Your Daily Phil: Despite hubbub, Israel Day on Fifth parade marches on
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In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we examine a new report by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee that makes a number of unsubstantiated claims against the Biden administration and the American organizations that support Israeli nonprofits. We interview Paz Beniamini, an Israeli Open University astrophysicist who is one of three recipients of this year’s Blavatnik Prize for Young Scientists in Israel. We also cover yesterday’s Israel Day on Fifth Parade in New York City, and feature an opinion piece by Menachem Z. Rosensaft about NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision not to participate in the parade. We also have a piece by Rabbi Yael Dadoun about why we should challenge preemptive framing of discussions of Israel as a “sensitive subject.” Also in this issue: Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sara Wolkenfeld and Samuel Arbesman and Heshy Adelist.
Today’s Your Daily Phil was curated by eJP Managing Editor Judah Ari Gross, Opinion Editor Rachel Kohn and Israel Editor Justin Hayet. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
The Jewish international aid and umbrella group Olam’s annual two-day Focal Point conference kicks off today in New York City. If you’re there, say hi to eJP’s Nira Dayanim!
The American Jewish Committee’s Global Forum kicked off yesterday in D.C. This year’s forum brings together over 2,000 advocates to address issues facing the Jewish community, Israel and the United States. This year’s forum features author Dara Horn, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, historian Jonathan Sarna and Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Dave McCormick (R-PA).
The Israeli Embassy in Washington is holding a memorial this morning for slain staffers Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were killed in a terror attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum last May.
Yesterday marked the start of Diaspora Week, an annual Israeli program by the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs, the Jewish People Policy Institute, the Ami Initiative and other partners, which will feature events throughout the country related to Israel-Diaspora relations.
Also in Israel, the Knesset is holding its first reading of a bill to dissolve the parliament and trigger elections.
Tomorrow, the Israeli Democracy Institute will kick off its two-day Eli Hurvitz Conference in Jerusalem, bringing together key national figures to tackle Israel’s most critical economic and social challenges. If you’re there, say hi to eJP’s Justin Hayet!
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD FROM EJP’S JUDAH ARI GROSS
After more than a year of investigations, the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee released an updated report into the Biden administration’s alleged support for Israeli nonprofits that participated in protests against the Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plans in 2023, finding no evidence of wrongdoing.
With no concrete proof of connections between federal grants and the demonstrations in Israel, the report instead makes theoretical claims that protest groups “may have” received U.S. grants, or refers to grants that were made years before the current Israeli government was elected. In one case, it mistakenly refers to a grant that was issued by the first Trump administration as having come from the Biden White House.
The investigation — led by Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Brian Mast (R-FL), respectively the chairs of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees — was launched following a February 2023 opinion piece alleging that the Biden administration was meddling in Israeli domestic affairs, which was written by then-commentator Caroline Glick, who now serves as an international affairs advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is reportedly his preferred choice for the next Israeli consul general of New York.
The document, which was published on Friday, primarily relies on implication and unsubstantiated allegations — particularly against two Jewish-run grantmakers, the Jewish Communal Fund and PEF Israel Endowments Inc. — and misrepresents the nature of philanthropic vehicles like donor-advised funds, describing them as coherent, unified organizations instead of a clearinghouse through which a wide array of donors sends funds to an equally diverse group of institutions.
The allegations against PEF, which serves as a key go-between through which American dollars can easily be transferred to Israeli nonprofits, are particularly curious as the organization is apolitical by design and provides hundreds of millions of dollars annually to a hundreds of Israeli charities of all purposes and affiliations, right-wing and left, religious and secular, and everything in between.
In a statement to eJewishPhilanthropy, PEF denied wrongdoing and stressed its apolitical nature, adding that it would comply with “all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.” “PEF provides charitable support only to organizations that are duly established and recognized under Israeli law and that satisfy the applicable legal and compliance requirements governing our grantmaking. Our processes are designed to ensure that funds are distributed in accordance with applicable U.S. and Israeli legal standards,” the organization said.
COSMIC EVENT
Astrophysicist Paz Beniamini snags science prize — a burst of light for reenergizing Open University
JAG: From what I understand, you are the first winner of the Blavatnik Prize from the Open University, which is generally not as well known internationally, compared to other Israeli universities. What does winning this sort of prize do for the university?
PB: The Open University is really doing a lot of big changes in terms of the approach to research in general and specifically in astrophysics. … Before I joined, the Open University took the position that instead of having people working in different fields of physics, which have little to do with each other, to focus all of the physics faculty specifically into astrophysics. … We really now have a critical mass. … So I think, yes, we’re not as well known as some of the other places, but hopefully this is something that can change over time, and our individual records as researchers stand in their own right, and hopefully we can build momentum based on that.
