WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION

Hamas releases hostages and a pet dog, broader feminist movement accused of not supporting Israeli women, Ponzi schemer who scammed Jewish community out of millions sent to prison, and philanthropist Miriam Adelson may be buying the Dallas Mavericks.

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ISRAEL AT WAR

The latest: Hamas on Tuesday released 12 hostages — including a teen and her dog, a Shih Tzu named Bella. The terror group reportedly said it is interested in extending the truce for four more days, allowing for more hostage-prisoner swaps.

Pro-Palestinian groups gathered at Harvard University last month. Jewish students say they feel less safe on campus since the war broke out. (Getty)

On campus…

Most Jewish college students no longer feel safe on campus, according to new poll: The findings, released this morning by the Anti-Defamation League, mark a stark contrast to how Jewish students felt prior to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The poll also found that nearly three quarters — 73% — of Jewish college students said they had experienced or witnessed antisemitism since the start of this school year. Read the story ➤

NYU Law students oust student bar association president who blamed Israel for Hamas attack: NYU is one of dozens of schools nationwide where pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli students and faculty have clashed. The conflicts have included massive protests, graffiti, vandalism, the removal of instructors and in a few cases, violence and physical harassment. Read the story ➤

Officials defend Queens high school where student protest targeted pro-Israel teacher: Officials are playing down an incident where students rioted, forcing a Jewish teacher to barricade herself in a room. “The notion that this place is radical, these kids are radicalized and antisemitic, is the height of irresponsibility,” said David Banks, the chancellor of New York City Public Schools. He added that students get their news from TikTok and “what they are seeing on a daily basis are children and young people in Palestine, Palestinian families being blown up.” As a result, “they feel a kindred spirit with the folks in the Palestinian community.” Read the story ➤

And: The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into Harvard University over alleged antisemitism on campus in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.

Survivors of the Nova music festival view the personal items recovered from the massacre. (Getty)

The women’s movement

Jewish women’s rights organizations are increasingly criticizing the broader feminist movement for its positions on the sexual violence perpetuated during this war. U.N. Women — an official arm of the United Nations — neglected to condemn the sexual violence experienced by Israeli women on the day of the attack. (The U.N. entity is also getting backlash for bungling a condemnation of Hamas.)

Opinion | The women’s movement has a double standard when sexual violence happens to Jews: “For those of us who work to end domestic and sexual violence, there are two key tenets: Believe women. And never blame the victim,” writes Meredith Jacobs, the CEO of Jewish Women International. “And yet here we were. The brutal rapes, bodily mutilations and sadistic murder of women and children on Oct. 7 is being dismissed as lies and Zionist propaganda.” Read her essay ➤

Protesters gathered at the offices of United Nations Women on Monday in New York City. (Getty)

Meanwhile, another indignity has unfolded online. In early November, the Israeli government shared on social media the story of a woman who attempted to use posthumous semen retrieval — a relatively accepted, though infrequent, practice — after her husband was killed by Hamas, only to learn that her attempts had come too late. The story became fodder for a range of cruel and dehumanizing jokes.

Opinion | Israeli women were raped and widowed by Hamas. Now the world ignores and mocks their suffering: “In one corner, we have Israeli women rendered unrapeable, their accounts of sexual violence written off as little more than hysterical attempts to defame Palestinian men,” writes Lux Alptraum, the author of a book about women’s sexuality. “In another, we have Israeli women transformed into a horrific caricature of sexual depravity, creatures willing, even eager, to violate the corpses of their loved ones in order to achieve their own selfish ends.” Read her essay ➤

Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat and the son of a Holocaust survivor, ran out of a Senate room after a screening of the Oct. 7 Hamas atrocities, on Tuesday in the U.S. Capitol. A spokeswoman said he was “deeply disturbed” by what he saw but was also rushing to preside over the Senate floor. (Ron Kampeas)

Plus…

Around 40 U.S. senators attended a private screening Tuesday of the 43 minutes of harrowing footage of the carnage Hamas terrorists committed on Oct. 7. Afterwards, some walked out of the room in tears.

Anti-Israel protesters demonstrated outside the memorial service for former First Lady Rosalynn Carter on Tuesday in Atlanta.

Upset about the current pause in fighting, Israel’s national security minister, the far-right Itamar Ben Gvir, said he would break apart the government if Israel did not restart its war with Hamas.

“I did not fact check”: Palestinian American supermodel Gigi Hadid apologized Tuesday to her 79 million Instagram followers for claiming Israel abducts and rapes Palestinians.

ALSO IN THE FORWARD

David Thewlis as Fagin in The Artful Dodger. (John Platt/Hulu)

Does a new Hulu series finally fix the Fagin problem? When publicity stills from the new Oliver Twist sequel series, The Artful Dodger, first landed online, they showed the infamous Jewish character, Fagin, wearing a cross and standing at a church altar. Immediately, our PJ Grisar had questions about the series’ plans for this character, referred to most frequently in Dickens’ novel as “the Jew.” He was pleasantly surprised by the character’s portrayal. “I don’t want to give too much away,” he wrote in his preview for the series, out today, “but suffice it to say that if any group has something to be angry about, it’s not the Jews.”

The Top 25 versions of ‘The Weight’ — Robbie Robertson and The Band’s song inspired by a Jewish bookseller: With its cryptic lyrics and country-rock groove, The Band’s 1968 tune “The Weight” has inspired endless covers, making the task of picking just 25 more than a bit daunting. But our music critic managed to form a list that highlights the unique interpolations of the Temptations, Joe Cocker and Aretha Franklin.

And: A lifelong fascination with Jewish culture led author Joanna Russ to become a science fiction pioneer. The Library of America series is honoring her with a new collection.

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

Mark Cuban, left, is reportedly selling a big stake in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson. (Getty)

🏀 Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is reportedly selling a majority stake in his NBA team to Jewish philanthropist Miriam Adelson, widow of the longtime casino magnate and Jewish megadonor Sheldon Adelson. (JTA)

🇷🇺 Russia extended the detention of Evan Gershkovich, a Jewish reporter at The Wall Street Journal accused of espionage, who has been in custody since March. (WSJ)

🪛 A man wielding a screwdriver unleashed an antisemitic tirade — including a death threat — against a rabbi on the streets of Italy. (Times of Israel)

💰 A man who ran a Ponzi scheme and scammed a California Jewish community out of $7 million was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison. (The Guardian)

🎵 A German Jewish singer went viral in 2021 when he claimed a hotel in Leipzig, Germany, denied him a room after seeing his Star of David necklace. He now admits he made up the incident. (JTA)

📺 A new TV series “tells the legendary love story of Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen, and his muse Marianne Ihlen.” The show joins another Cohen project: a screen adaptation Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai, about Cohen’s 1973 concerts for Israeli soldiers on the frontlines of the Yom Kippur War. (JTA)

Mazel tov ➤ To Lehrhaus, a Jewish tavern and house of learning, on being named to Esquire’s list of the best new restaurants in America.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

(Getty)

Many child hostages are now back in Israel, but redheaded brothers Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 10 months, are still in captivity with their mother. (The whereabouts of their father, last seen in a photo from the attack bleeding from the head after being hit by a hammer and surrounded by terrorists, is unknown.) At a rally in Tel Aviv Tuesday, around 150 people gathered and held orange balloons in the boys’ honor. The IDF said that Hamas gave the Bibas family to another terror group, making it difficult to get them returned. Read the story ➤

Thanks to Laura E. Adkins, PJ Grisar and Lauren Markoe for contributing to today’s newsletter, and to Beth Harpaz for editing it. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at [email protected].

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