Why it’s hard for American Jews to talk about democracy — and why we absolutely must
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY—A call to discussion from the heads of the Shalom Hartman Institute and A More Perfect Union. At a time when American democracy faces real threats, many mainstream Jewish leaders are struggling to find public footing. Some leaders have spoken out, and some institutions and denominations have joined together on statements condemning violence, cruelty, […]
Israeli artist is TSU’s semester-long artist in residence
JEWISH HERALD-VOICE—At a moment of rising antisemitism, BAMAH exchange program builds bridges through Israeli art and human connection Beginning next fall, Texas Southern University will welcome an Israeli artist in residence – not for a single performance or lecture, but for a full semester of teaching, creating and building relationships on campus. The exchange is […]
From Israel to Morocco to an HBCU in New Orleans, these Jewish artists are searching for home
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY—Neta Elkayam and Amit Hai Cohen teach the most popular elective at Xavier University. At least for now. The class does not begin with a lecture. Instead, Neta Elkayam stands at the front of the room and sings. Usually in the Moroccan Arabic of her ancestors, rather than her native Hebrew. The students […]
Jewish book subscription program pushes back against publishing industry antisemitism
THE TIMES OF ISRAEL—Marking the centennial of one of the Jewish Book Council’s foundational programs, ‘Nu Reads’ delivers books bimonthly with aim to boost writers and send a message to publishers. Last year, a list circulated online targeting “Zionist” authors for a boycott. Dozens of blacklisted writers, nearly all Jews, had been condemned for infractions […]
One lesson of NYC’s mayoral election: Rabbis’ political endorsements come with a cost
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY—The Book of Exodus begins with a sudden shift in fortunes. Joseph, the Jewish leader who rose to power in Pharaoh’s court, dies. The Pharaoh who favored him dies. And then: “A new king arose who did not know Joseph.” What follows is not just a story of oppression and liberation; it’s a […]
Innovative program at CUNY colleges retools Hillels as social service hubs for students
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY—Financial problems and stress almost forced Benjamin S. to drop out of college last year. “Some days I just wouldn’t eat because I didn’t have any cash on me,” said Benjamin, a student at Baruch College in New York who asked that his full name not be used to protect his privacy. But […]
New on Rikers Island: a Jewish prayerbook designed with incarcerated congregants in mind
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY—When some of Rabbi Mia Simring’s congregants named themselves The Very Narrow Bridge Congregation, they weren’t just referring to the anthemic Hebrew song “Gesher Tsar Meod” or the teaching from Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav on which it is based. They were also alluding to their status as inmates on Rikers Island, New York City’s largest […]
The New Spiritual Leader on Campus
THE ATLANTIC —On May 24, 1961, the Yale University chaplain William Sloane Coffin Jr. led a group of Freedom Riders on a 160-mile bus ride from Atlanta, Georgia, to Montgomery, Alabama, to protest segregation laws. The voyage and his subsequent arrest turned Coffin into a national figure in the fight for civil rights. Yet even […]
Understanding and facilitating life beyond the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community
CITY & STATE —An interview with Lani Santo, CEO of Footsteps. While current events have put international and intercultural conflict front and center in political discourse and heightened concerns about free speech and antisemitism, there is an important but often overlooked story about Jewish poverty and vulnerability here in New York City. Recent studies by […]