IAC Panel: Campus Jewish Left Faces a ‘False Choice’

By Jackson Richman November 10, 2017

Although left-leaning Jewish college students sympathize with progressive movements, like Black Lives Matter, social justice causes have often excluded them over their support for Israel, at least according to an expert panel at this year’s Israeli-American Council conference. Founded over a decade ago, the Israeli-American Council is an umbrella organization created to connect Israeli-Americans and…

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Let’s All Be Traitors

By Jonathan Katz June 4, 2015

Treason has been on my mind a lot the past few weeks. In the Jewish world, the website Canary Mission – which seeks to create a “blacklist” of pro-Palestinian activists – has caused a controversy. Many of those profiled on the site are Jewish – including New Voices contributor Tom Pessah; those of our brethren…

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Brunch With Progressive MK Merav Michaeli and the American Jewish Left

By Derek M. Kwait December 16, 2014

Merav Michaeli, the Israeli journalist and women’s rights activist-turned-Knesset member for the Labor Party, is a sign of hope for a progressive future in Israel. Last Tuesday, she tried to convince an exclusive crowd of worried Jewish leftists gathered in an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side that there was hope for the upcoming elections…

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Two Student Censorship False Alarms

By Derek M. Kwait June 19, 2014

Kate Jacobson, the former Israel chair at the University of Calgary, recently bowed to pressure from other students and resigned her post due to her highly controversial views on Israel, as reported by the Calgary Jewish News. The most important thing to note here is that she was not told to leave by Hillel— upon…

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Gay Dads, Kosher Nightclubs, Zionists, and Pat Robertson – New Vices

By Derek M. Kwait April 8, 2014

Sheldon Adelson Makes Gov. Chris Christie Apologize for Living in Reality The Daily Show Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook   Whether they know it or not, Jon Stewart and Samantha Bee are having the same conversation all Jewish communities are having now, and, like all good satire, the…

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Is My Birthright a Sexual Playground?

By Jonathan Katz March 4, 2014

Let me be direct: the men in Birthright ads are hot. As in, “let’s do something not tzanua together” hot. This queer man, despite his dovish tendencies, distaste for right-wing “anti-assimilation” efforts, and critiques of Israel, is not completely displeased when a Birthright ad featuring smiling, shirtless, muscular Jewish men surfaces on Facebook. The Jewish…

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$50,000 a Plate? Romney’s Israel Fundraiser Too Steep for Me

By Joshua Lapidus July 29, 2012

Mitt Romney, presumptive Republican nominee for President, is in Israel now to hold high-level meetings with his “friend,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to host a fundraiser for high-rollers. I thought about going myself, but $50,000 a plate was a tad too steep for my taste. (Of course, I could also get a few…

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Oy with the Jewish stereotypes already; Palestinian prisoner hunger strike; Free the press, and more [Required Reading]

By pkessler April 17, 2012

Stereotypes, Oy [Huffington Post] Howard Meyer laments the longevity of unflattering Jewish stereotypes, claiming they are representative of the prejudices of a few discontents years ago and have little relevancy in today’s Jewish communities. He cites examples from the Seinfeld episode “The Yada Yada”, above, in which Jerry’s dentist converts to Judaism “for the jokes”,…

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