Your Daily Phil: Boost for security grants in Calif. as clashes break out in Jewish L.A.
Good Monday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a conference on Black-Jewish relations in New York City, and feature an opinion piece by Rabbi Leon A. Morris about the need to bring more Jewish particularism into Reform Judaism. Also in this newsletter: Mijal Bitton, Doug Emhoff and John Paulson. We’ll start with California expanding the budget for nonprofit security grants as anti-Israel protesters block access to a Los Angeles synagogue, sparking clashes.
California is expected to allocate $80 million in nonprofit security grants over the next two years, a substantial increase from the previous budget, in a significant victory for the state’s Jewish Public Affairs Committee and the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
The security grant agreement was announced yesterday at roughly the same time as clashes broke out between pro- and anti-Israel demonstrators outside congregation Adas Torah in Los Angeles’ heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood, as the latter blocked the main entrance to the synagogue, which was holding an event about Israeli real estate.
The budget deal, which is due to be approved on Thursday, followed intensive negotiations between Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office and lawmakers from the state Assembly and Senate.
“Previous record highs were $50 million in 2021 and 2022, and the state has never made a multi-year allocation before,” JPAC Executive Director David Bocarsly said in an email to eJP. “This is an especially big deal given the state is facing one of its biggest budget deficits in history, and is making major cuts to other programs to balance the budget.”
Outside Adas Torah, protesters at times came to blows, with one apparent anti-Israel activist wearing a keffiyeh face mask being seen spraying bear spray at pro-Israel demonstrators and a journalist. In some cases, protesters were seen using sticks and handles from protest signs and flags as weapons against one another. At least one person was arrested during the fracas, local police told the Los Angeles Times. City and state officials denounced the anti-Israel protesters for blocking access to the synagogue — Newsom decried it as “antisemitic hatred” — and condemned the resulting violence.
“Violence in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood today was abhorrent, and blocking access to a place of worship is unacceptable. I’ve called on LAPD to provide additional patrols in the Pico-Robertson community as well as outside of houses of worship throughout the city,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X. “I want to be clear that Los Angeles will not be a harbor for antisemitism and violence. Those responsible for either will be found and held accountable.”
David Suissa, the publisher and editor-in-chief of L.A.’s Jewish Journal, called the anti-Israel demonstration outside the synagogue an act of “terror.”
“Terror doesn’t mean people have to die. Terror means you intimidate and bully people. Terror means you use fear as your weapon of choice. Terror means you go after people because of who they are,” Suissa wrote.
The local chapter of the Anti-Defamation League said it was “aware” of the protests and was in contact with the LAPD about the matter.
Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid reacted to the L.A. clashes, as well as the deadly attacks in Russia’s Dagestan republic in which synagogues and churchers were apparently targeted and the recent rape of a Jewish girl in France, calling for the world to condemn the “antisemitism [that] is again raising its toxic and ugly head.”
“Anyone who does not voice their loud and unequivocal condemnation is part of the problem,” Lapid wrote.
ERODED KINSHIP
At event on Black-Jewish ties, Rep. Torres says loudest anti-Israel voices in Congress don’t represent Black lawmakers
What did Black-Jewish relations look like during the Civil Rights Movement? What can be done to reverse current polling trends among young Black people that suggest sympathy for Hamas and support for antisemitic viewpoints? And how can the two communities return to the kinship once shared by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel? Those were among the questions addressed on Thursday at a panel discussion and reception titled “Black Jewish Relations and Returning to a Shared Legacy.” The event, organized by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a conservative think tank, was held at the Monterey restaurant in New York City, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Haley Cohen for Jewish Insider from the event.
Not on their mind: In the keynote interview, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) — in conversation with Juan Williams, a Fox News political analyst and author of Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years — said that the members of Congress who are vocally anti-Israel, most notably some members of the “Squad,” are not actually representative of Black members of Congress or of Black Americans in general on issues of support for Israel and condemnation of Hamas. “Anti-Zionism is the luxury belief of Ivy Leagues,” Torres said.
