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WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION

Hostage families begin four-day march across Israel, Harvard looking for cash after backlash from Jewish donors, man who rescued 1.5 million Yiddish books set to retire, and watch the trailer for Peacock’s new Auschwitz miniseries.

ISRAEL AT WAR

A campaign to withhold votes for President Biden over his support for Israel’s war on Hamas gained momentum in Tuesday’s Michigan’s primary. (Getty)

How the war in Gaza impacted Tuesday’s Michigan primary — and what that portends for the general election

What happened? Dissatisfied with President Joe Biden’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war, more than 13% of Michigan’s Democratic voters, mobilized by the state’s large Arab American population, marked “uncommitted” on the ballot. That accounts for more than 100,000 people in a critical swing state where every vote matters in a close general election in November.

Is this a big deal? Yes and no, depending on whom you ask. “Our movement emerged victorious tonight and massively surpassed our expectations,” said Layla Elabed, the protest campaign’s manager. But Biden supporters reiterated that “when faced with the stark choice between President Biden and Donald Trump in the general election,” those uncommitted voters would choose Biden.

What’s next? The higher-than-expected showing of “uncommitted” Democrats in Michigan may spur Biden to take a stronger approach with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Will other states follow? The protest movement which began in Michigan is likely to spread to other states, many of which allow voters to choose “uncommitted” or “no preference” in their primaries. Organizers are planning a similar protest vote campaign in upcoming primaries in Minnesota, Washington State and Pennsylvania, another critical swing state.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met Tuesday with Congressional leaders — including House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. (Getty)

More on Biden…

President Biden met with top Congressional leaders on Tuesday with the hope of avoiding a government shutdown in the coming days, which could impact funding to resupply ammo for Israel’s Iron Dome rocket defense system.

The Biden administration on Tuesday made a list of what it expects from Israel, including abiding by international law while using U.S. weapons and allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel has until mid-March to sign the letter.

Plywood covers a door and window on the UC Berkeley campus on Tuesday following a raucous protest by pro-Palestinian activists the previous night. (Aaron Levy-Wolins)

‘I’m screaming for help’ | Jewish students face violence at UC Berkeley Israel talk:Students evacuated from a campus theater Monday night after a mass of protesters, wearing keffiyehs and masks, yelling “You can’t run! You can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” and other anti-Israel chants, banged on the building’s glass door until it shattered. The venue was forced to shut down the lecture by an Israeli attorney who is also an IDF reservist. The students, some injured, regrouped in the backyard of the campus Chabad house, where the event was able to continue. Read the story ➤

Related: A complaint was filed this morning with the U.S. Department of Education alleging a number of antisemitic incidents endured by K-12 Jewish students in the Berkeley Unified School District.

Friends and family of Israeli hostages began a four-day march on Wednesday. (Getty)

Plus…

Families of the hostages held in Gaza set out Wednesday on a four-day march from the site of the Supernova music festival to Jerusalem to publicize their continued call to bring the hostages home.

A novel written by a Palestinian man imprisoned in Israel for terrorism has been nominated for a prestigious literary award known as the Arab world’s Booker Prize.

The Israel Defense Ministry estimates that the number of wounded soldiers could rise to as many as 20,000 by the end of 2024. For many of them, it’s a long road to both physical and mental recovery.

Jewish voices are hopping on a social media trend to talk about Oct. 7 and tackle antisemitism.

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ALSO IN THE FORWARD

Aaron Lansky is retiring from the Yiddish Book Center, which he founded. (Ben Barnhart Photography)

Aaron Lansky, who rescued 1.5 million Yiddish books and founded the Yiddish Book Center, is retiring: In his memoir, he recounted rescuing books with the help of volunteer collectors called zamlers, from dumpsters, basements and garages, on trips to Cuba and Russia, and from countless elderly Jews who fed him kugel and tea before tearfully sending him on his way with their beloved books. Looking back at his more than 40-year career, he said he considers himself “one of the world’s luckiest people.”

In The Ally, Josh Radnor is one Jew with five opinions:The Public Theater debuted a new play last night by Tony winner Itamar Moses about a Jewish professor’s struggle to fit into a progressive campus culture increasingly critical of Israel. While written and set before Oct. 7, the drama takes on a discourse — about diversity, racism and free speech — that has only grown more heated since last fall. As our PJ Grisar writes in his own conflicted review, “I can’t decide for myself whether the current context makes the piece more timely or, indeed, more irrelevant.”

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

Pro-Palestinian groups gathered at Harvard University in October. (Getty)

💰 As it grapples with a donor backlash over its handling of antisemitism on campus, Harvard is considering a $1.65 billion bond sale, which would give the university an infusion of cash. (Forward)

🎒 The U.S. Department of Education opened an antisemitism investigation at a Maryland school district following a complaint from a conservative activist who lives more than 200 miles away. (JTA)

🎶 Jenni Asher, an accomplished violinist and a convert to Judaism, is set to become the first ordained Black woman cantor. (J. Jewish News of Northern California)

⚖️ A new YouTube channel will host the complete surviving recordings of the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann. The videos were organized by filmmakers who released a new documentary Tuesday about the trial. (YouTube)

Mazel tov ➤ To Miriam Udel, a scholar of Yiddish language at Emory University, on being named the 2024-25 Chronos Fellow. She plans on expanding her research to uncover how 20th century Yiddish writings might offer guidance for a peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.

Shiva calls ➤ Ruth Fein, a doyenne of Boston’s Jewish community, died at 96 … Bruce Newman, an antiques dealer whose over-the-top treasures embellished Broadway and Hollywood sets and the living rooms of movie stars, died at 94.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Peacock released the trailer for The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a six-part original TV series starring Harvey Keitel based on the bestselling novel of the same name. It will debut on the streaming service on May 2, and you can read more about it here.

Thanks to 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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