WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION

Trump in Iowa says Hamas would not have attacked if he were president, students in U.S. schools transfer over anti-Zionism concerns, Massachusetts Conservative synagogue (sort of) allows interfaith weddings, and Rob Reiner teaches Yiddish at last night’s Emmy Awards.

ISRAEL AT WAR

Omer Ohana, the partner of Israeli army captain Sagi Golan who was killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, during an interview at his apartment. (Getty)

Israeli LGBTQ+ soldiers hope the war in Gaza will bolster their fight for equal rights at home: After his fiancé was killed on Oct. 7 battling Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri, Omer Ohana received a small bit of solace: The government passed a bill granting recognition to same-sex partners of fallen soldiers. Many of Israel’s LGBTQ+ soldiers feel the war has placed their status in stark relief: They have been called to risk their lives on the front lines in Gaza but are denied rights afforded to heterosexual couples at home — including the right to wed in Israel. Read the story ➤

‘I don’t belong’ | A Jewish student leaves Occidental College over wartime protests: As concerns mount over the treatment of Jewish students on college campuses since the war began, the Occidental student stands out. Though many students have struggled in the face of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel incidents, there are far fewer reports of students actually transferring over them. A Jewish professor at Occidental said parents who want to “insulate their children” at other campuses from the Mideast conflict are “living in a dream world.” Read the story ➤

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Opinion | Why it’s time to leave the labels of ‘Zionist’ and ‘anti-Zionist’ behind: “Instead of creating space for deeper conversation,” these terms “have been wielded as a way of closing off any dissent, packaged into simplistic catchphrases,” writes one of our columnists, Lux Alptraum. “What if, rather than asking Jews to sort ourselves into one of two camps, we chose instead to talk about the values and history that shape our connections to Israel and Palestine, and the hopes we have for the future of the region?” Read her essay ➤

Plus…

Two Palestinian men killed an Israeli woman and injured 17 in a car-ramming attack in the Tel Aviv suburb of Raanana on Monday, a rare fatal incident in central Israel amid the country’s war in Gaza.

U.S. federal employees from nearly two dozen agencies are planning to stage a walkout today to protest the war in Gaza. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the protesters should be fired.

A bipartisan group of nearly 150 lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives is set to introduce a resolution today condemning the sexual violence committed by Hamas on and since the Oct. 7 attacks.

Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who was held captive by Hamas in Gaza from 2006-2011, met with families of the hostages to share how he endured five years with the terror group.

THE 75th ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS

Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers on a mock set for All in the Family, during a tribute to Norman Lear, the legendary sitcom creator, on Monday at the Emmys. Reiner taught the audience a Yiddish phrase. (Getty)

Among the nominees at the Emmy Awards Monday night were the miniseries Fleishman Is in Trouble and the swan song season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (they did not win their categories, with Beef — of the non-kosher variety — being the night’s big winner along with Succession and The Bear). Our culture reporter PJ Grisar was watching…

Host Anthony Anderson paid musical tribute to TV from his childhood, beginning by thanking creators Eric Monte and the late Norman Lear, who died at 101 in December, for the groundbreaking Black sitcom Good Times, which the Black-ish star credited with his own show’s success.

Ben Winston, the Jewish producer for Elton John’s EGOT-securing special Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium accepted the award on his behalf, wearing a yellow ribbon to raise awareness of Israeli hostages.

Jewish actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who made mention of “Jewish lightning” on this season of The Bear, won supporting actor in a comedy series, beating out landsmen Henry Winkler and Brett Goldstein.

Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers stood on a recreation of the All in the Family set — one of many TV reunions — noting how they were part of Norman Lear’s extended mishpacha, though they didn’t use that word. Reiner came up with a more obscure one. “There’s a Yiddish word that describes Norman’s genius: it’s ‘kokhlefl,’” he said. “For you non-Jews, a kokhlefl is a ladle, a ladle that stirs the pot, and when Norman the kokhlefl stirred that pot, he wound up changing American culture.”

ALSO IN THE FORWARD

This photo of young boys studying in a yeshiva is one of Roman Vishniac’s most iconic. (Roman Vishniac)

In Vishniac, a portrait of a scientist, a fabulist and a chronicler of a disappearing world: Roman Vishniac, whose photo books of Eastern European Jewry helped define our image of life before the Holocaust, was, first and foremost, a storyteller. Laura Bialis’ new documentary demystifies the man behind the camera, interviewing his daughter, grandchildren and historians. “Vishniac often embellished what was in the frame,” PJ Grisar writes in his review, “sometimes to the benefit of the bigger picture.”

This group is working with Hollywood for more nuanced and authentic portrayals of Jews:They’ve met with studio executives to encourage more authentic representation of Jews, and are creating a Jewish fact sheet for writers, as well as conducting the first significant study, with the Norman Lear Center, measuring the impact of Jewish stereotypes in movies and TV.

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WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

Flanked by two of his sons, former President Donald Trump speaks Monday night in Des Moines, after a decisive victory in the Iowa caucuses. (Getty)

🇺🇸 After winning last night’s Iowa caucuses by a resounding margin, former President Donald Trump promised to solve the Israel and Ukraine wars “very fast” if reelected, and claimed Hamas would not have attacked if he were still in office. (JTA)

🗽 Some Jews are embracing “diasporism” and reimagining their faith outside of Israel. The philosophy blesses their lives in America and elsewhere “whether they choose to be a Satmar Hasid or Larry David,” according to one of its proponents. (New York Times)

😲 A woman was murdered and mutilated outside Los Angeles in 2011, and remained anonymous for the past 13 years. This month, Jewish genealogists were finally able to identify her. (JTA)

👩‍❤️‍👨 To welcome interfaith couples, a Conservative synagogue in Massachusetts hired a rabbi who’s allowed to wed them — as long as it’s not on site. (JTA)

Rebecca Feigelson moved her son Jacob to a new school district over anti-Zionist statements from the local teachers union. (Aaron Levy-Wolins)

🎒 At least 30 Jewish families transferred out of a public school district in Oakland, California, citing safety and antisemitism concerns. “I feel like we are fleeing like generations of Jews have fled before us,” said Rebecca Feigelson, who moved her son to a new kindergarten. (J. Jewish News of Northern California)

🛶 A boat named Thor that was used to save Danish Jews from Hitler as part of a covert operation will soon be on display at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg. (Spectrum News)

😍 It used to be that the only way to taste the hummus made by award-winning Israeli chef Michael Solomonov was to eat at one of his many restaurants in New York and Philadelphia. Not anymore: It is now available for purchase at Whole Foods. (Jewish Exponent)

Shiva call ➤ Roy Calne, a British surgeon whose innovations helped pioneer safer organ transplantation, died 93.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

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Aviva Weidenbaum is supported by her son’s army friends as she attends the funeral of her son Master Sgt. Daniel Weidenbaum, who was killed on Friday while fighting in Gaza.

Thanks to PJ Grisar and Talya Zax 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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