Disconnection: Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Riley, a Manhattan Institute senior fellow who organized Thursday’s event, told JI that he largely agrees with Torres. “There is often a disconnect between Black elites and Black rank-and-file in terms of agenda and priorities.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
CONVERSATION STARTER
It’s time for a new spirit in American Reform Judaism
“Now more than ever, we need a Torah-intoxicated Reform Judaism in America, applying Jewish texts and ideas to the most important issues of our time. We need an anchor for our creativity, a basis for our commitments to social justice, an answer to what awaits when someone is welcomed inside our big tent,” writes Rabbi Leon A. Morris, president of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, in an abridged version of his remarks at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s rabbinic ordination ceremony earlier this month, shared exclusively with eJewishPhilanthropy.
Freedom to choose duty: “After two centuries of emphasizing personal autonomy and human freedom, today our movement can declare victory in that campaign. Every modern Jew knows they are free to make choices in all areas of their lives, particularly when it comes to religion, spiritual practice and ritual. They need no reminder from the pulpit that they are free to choose… But now, as rabbis, you can help them navigate what to do with this freedom, how to use their positive freedom — their freedom to do — responsibly, in ways that enhance themselves, their community and the Jewish people… To be Jewish leaders today, we must re-embrace the notion of halacha on Reform terms.”
Offer meaningful Jewish learning: “You may lead communities brimming with creativity and innovation, congregations committed to social justice and tikkun olam. However, many still need an infusion of deep Jewish content, of study that ignites the mind and the heart. Our community possesses the most extraordinary breadth of secular education of any in Jewish history, yet our ignorance of Judaism is unprecedented. The value of talmud Torah — the study of Torah — remains elusive in American Jewish life. It is true that many folks have enrolled in courses, attended lectures and participated in film festivals. Board meetings might begin with divrei Torah. But Jewish learning remains more ‘infotainment’ than the fuel on which Jewish life runs. As more and more people seek depth and wisdom, you will have the opportunity to bring about an American Jewish cultural revival driven by Jewish content — texts and ideas that can inspire and help us navigate the change occurring all around us.”
Worthy Reads
Breaking Stereotypes: In the Jewish Journal, Kylie Ora Lobell interviews filmmaking couple Salvador and Nina Litvak about their latest project on the film festival circuit, a neo-western set in a small American desert community. The protagonist? A Chabad rabbi racing to solve a murder mystery, with the help of his family. “[T]his brave rabbi wears a black hat and tzitzit, serves up dvar Torahs and wraps tefillin on Jewish men whenever he gets a chance. It’s a first for Hollywood, which historically has shown Jewish men as being nebbishy, neurotic and weak and, at times, demonized Jewish people in TV and film. ‘As Jews, we resent these stereotypes,’ Nina said. ‘In real life, we don’t resemble that. It’s overdone. It’s not really what being Jewish is all about.’… The Litvaks came up with the idea for ‘Guns & Moses’ in the wake of the Chabad of Poway shooting in 2019, where a shooter entered the Chabad building on April 27, killed Lori Gilbert Kaye and injured Rabbi Mendel Goldstein and two other congregants… It could be argued that it’s more important now for a courageous and strong Jew to be shown on screen, in a time when antisemites are trying to take down Jews in Israel and all around the world. Salvador and Nina, who have been to Magen Am USA gun safety and training sessions, have seen an uptick in Jewish men and women — as well as Chabad rabbis — who are participating. ‘These are kickass warriors,’ Salvador said.” [JewishJournal]
Stand Out Behavior: In The Jerusalem Post, Nadav Weil reflects on his experiences living in Israel with Tourette’s syndrome, where his tics and “bizarre behavior” sometimes cause him problems around security officials. “When I was visiting a Jewish holy site in Jerusalem around the beginning of the war, I was detained by the border police for ‘suspicious behavior.’ I could understand their position, seeing an individual jerking around, uttering and grunting strangely can be a cause for concern for those empowered to provide security. From my perspective, I was nervous about being seen as a threat, which only made my tics worse, making the border police all the more suspicious. After checking my ID and giving me a stern warning about my ‘behavior,’ even as I tried to explain the syndrome behind the bizarre behavior, I was allowed to go. I later reflected that those who ‘stand out’ – risk being perceived as ‘targets,’ not only of external threats but of internal biases and prejudices… As rockets soar and tensions ebb and flow, my journey with Tourette’s in Israel continues – an ongoing testament to resilience in the face of adversity. My hope remains steadfast: for a day when ‘otherness’ is celebrated, not ostracized; when diversity is embraced, not feared.” [JPost]
