The Jews Are Tired

It's great when megadonors support their cause in the Jewish community, but what happens when they suddenly walk away? Also updates on the Gender Equity In Hiring Project's pay equity spreadsheet and the upcoming Israeli election. TRANSCRIPT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nK_1TUTpkiPBj8eLhSPZHxvdd_iZ4h4HqELubugdld8/edit?usp=sharing https://www.jta.org/2021/02/23/united-states/the-jewish-worl...

A joke -- or 'joke' -- from last week's "Saturday Night Live" has riled many. But it serves as an opportunity to take a deeper dive into the vaccine situation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fd30jB2CeuTghi_EXg0HHWXSDvHJ0EAM8ZFFEL01WPQ/edit https://youtu.be/9X_HgJ3KMvY https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/world/middleeast/israel-palestinians-...

What is making a new, proposed California ethnic studies curriculum so controversial, and why some new reporting on the issue is only serving to make matters worse. https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/california-ethnic-studies-curriculum https://www.jta.org/2021/02/04/opinion/local-jewish-groups-worked-for-years-to-fix-the-california-ethnic-studies-curriculum-please-dont-minimize-our-...

The Forward's Alex Zeldin (@jewishwonk) joins this week to discuss the nuance and complexity of a Twitter thread that pointed out the minyan (and then some) of Jewish members of President Joe Biden's cabinet and inner circle. https://twitter.com/jewishwonk/status/1351592938246168583?s=21

It's been a week since the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week, but many in the Jewish community saw it coming for the last several years. Why wasn't it taken more seriously? https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-calls-for-president-trump-to-be-removed-from-office https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/people-will-try-to-kill-us-says-gop-lawmaker-on-going-against-trump.html https://www.adl.org/b...

Why exactly are the Jews so tired? Our year-end wrap-up episode reminds us of all the things that took place this year -- (many you may have forgotten ACTUALLY happened this year) -- and a couple of things to look for in the year ahead. https://tcjewfolk.com/donate/ https://www.jta.org/2020/12/08/united-states/new-york-jews-were-ready-to-unite-against-anti-semitism-after-2-deadly-attacks-then-covi...

The Jews Are Tired of Israeli elections, but here we go again: Israel's fourth election in two years and the crumbling of the unity government. How did we get here, and more importantly, where do we go from here? Plus, funding for dialogue programs between Israelis and Palestinians, and the saga of Holocaust education in Minnesota. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-congress-approves-250m-for-israel...

Could the Supreme Court's ruling regarding New York's pandemic restrictions on synagogues change anything in Minnesota? Plus: What does the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist mean for Israel and the direction things take in the Middle East -- and does it become a security threat for Jews worldwide? https://www.jta.org/2020/12/02/opinion/what-does-the-supreme-court-decision-actually-c...

Two senate runoffs loom in Georgia with one Jewish candidate and another a preacher at Martin Luther King, Jr.'s old church, who has made statements that some on the right are calling controversial (but probably aren't). Plus, an ode to the Jewish second gentleman-elect. https://www.jta.org/2020/11/11/politics/as-raphael-warnocks-israel-record-becomes-a-flashpoint-atlanta-jews-call-the-senate-cand...

With Election Day a few days away, can the Jewish vote sway the election? Plus what are the Jewish priorities when it comes to voting? https://www.ajc.org/news/survey2020 https://www.jewishelectorateinstitute.org/2020-national-survey-of-likely-jewish-voters/ https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2020/october/elections-jewish-vote-steinhardt.html https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/...

A special live J•Cation podcast with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, with all of the Jewfolk podcast hosts. The Governor talks legislative gridlock, Holocaust studies in our schools, and what's at stake on Election Day. Plus, he waxes poetically about his favorite musicians. This show is part of J•Cation, Jewfolk, Inc.'s 24-hour fundraising event. To donate or for more information, go to jcation.com

Russell Star-Lack's undergraduate thesis on Carleton College takes a deep-dive into the housing inequalities that aided in the Jewish community leaving North Minneapolis for St. Louis Park while the Black community could not. How does his research impact how we should be telling our story? About the series: https://tcjewfolk.com/introducing-exodus-and-equity/ Part 1: https://tcjewfolk.com/reckonin...

