American Jewry

American Jews and responsibility for Israel - opinion

When American Jews openly stand with the Jewish state, does that make them legitimate targets for blame over Israel’s policies?

American Jews [Illustrative]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the United Jewish Communities /Jewish Federations of North America 2009 General Assembly in Washington November 9, 2009.

Jewish Federations raise $30 million in emergency aid for Israel during Operation Roaring Lion

A controversial pro-Palestinian mural in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, depicting a Jewish star turning into a swastika, put up by a Palestinian business owner on Sept. 14, 2024.

Wisconsin adopts IHRA definition of antisemitism in state law

Protesters of the "buffer zone" legislation gather outside New York City Hall on March 26, 2026.

NYC Council approves ‘buffer zone’ legislation insulating houses of worship from protests


The ‘Zionism’ gap: What data really shows about Jews, Israel and Zionism today - opinion

Most American Jews remain deeply connected to Israel, even as many resist the label “Zionist,” reflecting concerns about policies rather than rejecting the Jewish state itself.

American Jews [Illustrative]

America’s Black-Jewish story gets an update on new PBS series featuring Henry Louis Gates

The series explores key moments in the histories of Black and Jewish Americans, and how those moments ran parallel and crossed paths over the past five centuries.

Historian and host Henry Louis Gates Jr. attends a seder in “Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History.”

Iran FM Araghchi says Trump being ‘dragged’ toward war by 'certain elements'

Abbas Araghchi told CNN that miscalculations could trigger war with the US, while insisting Iran remains open to a deal on nuclear weapons.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks in Istanbul, Turkey, January 30, 2026; illustrative.

Nebraska lawmakers advance bill targeting Antisemitism in public schools and universities

The bill that would formally prohibit antisemitic discrimination in K–12 schools and institutions of higher education

Nebraska law inscription on the sheet. Nebraska residents are subject to Nebraska state and U.S. federal law

Where is American Jewish outrage over Iran? - opinion

It’s time for a gut check. See what issues enraged you this January. Compare any of your recent political activism with the Iranian people’s compelling need for our support – now.

A demonstrator protesting the deadly crackdown in Iran gathers outside the White House in Washington, DC on January 17, 2026.

This was not protest, it was a threat to New York’s Jewish community - opinion

New Yorkers, whether Jewish or not, must be willing to disavow what is being touted as a moral equivalence of something that is actually a precursor to forced expulsion.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces the appointment of Christine Clarke as chair and commissioner for the New York City Commission on Human Rights at Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City, New York

A century before Trump targeted Somalis, Jews faced politics of blame 

In 1908, New York City Police Commissioner Theodore A. Bingham claimed Jews accounted for half of New York’s crimes.

The crowded "Hebrew district" of New York's Lower East Side, c. 1907.

Editor's Notes: Israel, Diaspora Jews need to be on same page

Israelis and American Jews often misunderstand each other, shaped by different media. A call for shared stories and perspectives could bridge the growing gap between the two communities.

OSCAR THE GROUCH was the funny creature who lived in a trash can on ‘Sesame Street.’ In Israel, he was replaced by Moishe Oofnik, a similarly grumpy character but distinctly Israeli and living in a different kind of can.

Peter Beinart, Elliot Cosgrove and other Jewish leaders face off over the future of liberal Zionism

On Tuesday night in Manhattan, a group of prominent rabbis and Jewish thinkers gathered to ask whether liberal Zionism is now collapsing.

Peter Beinart speaks at a panel on "The Jewish Tent at a Crossroads" in the sanctuary of  B'nai Jeshurun in Manhattan, Jan. 6, 2026. Others on the panel were, from left, moderator Rabbi Irwin Kula, Esther Sperber, Rabbi Jill Jacobs and Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove.

Diaspora Jewish leadership is speaking a language the world no longer understands - opinion

Jewish survival is seen more as a matter of tone than force. The world doesn't judge intentions. It doesn't reward nuance. It only tests whether a people are willing and able to defend themselves.

 Rabbi Cosgrove