Unintended Consequences: Writing for CNN, Mijal Bitton writes about how anti-Israel protests and antisemitism are pushing young Jews to take a greater interest in Judaism and Zionism. “Paradoxically, every day since October 7, I have also seen how this rise in antisemitism and anti-Zionist rhetoric is inspiring Jewish pride and solidarity with Israel among so many young Jews. I have seen this as a visiting researcher studying American Jewry at New York University. And I have seen this as the spiritual leader of Manhattan’s Downtown Minyan, a congregation filled with the diverse, ambitious and socially liberal young professionals who thrive in New York… These young Jews have different backgrounds and political views, but they share the life-altering experience of deep disillusionment with previous professional or social homes. Nearly every young person I know has had a (former) friend express sympathy for Hamas, been the recipient of antisemitic comments on social media or seen overt antisemitism in their neighborhood… But they are finding that in their loneliness, they are not alone. They are rediscovering that they belong to a rich history of Jews who experienced othering and expulsions but whose greatest strength was in each other. They are rediscovering the millenia-old Jewish rituals and community structures that nourish belonging. And they are rediscovering Zionism.” [CNN]
Around the Web
Matti Leshem compares growing normalization of antisemitism in 2024 New York to 1933 Berlin in an opinion piece in The Daily Beast…
CBS’ Rita Braver interviews Doug Emhoff on what it is like being the first second gentleman, the first Jew in the White House and on his fight against antisemitism…
Yeshiva University announced its new board members including Chair Doba Isaacs, Dr. Annie Baron, Dr. Robyn Horowitz Grossman and Saritte Silvera for its Stern College for Women, and Chair David Rauch, Drew Parker and Shai Barnea for its Yeshiva College for men…
The Biden reelection campaign is planning to hire a faith engagement director focused on outreach to the Jewish community, amid concerns over lagging support among Jewish voters in must-win states ahead of the November election…
A new survey by the free speech group FIRE and the University of Chicago’s NORC found that 72% of American adults believed that students who took part in anti-Israel encampments on college campuses should be punished in some way; in addition, 63% of respondents said the protests had “no impact on their level of sympathy for Palestinians in Gaza” and 17% said the protests made them sympathize less with Palestinians…
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt criticized the Wikipedia editors’ recent determination that his organization was a “generally unreliable” source on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and on matters of antisemitism…
A new documentary film by director Dara Brattwhich, “Inked: Our Stories Remarked,” which explores the relationship between Jews and tattoos in the wake of the Holocaust, won the Claims Conference’s annual contest for emerging filmmakers…
Jewish teens from across South America gathered in the popular seaside tourist destination of Punta del Este, Uruguay, for the first-ever South America regional Shabbaton by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement’s CTeen youth group to discuss topics such as Jewish marriage and connection to Israel…
Magen David Adom U.K. honored 33 volunteers of the ambulance service who were murdered on Oct. 7 at a dinner for key supporters, who helped raise $19 million for the organization…
Beverly Hills-based philanthropist Anita May Rosenstein donated $25,000 to the Beverly Hills Fire Department…
Casino magnate Dr. Miriam Adelson donated $1 million to the Sen. Ted Cruz-supporting super PAC Truth and Courage in the largest single contribution to the PAC last month…
Former President Donald Trump out-raised President Joe Biden last month, amid a wave of financial contributions following his felony conviction in May…
New York City’s largest and trendiest kosher bakery chain Patis filed for bankruptcy…
