Your Daily Phil: U.S. Jewry expresses ‘growing concern’ at Gaza humanitarian crisis
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In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we examine the Jewish community’s reactions to the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We report on Jewish organizations’ refusal to meet a French minister after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the country would recognize a Palestinian state in September, and on antisemitism task force head Leo Terrell’s remarks at the Israel on Campus Coalition summit. We feature an opinion piece by Gilad Peled about incorporating reflection into the structure of experiential education programs. Also in this issue: Rebecca Krasner, Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan and Erica Mindel.
What We’re Watching
The Israel on Campus Coalition’s National Leadership Summit continues today in Washington. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Leo Terrell, senior counsel at the Department of Justice, addressed the gathering of 600 students yesterday. More below.
And in Aspen, Colo., Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s PJ Library is continuing its multiday conference through Wednesday.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH EJP’S JUDAH ARI GROSS
Calls are growing within the American Jewish community for Israel to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip amid escalating reports of starvation and disease in the beleaguered Palestinian enclave.
Jewish groups have until now been hesitant to issue public statements on the matter, generally due to uncertainty over the veracity of the information coming out of Gaza, with much of it attributed to Hamas-run government ministries and international organizations with an antagonistic relationship with Israel.
“The stories alleging a humanitarian crisis in Gaza have been very difficult. This is both because the facts of these situations are particularly hard to ascertain and because the Jewish community and Israel care deeply about the humanitarian needs of all people,” Gary Torgow, the chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, said in a briefing on Friday on the subject.
However, in recent days, staunch Israeli allies have begun describing the food insecurity situation in Gaza as reaching starvation levels, even as Israeli leaders have denied that this is the case.
“The first thing is, the situation is absolutely dire, and that’s why every single day we say, ‘We can’t do enough. There’s no way we can solve it,’” Rev. Johnnie Moore, the head of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — the aid group backed by the Israeli and American governments that strives to replace existing international relief organizations — told JFNA in its Friday briefing. “We have served between 800,000 and 1 million Gazans just through our distribution sites, and that’s not nearly enough.”
Over the weekend, the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly said it was “increasingly concerned about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
“Even as we believe Hamas could end this suffering immediately through the release of the hostages and care for its civilian population, the Israeli government must do everything in its power to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need. The Jewish tradition calls upon us to ensure the provision of food, water, and medical supplies as a top priority,” the Rabbinical Assembly said.
The American Jewish Committee similarly said that it was “deeply concerned about worsening food insecurity in Gaza.”
Perhaps the most forceful comments came from the Reform movement. “No one should be unaffected by the pervasive hunger experienced by thousands of Gazans. No one should spend the bulk of their time arguing technical definitions between starvation and pervasive hunger. The situation is dire, and it is deadly,” the Reform movement wrote in a statement. “More than a few members of the current Israeli government have publicly called for Israel to decimate the Gaza Strip,” the movement noted. “We condemn all such statements. They do not represent Jewish values nor those embodied in the Zionist vision that produced Israel’s Declaration of Independence.”
All of these statements placed the blame for the situation primarily — if not solely — on Hamas. But the Reform movement also highlighted Israel’s culpability through its decision to impose a full blockade on Gaza in March as a pressure tactic on Hamas, which has yet to bear fruit.
“Hamas has continuously and cynically created the conditions for, and weaponized, Palestinian suffering in order to demonize Israel — a tactic that too many continue to ignore,” AJC wrote. “Hamas is ultimately responsible for this war and its continuation — further evidenced this week by its unwillingness, once again, to reach a renewed ceasefire and hostage-release agreement.”AJC and the Reform and Conservative movements all also expressed support for Israel’s recent decision to increase aid to Gaza, institute “humanitarian pauses” during the fighting and better designate humanitarian corridors, describing them as a good start to addressing the crisis.
But as the war drags on, with no clear end in sight, and with more striking images of Palestinian suffering emerging (even if some are found to be disingenuous), Israel is likely to face not only growing pressure from the international community but from the Jewish community as well.
RED LINES
Jewish groups refuse to meet French minister after Paris says it will recognize Palestinian state
A coalition of major American Jewish organizations refused an invitation on Friday to meet with Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs, after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the country will recognize a Palestinian state in September, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
‘Distressed and disappointed’: The refusal marks a departure from a long-held stance by many of the groups, who have maintained communication with political figures, even amid disagreements, to continue to represent the voice of American Jewry. “We believe that meeting with them wouldn’t emphasize how deeply distressed and disappointed we are by President Macron,” William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, one of the groups behind the refusal, told eJP on Friday. “If this had been an open and constructive dialogue before Macron had made his decision, that would have been representative of the relationship that we thought American Jewry had with the French government,” Daroff said. “But since they are presenting this as a fait accompli, it demonstrates that the French do not hold our relationship to be as close as we thought it was, and so we are jointly expressing our deep concern and disappointment in the French government.”