PRIDE AND PROTECTION
Israel Day parade marked by celebratory crowd and large police presence
As an estimated 50,000 New Yorkers stretched along Fifth Avenue waving Israeli and American flags and Hebrew music echoed through the streets, this year’s annual “Israel Day on Fifth” parade carried a palpable sense of relief. For the first time since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks, attendees could swap out their hostage pins and “Bring Them Home Now” signs for simple flags — marking the first parade since the attacks in which all hostages held by Hamas have been released and Israel’s war in Gaza has ended, reports Haley Cohen for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
Pulse check on Fifth: For the first time in more than six decades, the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, was absent from the normally bipartisan tradition. However, former New York City Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Eric Adams marched in the parade. “This is Bloomberg sticking it to Mamdani,” a source familiar with the parade’s planning told the New York Post.
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
DAYEINU?
After the Israel Day on Fifth parade: The precarious future of Jewish-Mamdani relations
Sometimes a parade is just a parade, and the Israel Day on Fifth parade “is precisely that — no more, no less,” writes law professor Menachem Z. Rosensaft, general counsel emeritus of the World Jewish Congress, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Real talk: “At its core, this type of parade is an opportunity for people to get together to celebrate their heritage or their identity. … [New York City Mayor Zohran] Mamdani may be many things, but I don’t think even his enemies consider him to be a hypocrite, and his participation in the parade would have been denounced as hypocritical by his critics as well as his base. … As it turns out, he has been substantially true to his word and has made a valiant and, I think, sincere attempt to separate his anti-Israelism (a term I prefer to the more charged but in many ways meaningless anti-Zionism) from tangible initiatives on behalf of New York Jews…”
On the other hand: In a Jewish Telegraphic Agency opinion piece, Rabbi Avi Weiss urges New York’s Jewish community to completely cut ties with Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
FRAMING MATTERS
Loving Israel does not require an apology
“Recently, I was invited to participate in a facilitated conversation for Jewish professionals who would be teaching about Israel in different contexts,” writes Rabbi Yael Dadoun of Congregation Mishkan Or in Beachwood, Ohio, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Before the discussion could even begin, the moderator opened by acknowledging that Israel is a ‘difficult topic.’”
Walking on eggshells: “The discomfort around Israel is now so ambient that even those who feel deep attachment to it often instinctively signal distance first. That instinct is often mistaken for nuance, but in many Jewish spaces, it has become something more like a social ritual: Before expressing connection to Israel, one is expected to demonstrate sufficient unease with it. If we are going to infuse the next generation with pride, we must chart a different way forward.”
Worthy Reads
Subversive Civility: In The Bulwark, historian Matt Dallek defends the Anti-Defamation League’s aggressive and covert efforts to monitor and expose the far-right John Birch Society during the 1960s. “Surreptitious and, at times, underhanded, the ADL’s spy campaign against the John Birch Society was a triumph for liberal democracy, not to mention decency and civility, because it exposed the Birchers’ delusions and bigotries to public scrutiny. Sometimes, worthy ends justify unsavory means.” [TheBulwark]
Tikkun Tech: In ARC Magazine, Sara Wolkenfeld and Samuel Arbesman argue that instead of pursuing the “utopian” promises of AI, society should instead adopt a Jewish-inspired approach to use AI as a practical tool for improving our daily lives and communities. “Therein lies the potential of artificial intelligence from a Jewish perspective — not as a far-off goal or panacea, but as a set of tools that provide each of us the means to chip away at barriers and obstacles and create an improved society. The famous Talmudic sage Rabbi Akiva is said to have been inspired to reach for greatness after observing the power of water to wear away stone, drop by drop, as he drew water from the local well.” [ARCMagazine]
The Ties That Fray: Matthew Schmitz, the religion editor of The Washington Post’s opinions page, examines the emerging breakdown in the relationship between American Jewish and the Democratic Party. “Antisemitism is rising on the left and the right, but its presence in the Democratic Party is particularly jarring. Jewish support for the Democratic Party was sealed during the New Deal era, when Jews rallied to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Jonah Goldstein, a leader in New York’s Jewish community who made the mistake of running for mayor as a Republican in 1945, joked in Yiddish that Jews had three veltn, or worlds: di velt (this world), yene velt (the other world) and Roosevelt.” [WashPost]
Major Gifts
The family of NHL veteran Claude Lemieux, who was found dead last week, announced they are donating his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center to support scientific understanding of sports-related head trauma…
Transitions
FThe Lawrence (Kan.) Jewish Community Congregation has named Lara Giordano as its first-ever executive director…
Historian Ilan Shchori was named the senior vice president of B’nai B’rith International; Shchori, who is based in Tel Aviv, will also serve as the organization’s lead historian…
Rebecca Shafrir joined Reichman University to lead business development at its newly established Science Park…
Word on the Street
Ynet reports that despite a severe national doctor shortage, thousands of licensed Arab physicians say they are being blocked from residency positions, leaving qualified doctors unemployed and driving them to consider emigrating to pursue their careers…
Reps. Danny Davis (D-IL), Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Jim Clyburn (D-SC) introduced legislation to establish a National Park honoring Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and the network of schools for Black students that he founded…
Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch examines the tight Los Angeles mayoral race, as incumbent Karen Bass faces challenges from progressive Nithya Raman and Republican Spencer Pratt…
The American Jewish Congress is debuting a venture-style incubator called the AJCatalyst Lab that seeks to leverage modern technology and business strategies against anti-Jewish hatred…
The Atlanta Jewish Times spotlights the 5 Fingers Mechina, an Israeli leadership program that combines intense physical and mental training, which announced plans to launch a 10-month U.S. program this September…
British Jewish leaders are clashing over a proposal to financially compensate the traditionally unpaid president of the Board of Deputies…
The Times of Israel profiles Heshy Adelist, a professional cleaner who has spent over 1,000 pro bono hours removing graffiti targeting Melbourne’s Jewish community — including anti-Israel slogans, violent and profane messages, and rats with the word “Jew” on them — since the Oct. 7 attacks…
The fundraising platform JGive reports that since the Oct. 7 terror attacks, digital philanthropy has surged with donations rising by 200% from Diaspora Jews and by 226% within Israel..