Businessman, investor and philanthropist John Paulson, who donated $27 million last year to establish the Hebrew University’s Paulson Bar-El Building for Computer Science and Engineering, received an honorary doctorate degree from the university during the 87th Board of Governors meeting in Jerusalem earlier this month…
Pop sensation Taylor Swift has officially moved on from her feud with music executive Scooter Braun, according to a two-part docuseries detailing Swift’s fight to own her art released on Max on June 21…
The Winkler Lowy Foundation announced that it would provide full scholarships and living stipends to nine Ethiopian-Israeli students at Israel’s private Reichman University…
In a Guardian profile of British Labor Party leader Keir Starmer, the politician denies that his wife and children are Jewish — despite her father being Jewish and mother having converted — but says his family does enjoy watching “Friday Night Dinner,” a British comedy series about a Jewish family that gathers for weekly Shabbat dinners…
OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, who was part of a failed effort to oust the organization’s CEO, Sam Altman, and subsequently left the company, has launched a new research lab to develop safe superintelligence…
Ruth Levinsohn Siteman, a graduate and longtime benefactor of Washington University in St. Louis, died on June 13 at 92…
Boro Park, Brooklyn-based Haredi philanthropist and Holocaust survivor Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Paneth died at 99…
Pic of the Day
From left, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; Carole Zawatsky, CEO of The Tree of Life; Sen. Bob Casey, Jr., (D-PA); and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) attend a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for the new Tree of Life complex in Pittsburgh.
The new structure is replacing the Tree of Life synagogue where 11 worshipers were murdered in 2018 in the deadliest act of antisemitism in U.S. history.
“I know this is a difficult time in America, on college campuses and in our town squares. Antisemitism is rising, and some world leaders at times offer permission slips to hate. Here, here on this sacred ground, we should learn the lessons of the past, develop the tools to speak up and build safer communities for all,” Shapiro said at the event.
Birthdays
Founder of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, he is also the founder of Yeshivat Maharat, Rabbi Avraham Haim Yosef (Avi) Weiss…
Ruth Weinstein… Co-founder of Trian Fund Management, Nelson Peltz… Professor emeritus in the College of Business at San Francisco State University, Sam S. Gill… Former chairman and CEO of New York Life Insurance Company, Seymour “Sy” Sternberg… Professor of Jewish philosophy at American Jewish University and founding dean of its rabbinical program, Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff… Former secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, he is an author and professor at UC Berkeley, Robert Reich… Former member of Knesset and former chief of staff of the IDF, Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon… Early childhood specialist at Columbus City Schools and Columbus School for Girls in Columbus, Ohio, Carol Glassman… Executive vice president at Edelman, he is the author of a book on the Saatchi & Saatchi ad firm, Kevin Goldman… Circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Sandra Segal Ikuta… President and CEO of public relations firm Steinreich Communications, Stanley Steinreich… U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, Beth Francine Bloom… President-elect of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo… Principal until 2023 of Mount Scopus Memorial College located in Melbourne, Australia, Rabbi James Kennard… The first on-air talent of the NFL Network when it debuted in 2003, he has become the face of the network ever since, Rich Eisen… Israeli businesswoman and owner of the soccer team, Hapoel Beer Sheva, Alona Barkat… Author and columnist, he is the managing editor at Shtetl, Shulem Deen… Singer and songwriter professionally known as Ariel Pink, Ariel Marcus Rosenberg… Film director, screenwriter, producer, editor and cinematographer, Todd Strauss-Schulson… Director of domestic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Matthew Continetti… Digital marketing manager at Guardian Pharmacy Services, Brett Rosner… One-half of the husband-and-wife duo known for their YouTube channel h3h3Productions, Ethan Edward Klein… VP of Houston-based RIDA Development, Steven C. Mitzner… A 2015 contestant on “Jeopardy!” who earned $413,612 by winning 13 consecutive episodes, Matthew Barnett “Matt” Jackson… Actress and singer, Elizabeth Greer “Beanie” Feldstein… Director of legislative fiscal affairs at the Rockland County (N.Y.) legislature, Moshe Gruber… College basketball player for the Harvard Crimson until 2022, then a graduate transfer player at NYU until last month, Spencer Freedman… Lois Charles…
