In my latest sermon at The Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, I shared my sentiments after the 1st week of the #Iran war, including a not-so-surprising gross accusation that #Israel dragged the US into it — an accusation of which should concern us deeply. Watch my full sermon here —> youtu.be/sN_ruAsKelI
As the dynamic on the ground in #Israel is ever-changing, it is critical that we listen to Israeli experts who are able to unpack context we may not come across in mainstream media. Nadav Eyal joins me to help understand the major issues shaping the #Jewish state:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...
What starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews. Sderot will come to Sydney. Be’eri will come to Brooklyn. Nir Oz will come to Notting Hill. First the Jews, then the Jews of the West, then the West itself...
Hollywood was built by Jews — but for decades, #Jewish identity has been something to downplay. Jonah Platt reflects on how fear and self-censorship have shaped Jewish representation, and why October 7th was a wake-up call. Our full convo --> youtu.be/dP87wcbPl7g
“Globalize the Intifada” means #BondiBeach. There is a direct connection between hateful words and hateful deeds. And there is a direct connection between hatred of #Israel and hatred of Jews.
It's easy for us to recognize "classic" #antisemitism, but Jonah Platt explains why it can be harder — especially for young Jews — to recognize #antizionism that goes beyond legitimate political critique as modern antisemitic libel. Our full convo --> youtu.be/dP87wcbPl7g
...but I emphasized that the #Jewish community will energetically oppose any and all anti- #Israel rhetoric and action.
...and will, inevitably, lead to an unproductive and tense relationship with the #Jewish community. What @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social says and which policies he pursues is up to him — he will be the mayor...
It is not about policy differences; rather, it is about the denial of #Israel's right to exist as a #Jewish state at all. I continue to worry deeply about the upcoming 4 years and conveyed to the mayor-elect that #antiZionist rhetoric & anti-Israel policies will threaten Jewish safety in #NYC...
I was part of a group of rabbis who met again with @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social. While we were pleased to be able to discuss our concerns with the mayor-elect, those concerns remain. We've never before had a mayor who has expressed this kind of ideological hostility to the very existence of #Israel..
It is incumbent upon responsible Western leaders to push hard against the normalization of #antisemitism & #antiZionism. My primary concern since Oct. 7 has been the danger anti-Zionism poses. We mourn today with #Australia’s #Jewish community. Thoughts via @jonesieman.bsky.social @nytimes.com:
The vast majority of Jews view Israel as integral to their identity. By gaslighting Judaism & Jews, they allow themselves liberties they would never tolerate w/ respect to other minorities. It's not for them to define Judaism. It is for them to decide whether to accept Judaism as we see ourselves.
It is a long-term strategy of those who are not even Jewish to draw a wedge between what they consider “the good Jews” — the ones who oppose #Israel — from “the bad Jews,” “good Judaism” from “bad Judaism.”...
The environment in NYC will become increasingly hostile to Jews. And then the city itself will become less tolerant, angrier, and more violent.
It is not for them to define Judaism. It is for them to decide whether to accept Judaism as we see ourselves. No matter how many times the mayor-elect condemns swastikas spray-painted on Jewish institutions, while at the same time encouraging anti-Israel hostility, antisemitism will increase.
The vast majority of the world’s Jews view the Jewish state as integral to their own Jewish identity. By gaslighting Judaism and Jews, they allow themselves liberties they would never tolerate with respect to other minorities.
It is a long-term strategy of those who are not even Jewish to draw a wedge between what they consider “the good Jews” — the ones who oppose Israel — from “the bad Jews,” “good Judaism” from “bad Judaism.”
This is precisely what I feared: the effort to separate the Jewish people’s yearning for self-determination from Judaism itself.
Last Friday night at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, I addressed the election of @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social. Here is my full sermon —> youtu.be/kFkmR7AW-HU
.@barakravid.bsky.social wears many media hats & has gleaned a ton from reporting for Israel's News 12, @axios.com & @cnn.com. Having covered Oct 7/post war, I asked him if he feels the media has covered #Israel appropriately. His answer might surprise you👇| Full episode: apple.co/47DHghx
...and to continue seeking an understanding of how the vast majority of New York Jews — like Jews throughout the United States — are deeply attached to Israel and why they see the Jewish state as an essential element of their Jewish identity.
As Mayor-Elect Mamdani takes the helm of our city, I urge him to be a uniter and a peacemaker by rejecting those who seek to divide us...
We will work with the new administration where possible and oppose it when necessary. Our threshold issue remains unchanged: whether our leaders respect Judaism the way Jews see ourselves, not as others would define us...
His long-standing hostility toward #Zionism — the Jewish people’s liberation movement — and his support for slogans and organizations that deny Israel’s right to exist will sow division and stoke the flames of antisemitism in our city...
At the same time, I continue to reiterate my grave concerns about Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s record and rhetoric on #Israel and his failed attempts to assuage fears emanating from large swaths of the city’s #Jewish community...
I congratulate @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social on his election as #NYC mayor and applaud the democratic process. The peaceful transfer of power is the bedrock of our republic — a sacred pillar of American democracy that must never be taken for granted...
ICYMI, here is my direct message to @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social: youtu.be/N5xHuXyRi6k?...
Judaism has a lot to say about poverty, economics, immigration, the death penalty — all of those issues are important as well. But specifically on the #antiZionism issue, it goes to the very existence and future of the #Jewish people...
It is imperative that the American-#Jewish community stand up in the face of this. We all have a responsibility at this historic moment in time for Jewish leadership to do so...
I connected w/ @jewishinsider.com's Haley Cohen & reiterated: I am not prepared to overlook mayoral hopefuls who express #antiZionism. A line needs to be drawn. It disenfranchises & delegitimizes #Judaism itself. It leads to an intensification of #antisemitism:
jewishinsider.com/2025/10/rabb...
