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| INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT. SINCE 1897. Give a tax-deductible donation In today’s briefing: A chat with Minneapolis' Jewish mayor, college students must choose between shul vs. school, an ice cream with war and peace in every scoop...
OUR LEAD STORY 🥇 FIREWORKS LIGHT UP THE SKY DURING THE OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONIES IN TOKYO. (PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES)
With Tokyo a half-day ahead of us, the opening ceremonies are underway as I type this. There are more than 100 Jewish athletes competing: read our profiles of a concert promoter-turned-pitcher, a horse-jumping fashionista, Israel’s first Olympic surfer and an overachieving med student who’s also a swimmer.
Throughout the Games, we’ll be partnering with Shari Wright-Pilo and David Wiseman of Follow Team Israel, a social media channel that tracks the country’s 90 Olympians – almost twice as many as Israel had competing at the 2016 event in Rio. We’ll include dispatches from the duo in this newsletter throughout the Games. I chatted with them on Thursday about what they’re watching for. Watch the video >
Batter up: Israel’s Olympic baseball team, which has a lot of made-in-America talent, is one of only six countries competing in the sport – which means it has a 50% chance of medaling.
Not a sports fan? No worries. We’ve got a history of the Jewish community in Japan and a look at the Jews who call Tokyo home today.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE 👀 ‘It is not going back to normal,’ says Minneapolis’ Jewish mayor: Our Minnesota-based contributor Sheree R. Curry interviewed Mayor Jacob Frey, who is up for reelection in November, about George Floyd Square, the Derek Chauvin trial and what role Judaism plays in his leadership of the city. “The religious aspects and the belief systems themselves is something that I’ve leaned into more during this last year and a half than I have in quite some time,” Frey said. “Part of that is everything we are going through and a yearning for that sense of deeper meaning and stability. A rock to lean on.” Read the interview >
5 OTHER THINGS AMERICAN JEWS ARE TALKING ABOUT 🖐 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 1. According to Bernie Madoff’s newly uncovered 1,425-page prison file, the disgraced Ponzi schemer spent his final days earning 24 cents an hour and the only personal property he had was toothpaste, ketchup, a calculator and four religious books. The records also show that he got dinged on a review of his work as an orderly: “Needs closer supervision than most.” (The City)
2. The Justice Department on Thursday announced the seizure of 17 funeral scrolls, manuscripts and community records that were looted from Eastern European Jewish communities during the Holocaust. The relics were found after a New York auction house offered them for sale. (UPI)
3. Ben & Jerry’s is not the only brand to politicize ice cream. The Jewish founders of Haagen-Dazs, Reuben and Rose Mattus, were ardent supporters of Israeli settlements. (Forward)
4. Amid a rise in antisemitic incidents, Canada is set to spend more than $5 million to shore up the security of the nation’s Jewish institutions. (JTA)
5. Fans of 1980s cartoons are rejoicing in their Underoos today, as Netflix premieres a remake of the classic “He-Man” series. Did you know? The opening montage for the beloved cartoon was written by an Israeli who produced more than 100 TV theme songs – including the “Power Rangers,” “She-Ra” and the inimitable “Inspector Gadget.” (From the Grapevine)
FROM OUR KITCHEN 🍦 Never mind Ben & Jerry’s. Hanna Spiegelman’s ice cream has war and peace in every scoop: She’s the creator of “A Sweet History,” a blog and business that creates flavors based on controversial historical figures. Rob Eshman talked to Spiegelman, a 28 year-old Brooklynite, about frozen desserts, famous people, and, yes, Ben & Jerry’s. Read the story >
On the menu: The nonprofits OneTable and Jewish Veg are partnering tonight to encourage Jewish communities in Washington, Miami and Atlanta to host inclusive, sustainable, and intentional Shabbat dinners every week. Chefs Beejhy Barhany and Carmit Delman get us prepped with two vegan dishes. Get the recipes >
ON THE CALENDAR 🗓
JASON SUDEIKIS (LEFT) AND BRETT GOLDSTEIN (RIGHT) IN 'TED LASSO.' (PHOTO: APPLE TV+) ⚽️ What to stream: The Emmy-winning “Ted Lasso” returns to Apple TV+ today for its second season. Jewish actor Brett Goldstein, who was originally hired as a writer on the heartwarming series about a British soccer team, ultimately landed a major role. “I still can’t believe it worked out,” he said.
💘 Tu B’Av, known as the “Jewish Valentine’s Day,” begins at sundown tonight. Singles parties at bars have become common in recent years, but the day’s roots date back to biblical times.
📚 On this day in history: Chaim Potok, an American novelist and rabbi, died on July 23, 2002. His 1967 book, “The Chosen,” sold more than 3 million copies and spent nearly a year on The New York Times best seller list.
ENJOY OUR FREE MAGAZINE 👇 Every Friday, we curate some of our favorite Forward stories into a free, printable magazine for some restful offline weekend reading.
In this week's edition, meet the Jewish mom who wants to be mayor of New York City, take a tour of the Jewish museum of Kurdistan, explore how we covered the “Hitler Olympics” in 1936 and much more.
You can read and print out the magazine by simply clicking here.
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