SECURITY SURCHARGE
Antisemitism task force head Leo Terrell decries ‘Jewish tax’ in rising security costs
Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, said he is intent on eliminating what he called “the Jewish tax” in an address on Sunday to hundreds of Jewish college students gathered for the Israel on Campus Coalition’s three-day annual leadership summit held in Washington, reports Haley Cohen for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
What he said: “For those who don’t know what the Jewish tax is — for you to have this convention, for you to walk your child to a synagogue down the street — you have to pay for extra security,” said Terrell, who heads the Department of Justice’s antisemitism task force. “It makes no sense. It’s unfair. It’s wrong. I find it offensive that it’s being allowed throughout this country. I’m doing everything I can to eliminate it.” Terrell’s comments came as the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced last month that it had awarded $94.4 million in security grant funding to a total of 512 Jewish organizations nationwide.
Read the full story here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
IMPACT AMPLIFIER
The case for reflection in Israel education
“When I was 17, an educational trip changed my life. It was one of the first Jewish educational journeys to Poland in the late 1980s, and my first time traveling abroad: a dreamlike journey filled with unfamiliar places, first-time experiences, teenage intensity, historical drama, deep emotions and excitement. That trip forged my historical consciousness, deepened my bond with the Jewish People and played a defining role in shaping my Israeli identity,” writes Gilad Peled, a student in The iCenter and The George Washington University’s master’s program in Israel education, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
A critical step: “Time and again, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of intentional reflection and processing — a simple, cost-effective practice that consistently amplifies the impact of these experiences. And yet, the vast majority of funders and organizers still assume that simply visiting Israel will ‘do the job.’ … The educational philosopher John Dewey reminds us: ‘Mere activity does not constitute experience. It is dispersive, centrifugal, and dissipating.’ In other words, experience isn’t just about what we do; it’s about what happens within us because of what we do. And we only unlock that potential if we reflect.”
THE FUTURE IS HERE
Jewish educators need a seat at the AI table
“In early July, the American Federation of Teachers announced plans for an AI training center for educators, powered by $23 million in funding from Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic, three of the leading forces in the world of artificial intelligence,” writes Sara Wolkenfeld, the chief learning officer for Sefaria, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Unfortunately, since the AFT does not represent Jewish studies teachers employed by private schools, they will not have a seat at this particular table. So, unless we Jewish educators arrange an alternative venue, those responsible for transmitting Torah’s ancient messages to the next generation of Jewish learners will need to do so without explicit encouragement from the titans of Silicon Valley.”
What educators are for: “Educators need to invite students into the experience, and give them the muscle memory of working through problems on their own. You can’t learn to play basketball from a classroom lecture; and if AI does all the jumping for you, your legs will never get strong enough to dunk, either. … Education in general, and Jewish education in particular, is facing an almost unprecedented challenge. But the good news is that teachers have the perfect resource on hand to help them. Never mind colleges, students in middle or high school know how to use LLMs. However, they lack the wisdom to know how best to implement it, and that’s where educators come in.”
Worthy Reads
Don’t Look Away: In The Jerusalem Post, Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan stresses the need to acknowledge human suffering in Gaza. “Hamas’s atrocities on October 7 were the most horrific crimes committed against Jews since the Holocaust: the deliberate slaughter of civilians, rape, torture, and the kidnapping of children and the elderly. Given the opportunity, Hamas would carry it out again. Israel has the right and the duty to protect its citizens and dismantle this murderous threat. But as we do so, we must also uphold the values that define us… Accusations that Israel is committing genocide are unfounded and constitute a dangerous distortion of the term. But that does not mean we should not acknowledge the suffering of civilians in Gaza. There are many men, women, and children with no connection to terrorism who are experiencing devastation, displacement, and loss. Their anguish is real, and our moral tradition obligates us not to turn away from it.” [JPost]
Never Too Old: In The Free Press column “Ancient Wisdom,” entrepreneur Jack Miller, 96, shares his life story, including the genesis of the nonprofit that bears his name. “I wanted to be sure that coming generations would have the same opportunities for the American dream that I was given, and I believe that begins with education. I started a nonprofit organization called the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History — which has a long-winded name, but has made great strides in rebuilding the teaching workforce at American universities and in teaching millions of undergraduates — and K–12 teachers — about about our founding ideals and history at a time when they are largely disappearing everywhere else. … In these turbulent times, I am glad to be doing my part to help ensure students leave school knowing our history and what we as Americans hold in common.” [FreePress]
Power of the People: In Inside Philanthropy, Michael Kavate examines cases of “community-based climate strategies” in contrast (or in complement) with top-down efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “The examples range from the Lilliputian (have you ever heard of Ohio’s Oak Run Solar Project?) to the legendary (the campaign to cancel Keystone XL). … By my math, the median campaign profiled in the report had a cost of just $0.12 per ton of carbon dioxide emissions avoided through 2030. Even the average — which is dragged up by one more costly outlier — is only $1.40 per ton. Not only does the report suggest that philanthropic backing for these efforts is remarkably cost effective, but that their impact on emissions is just one of the benefits they bring, as advocates have long argued.” [InsidePhilanthropy]
