting him as soft on antisemitism, or antisemitic himself.

This morning, we unpack what his surprise victory reveals about Jewish political clout in the city, how he’s reframing the antisemitism debate — and why many Jewish voters rallied to his side.

Opinion | What did the ‘gotcha’ mode of fighting antisemitism accomplish? “Voters have every right to not vote for candidates they don’t see as supportive enough of Israel,” writes columnist Emily Tamkin. “But when we reduce understanding of antisemitism to buzzwords — and say that we expect certain answers to certain questions and, if we don’t hear them, that means the candidate is an antisemite who has no place holding office — we confuse the definition of antisemitism. And we do nothing to actually, tangibly advance Jewish safety.” Read her essay ►

Opinion | Mamdani’s victory is an opportunity for Jews to relearn the art of disagreement: “Mamdani is not antisemitic,” writes columnist Rabbi Jay Michaelson. “His campaign has attracted Jewish New Yorkers of all types.” He adds: “Are they all self-deluded, self-hating, or worse? Have they sacrificed their Jewish birthright for a bowl of progressive porridge? Or is it possible that they just see things differently from you?” Read his essay ►

Zohran Mamdani prepares before a primary debate earlier this month. (Vincent Alban/AFP via Getty Images)

Why claims of antisemitism didn’t stop Zohran Mamdani: Outreach to the Jewish community, message discipline and an alliance with Brad Lander helped Mamdani triumph in what was expected to be a closer race. “A lot of moneyed interests tried to conjure up a big, bad image of a Muslim man who hates Jews,” Sophie Ellman-Golan, a spokesperson for Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, told our Arno Rosenfeld. “And that image is not compatible with the person Zohran actually is.” Go deeper ►

How Islamophobic attacks on Mamdani target Jewish voters: “Apparently, it’s time for Jews to flee New York City for Florida,” writes our Mira Fox, citing Republican groups fearmongering the fact that Mamdani is Muslim, with some online commentators alleging that he will close all synagogues. It’s an “attempt to manipulate Jewish voters.” Go deeper ►

Plus…

Mamdani’s victory signals that supporting the boycott Israel movement is no longer the political dealbreaker it may once have been. (JTA)

Rep. Jerry Nadler, co-chair of the congressional Jewish caucus, says he’s spoken to Mamdani “about his commitment to fighting antisemitism, and we’ll work with all New Yorkers to fight against all bigotry and hate.” (Forward)

WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Protesters in Seoul demonstrate against the U.S. attacks on Iran during a rally on Sunday in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. (Jung Yeon-je / AFP visa Getty Images)

Opinion | Pro-Palestinian protesters in the U.S., Australia, England and elsewhere are suddenly supporting Iran. They might want to talk to some Palestinians, argues our senior columnist, Rob Eshman. “What I truly don’t understand,” he writes, “is the sloppy morality that conflates legitimate concerns for Palestinian lives with the defense of Iran’s despicable regime.” Read his essay ►

Latest on Iran…

A new poll shows a record number of U.S. voters believe America is too supportive of Israel, following American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. (JTA)

Trump said the U.S. and Iran will meet next week, claiming a nuclear deal is “no longer necessary” as a tentative ceasefire holds and tensions remain high. (Times of Israel)

Trump officials cited “new intelligence” to defend the Iran strikes as a success, while pushing back on leaked reports downplaying the impact. (Guardian)

Families of hostages held in Gaza are hoping the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran will pressure a weakened, isolated Hamas to ease its stance in negotiations. (JTA)

A top Hamas official said the terrorist group is ramping up efforts to reach a new ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. (BBC)

Plus…

In an unusual move, Trump urged Israel on Wednesday to either cancel Prime Minister Netanyahu’s corruption trial or grant him a pardon, marking a rare U.S. intervention in a foreign ally’s legal process. (Axios)

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday that more countries — some not previously expected — are likely to join the Abraham Accords, hinting at upcoming announcements. (Times of Israel)

Trump’s name could soon adorn Tel Aviv’s tallest hotel. (New York Times)

CULTURE

Ben Saraf, a 19-year-old with Israeli citizenship, was drafted Wednesday by the Brooklyn Nets. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Pick-and-deli-roll?

“After Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary, some Jewish New Yorkers openly pondered leaving town,” writes our Louis Keene. “The Brooklyn Nets just gave them two reasons to stay.” In an NBA first, the team drafted two Jewish players back-to-back — Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf. The selection completes a reversal of sorts for the Nets, who in late 2022 became embroiled in an antisemitism scandal with star point guard Kyrie Irving. Go deeper ►

Plus: Today marks the 10th anniversary of President Barack Obama’s eulogy for the victims of the massacre at Charleston’s Mother Emanuel church, which concluded with him singing “Amazing Grace” from the pulpit. In a new book, Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish journalist Kevin Sack examines how that church and Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue became linked by violence — and grace. Go deeper ►

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

Gov. Greg Abbott in April at the state capitol building in Austin. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

⚖️ Texas families and faith leaders filed a federal lawsuit to block a new state law mandating Ten Commandments be displayed in public school classrooms, arguing it violates the separation of church and state. “Faith and freedom are the foundation of our nation,” said Gov. Greg Abbott. “If anyone sues, we’ll win that battle.” (AP)

🏡 The Justice Department ended its investigation into a Muslim-focused housing development near Dallas that some worried would discriminate against Christians and Jews. The builders said “all will be welcome.” (AP)

🧳 Eighth graders at a Boston Jewish day school turned six suitcases and a jewelry box into a mobile Holocaust museum, filling them with historical facts, personal stories, and artifacts collected over years. (Watertown News)

🇩🇪 A German court overturned a ban on a far-right magazine known for antisemitic and anti-immigrant rhetoric, citing free speech and ruling it doesn’t yet pose a threat to the country. (JTA)

🇧🇦 A Bosnian government official apologized after a Sarajevo hotel canceled the Conference of European Rabbis’ biannual meeting. The event was ultimately held in Munich instead. (Times of Israel)

🏥 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in the U.S., was briefly hospitalized for dehydration on Wednesday. (Axios)

💰 A mediator suggested resolving Trump’s $20 million lawsuit against CBS parent company Paramount Global over a Kamala Harris 60 Minutes interview by having the company pay a settlement, part of which would fund antisemitism public service announcements on its networks. (Wall Street Journal)

🎬 Lena Dunham describes her new Netflix series — Too Much, debuting on July 10 — as a “romantic comedy about what happens when a loud, messy, complicated Jewess descends on a city of deeply repressed people.” (Hollywood Reporter)

What else we’re reading ► On Dr. Ruth’s first yahrzeit, her granddaughter shares how she’s carrying on the family legacy (Hey Alma) … Steven Sondheim’s archival work heads to the Library of Congress (New York Times) … This New Jersey man has perhaps the largest (and only) collection of Jewish seltzer bottles. (New York Jewish Week)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Mel Brooks, national icon and mensch among men, turns 99 on Saturday. Here’s a compilation of some of his funniest on-screen moments.

Peruse our archive of Brooks content.

Today’s newsletter made me:

🤓 Confident I understand issues impacting American Jews.

🔗 Connected to the Jewish world.

💡 Curious to learn about something I read.

🤷🏽‍♀️ No different.

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