What does Israel normalizing relations with the Arab nations of Bahrain and the UAE mean: Is there substance or is it just for show? And what does it mean for the annexation of Palestinian territories? https://www.npr.org/2020/09/02/908408648/reporters-notebook-what-it-was-like-on-israel-s-peace-plane-to-uae https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/the-abraham-accord-no-details-no-devil-analysis-642541

A diverse group of Jewish organizations signed on to an ad supporting Black Lives Matter; so what type of shift does this mean after years of uncomfortableness with it? How do the different parts of the Jewish community can learn to make some peace even with groups we don't agree with. https://www.jta.org/2020/08/28/united-states/10-page-summary-of-new-movement-for-black-lives-platform-contains-no...

We know that the Jewish community in the Twin Cities has increased since 2004; but what does that mean? Marisa Gage, the research manager at the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, walks us through what the numbers mean, and how the data can be used to help organizations going forward. https://tcjewfolk.com/population-study-finds-jewish-community-growth/ https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IhU8...

This week, Lev talks about Seth Rogen's appearance on Marc Maron's podcast, why all the blowback is nonsense, and what things the Jewish community *should* be talking about instead. https://forward.com/news/451992/in-a-pickle-seth-rogen-tells-haaretz-what-he-really-thinks-about-israel/ https://twitter.com/raicestexas/status/1286469541573226496?s=21 https://tcjewfolk.com/st-cloud-councilman-uses-ho...

How do you create a niche meme Instagram account? This week we take a detour into Jewish humor as Lev sits down with Aly Silverberg, the creator of the brilliant Jewish Girl Problems. https://linktr.ee/jewishgirlprobs

Annexation is still just talk. But for how long? Now that we're past July 1, IF annexation is the big move, what's the hold-up? https://en.idi.org.il/articles/31953 https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-fear-of-a-us-retreat-from-the-mideast-is-driving-netanyahu-toward-annexation/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/annexation-not-practical-at-the-moment-says-outgoing-defense-ministry-chief/ https://www.jpos...

Legendary Jewish Telegraphic Agency Washington Bureau Chief Ron Kampeas on some hot-button issues, including for the controversy with the Conference of Presidents, shenanigans between organizations, and a whole lot of what-ifs. https://www.jta.org/2020/04/28/politics/a-trump-era-compromise-on-the-presidents-conference-chairwoman-reveals-jewish-organizational-tensions .

Has a pre-COVID study on young Jewish adults produced any new results, or are we still treading water with that population? Also, why there is a push for Juneteenth to be recognized as a holiday in the Jewish community. https://tcjewfolk.com/next-juneteenth/ https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/ https://globaljews.org/events/juneteenth-kabbalat...

How did "Soros-funded" become an excuse for people not to engage in the real issues plaguing the country? https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681 https://www.adl.org/blog/soros-conspiracy-theories-and-the-protests-a-gateway-to-antisemitism https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-49584157 https://www.adl.org/blog/the-anti-semi...

As protests are taking place nationwide in response to the killings of unarmed black people by law enforcement, we talk about a Jewish perspective on protest and rioting -- including somethings in our own liturgy that haven't aged well. https://tcjewfolk.com/category/news-buzz/george-floyd/ https://www.jta.org/2020/05/31/united-states/believe-us-black-jews-respond-to-the-george-floyd-protests-in-t...

Catching up on the shenanigans in Israeli politics: How did PM Benjamin Netanyahu win -- despite being under indictment -- and what may come next.

In case you missed the live video, catch up on our Campfire Conversation with the directors of Camp Butwin, Camp Olami, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, Camp TEKO, Herzl Camp and OSRUI that was recorded on May 14. The guests talk in-depth about their decisions to cancel or delay camp, and what lies ahead.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio took heat for a tweet calling out "the Jewish community," but of course things on Twitter are never that clear cut. How do we do a better job of understanding -- and paying attention to -- the complicated interplay between the different parts of the Jewish community? https://www.jta.org/2020/05/01/united-states/hasidic-leaders-defend-new-york-mayor-and-call-on-their-commun...