In The Wall Street Journal, Gil Troy frames the 1941 Farhud pogrom in Baghdad as historical evidence in arguing that anti-Zionism is the modern iteration of antisemitism…
In Fox News, Ruby Chen, whose son, Itay, was killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and his body held in captivity, calls on Congress to create a bipartisan committee to investigate the attacks, in which dozens of Americans were killed…
Cara S. Trager, a journalist known for chronicling the lives of Long Islanders for Newsday, died on Friday at 71…
Marion Kozak Miliband, a Holocaust survivor, academic and activist who championed social justice and whose sons, David and Ed Miliband, became top British Labour party politicians, died at 91…
Pic of the Day
Rabbi Yosef Heinemann (second from left), CEO of Lakewood, N.J.’s Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva dances last night with the heads of the institution at the annual Ma’amad Adirei HaTorah event, in support of the yeshiva. The gathering, which features speeches from rabbinic figures and musical performances, was attended by more than 30,000 men — far more than in the past and was therefore held simultaneously at both the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and the Cure Arena in Trenton, N.J.
Sponsored by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK), the proposed legislation would increase Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding to $1 billion for houses of worship and community centers. The bill also includes provisions requiring the Department of Education to appoint an antisemitism coordinator, establishing new regulations for colleges receiving federal funding and mandating new disclosures from online platforms regarding the moderation of antisemitic content.
Birthdays
Owner of MLB’s Athletics, his parents were the co-founders of Gap, Inc., he is a board member of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) Foundation, John J. Fisher turns 65…
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, pianist and conductor, he has taught at Yale, SUNY Purchase, Cornell, Brandeis and Harvard, Yehudi Wyner turns 97… Holocaust survivor as a child, he served as the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel for 10 years and twice as chief rabbi of Tel Aviv, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau turns 89… NYC-based attorney, author of two books regarding the history and operations of El Al, owner of 40,000-plus pieces of memorabilia related to El Al, Marvin G. Goldman turns 87… Grammy Award-winning classical pianist, Richard Goode turns 83… Former member of the Knesset for the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Shimon Ohayon turns 81… Retired attorney in Berkeley, Calif., Thomas Andrew Seaton… Pediatrician in the San Francisco Bay area, longtime AIPAC activist, Elliot Charles Lepler, MD… Former member of the Knesset for the Shinui and the Hilonit Tzionit parties, Eti Livni turns 78… Founding editor of The American Interest, a bimonthly public policy magazinhas beenthat is on hiatus since 2020, Adam M. Garfinkle turns 75… Former editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News and co-author with Michael Bloomberg of Bloomberg by Bloomberg, Matthew Winkler turns 71… Senior business editor at NPR for 25 years until his scathing review of liberal bias at the network in 2024, now a contributing editor at The Free Press, Uri Paul Berliner… Founding rabbi of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, N.Y., Rabbi Moshe Weinberger turns 69… Former IDF officer and now a London based political scientist and journalist, Ahron “Ronnie” Bregman turns 68… Member of the Knesset for the Shas party for 16 years ending in 2015, Amnon Cohen turns 66… Poet, performance artist and essayist, Adeena Karasick turns 61… Founding editor and publisher of the Dayton Jewish Observer, Marshall J. Weiss… Television personality and matchmaker, Sigalit “Siggy” Flicker turns 59… Actor, voice actor and film director, Danielle Harris turns 49… Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and writer, Spencer J. Ackerman turns 46… Comedian, writer, actor, director and producer, Amy Schumer turns 45… Partner in Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm, Daniel Tannebaum… President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Yael Eckstein turns 42… Musician, songwriter, author, actor and blogger, Ari Seth Herstand turns 41… Former CEO of The Good Food Institute, Ilya Sheyman turns 40… Political reporter for NBC News until last year, now a newspaper editor in Maine, Alex Seitz-Wald… Senior writer at Barron’s covering the Federal Reserve, Nicole Goodkind… Head of responsible AI policy at Palantir, Naomi S. Kadish… Executive business partner at Lyft, Isabel Keller… NYC-born Israeli pair skater, she competed for Israel at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Hailey Esther Kops turns 24…