Born Again: In the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Jacob Harold shares advice for nonprofits undergoing a transformative transition. “Social change can happen through many different structures; and those structures can evolve. In my own research, I’ve identified 37 models that social change organizations can undertake. Given time, social change leaders can and should step back and consider a full range of alternatives. But in this urgent moment, there is a justifiable focus on three radical options: mergers, acquisitions, and sunsets. Any organizational change can be challenging. Structural change is particularly tricky in the social sector for reasons that reflect the unique characteristics of the sector… Yet each can be overcome with the right dose of the essential currencies of social change: altruism, creativity, and leadership. Let us consider a set of principles or lessons which may help to grease the wheels of organizational consolidation, transformation, and renewal.” [SSIR]
Word on the Street
The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimorecreated the Center to Counter Antisemitism and Hate, which will be led by Executive Director Rebecca Krasner…
The New York Times spotlights former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker’s role as head of the Harvard Corporation, as both the Trump administration and the Corporation raise concerns about her continued leadership and involvement…
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), a vocal Democratic supporter of Israel in Congress, said in an interview with journalist Chuck Todd on Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had done “irreparable damage” to Israel’s relationship with and support among Democrats, tracing the origin of the breach to Netanyahu’s public clashes with President Barack Obama, reports Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod…
Mathematician-turned-singer Tom Lehrer, whose satirical tunes from the 1950s and ‘60s gained new audiences when Cameron Mackintosh compiled Lehrer’s music into the 1980 revue “Tomfoolery,” died on Saturday at 97…
Transitions
Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan has been named the next dean of Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal and the Aleph Ordination Program…
TikTok recently hired a new hate speech manager, Erica Mindel, a former State Department contractor who worked for Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the former special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, as the social media platform faces growing pressure to confront a sharp rise in antisemitic content, reports Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel…
Darren Beattie, who was fired from his role as a speechwriter in the first Trump administration over his ties to white nationalists, was tapped to serve as acting president of the U.S. Institute of Peace in addition to his role as under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs at the State Department…
Pic of the Day
The family of Naji Halabi, one of 12 children killed last year in a Hezbollah missile strike on the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, touches his photograph yesterday during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the deadly attack.
Birthdays
Survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau as a teen, he emigrated to Israel and became an artist, Yehuda Bacon…
Chicago radio news personality, from 1973 to 2013 he was a television news anchor in Chicago, Walter David Jacobson… U.S. District Court judge in Manhattan until 2006, then U.S. attorney general for the last 14 months of the Bush 43 administration, now of counsel at the international law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton, Michael Mukasey… Swedish industrialist, chairman of the Nobel Foundation (manager of the Nobel Prize) from 2005 to 2013, Marcus Storch Ph.D…. In 1986 she became the first woman in the IDF to hold the rank of brigadier general, she then served as a member of Knesset, and now serves on multiple for-profit and nonprofit boards, Amira Dotan… Oldest active quarterback, he also manages football teams in Baltimore and Jerusalem, Joe Pollak… President of the Council on Foreign Relations for 20 years until he retired in 2023, Richard N. Haass… Tel Aviv-born real estate developer, restorer of historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles, Izek Shomof… Partner and managing director of Meadow Lane Advisors, Marty Friedman… French-Israeli hairdresser and entrepreneur, Michel Mercier… Sports executive, attorney and former president of basketball operations for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn… American schoolteacher, wrongfully detained by Russia in 2022, he was released in the early weeks of the Trump 47 administration, Marc Hilliard Fogel… Talent booker, publicist and television and radio personality in Atlanta, Mara Davis… Tech entrepreneur who has invested in more than 100 startups, New York Times bestselling author, Joshua M. “Josh” Linkner… Co-founder of 23andMe, she recently regained control of the company, Anne Wojcicki… Actress and reality show personality, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren… Jerusalem-born actor with more than 30 movie and television roles in the U.S., Ori Pfeffer … Deputy CEO at UpStart, Jennifer Lew Goldstone… Associate justice of the Supreme Court of California, Leondra Kruger… Israeli journalist and former member of the Knesset, Ksenia Svetlova… Managing partner at Altitude Ventures, a health-care venture capital firm, he is a former White House liaison to the Jewish community, Jay Zeidman… Senior reporter at Bloomberg News, Laura Nahmias… CEO and CTO at Diagnostic Robotics in Jerusalem, Kira Radinsky Ph.D…. Vice president of player personnel at MLB’s Miami Marlins, Samuel Mondry-Cohen… Administrator at Lehigh Valley Homecare in Allentown, Pa., Menachem (Mark) Perl… Actor and producer who stars in the CBS series “Ghosts,” Asher Chazen Grodman… National narrative enterprise reporter at The Washington Post, Ruby Cramer… Larry Gordon…
