Your Daily Phil: U.S. Jews split on whether Israel’s war plans should consider them
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In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a new survey of American Jews’ views on Israel’s war in Gaza by the Jewish People Policy Institute and on Jewish communal reactions to yesterday’s terror attack in Jerusalem. We interview Sarah Hurwitz about her new book on Jewish identity. An opinion piece by Dave Sorani shares a lesson for nonprofit leaders, drawn from the for-profit world; and Rabba Rori Picker Neiss and Shauna Leavey highlight the approach of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs to creating “support infrastructure” for their communal relations professionals. Also in this issue: Samuel Freedman, Ken Weinstein and Sara Friedman.
What We’re Watching
The liberal religious organization Smol Emuni (literally, “Faithful Left”) is kicking off its third conference in Jerusalem today, with sessions featuring religious leaders, social activists and politicians.
Also in Jerusalem, the U.S. Embassy in Israel is hosting a belated Fourth of July celebration tonight.
The Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg reopens today after a major renovation.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is holding its annual New York dinner tonight at the Altman Building, during which it will present its 2025 Humanitarian Award to businessman and philanthropist Marc Utay.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area is hosting a panel tonight titled “Antisemitism and Our Democracy,” featuring the group’s CEO, Tye Gregory, Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick and Daniel Klein, CEO of Jewish Silicon Valley.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH EJP’S JUDAH ARI GROSS
Nearly all “connected” American Jews — 92%— believe that Israel’s actions in Gaza directly affect their lives in the Diaspora, according to a new survey conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute. However, they are nearly evenly split on whether or not Israeli leaders must take this fact into account while determining the country’s next steps in the fight against Hamas — 47% say yes, 45% say no.
The division on this issue largely tracks with political identification: Liberal respondents were far more likely to believe that Israel must take Diaspora Jewry into its considerations than conservative respondents. The monthly “Voice of the Jewish People Index” poll, which surveyed 639 American Jews whom JPPI said tend to “reflect the views of ‘connected’ U.S. Jews,” was conducted between Aug. 14-18, shortly after the Israeli government approved plans to occupy Gaza City.
The survey found that American Jews are more concerned that Israel will become a “pariah state” internationally than their Israeli counterparts. This also follows ideological affiliations, with liberal respondents being more likely to say they were concerned about the issue than conservative ones.
Few issues split respondents more evenly than the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Asked to what extent they believed that reports of famine are accurate, roughly a quarter each said that they were “very accurate,” “somewhat accurate,” “not very accurate” and “completely false.”
This month’s poll also looked at differences between American, Israeli and British/Canadian Jews on questions of morality. American, British and Canadian Jews were generally aligned on most issues of morality, which were often not in line with Israelis’ views. American, British and Canadian Jews were more accepting of same-sex relations, abortions, gambling, physician-assisted suicide and speeding than their Israeli counterparts. Israelis, however, were more libertine on the issue of extramarital affairs, with 13% saying that adultery was “morally acceptable,” compared to 4% of American Jews and 6% of British/Canadian Jews.
Ahead of the upcoming High Holy Days, the pollsters also asked respondents about their plans to attend prayer services. A large majority, 71%, said that they planned to attend at least one in-person prayer service during the High Holy Days, and a majority across all denominations said that they planned to attend more than one. Roughly one-tenth of Reform and Conservative respondents said that they only planned to attend online services.
COMMUNAL REACTION
Jewish groups express solidarity, decry ‘pay for slay’ after Jerusalem terror attack
As Jerusalem reels from Monday’s bus station terror attack that killed six and injured over a dozen, Jewish groups across the religious and political spectrum are condemning the violence, expressing solidarity with Israel, and calling for an end to the Palestinian Authority’s so-called “pay-for-slay” policy, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
Time to act: The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations condemned Hamas for “welcoming” the attack, and decried the Palestinian Authority’s “pay-for-slay” policy in which families of Palestinians who are killed or arrested while conducting a terror attack receive financial support. “Under this policy, the families of the two terrorists responsible for today’s killings will now receive monthly payments, bankrolled by international aid intended for peace and development,” Betsy Berns Korn and William Daroff, the chair and CEO of the Conference of Presidents, wrote in a statement. “As we grieve the innocent lives stolen today, we call on the international community to demand an end to this practice. Empty promises are no longer acceptable.”
BOOK SHELF
In new book, former Obama speechwriter calls on Jews to stand proud for their values
After debuting her first book Here All Along, about rekindling her Jewish faith, in 2019, former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz returns with a follow-up released today. In As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us, Hurwitz speaks to progressive Jews grappling with identity, Zionism and belonging. In an interview with Gabby Deutch of eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider, she explained how the book — pitched before the Oct. 7 attacks — has taken on new urgency in the wake of rising antisemitism. “This book was very much my journey to stripping away all those layers of internalized antisemitism, anti-Judaism, all of that internalized shame from so many years of persecution, and just saying, ‘You know what, no, I’m a Jew,’” said Hurwitz.
Post-Oct. 7: Hurwitz said the events of the last two years have only furthered her argument that Jews throughout history have felt the need to separate from parts of their community to earn the approval of the rest of society. “Oct. 7 did not change the overall argument at all. It unfortunately, in many ways, gave this devastating, heartbreaking, new evidence from the argument,” Hurwitz said.
Read the full interview here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
CLAWING BACK
Lessons from Red Lobster
As CEO of the Jewish Grad Organization, Dave Sorani is constantly looking to the for-profit world for inspiration on how to be a better leader and run a better nonprofit organization, he writes in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Everyone loves a good comeback story, and lately I’ve been following one of the unlikeliest: Red Lobster’s. Yes, that Red Lobster.”
Where they went right: “Just months ago, the company was circling the drain: struggling with debt and declining foot traffic, and the butt of public mockery over its ‘Endless Shrimp’ debacle. Bankruptcy followed. But in August 2024 came a new CEO with a bold yet simple plan: double down on what they do best. … In a recent interview, [CEO Damola] Adamolekun proudly announced that Red Lobster now buys 25% of all lobster caught in North America. At first, I laughed. Then I realized, he’s making a serious point: When you control that much of a market, it means you’re not just in the game — you’re shaping it.”
HUMAN-CENTERED RESOURCES
Supporting the people who hold the center: A community relations imperative
Community relations “is a field that has always asked a lot from its professionals,” write Rabba Rori Picker Neiss and Shauna Leavey of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Relationship-building is a long game, with outcomes that can take years to materialize. Success does not always come with metrics or headlines; it shows up quietly, when a door that was once closed is finally opened, or when trust that took years to build makes it possible for communities to avoid or weather a crisis.”
We have their backs: “As two former JCRC directors, we know what it means to carry the weight of this work in challenging times. We have seen firsthand how community relations professionals are asked to represent, to interpret, to mediate and to lead — often all at once, and with little backup. … We know that if we want to sustain this field, we must first sustain its people. That’s why we at JCPA are equipping professionals with additional support infrastructure that engages the full person, not just the professional role.”
Worthy Reads
The Lost Library: In The New York Times, Catherine Hickley spotlights the efforts of the Jewish Theological Seminary in Budapest to recover tens of thousands of Jewish texts seized by the Nazis before and during World War II. “Behind an inconspicuous wooden door in downtown Budapest, the Jewish Theological Seminary harbors one of the largest and most valuable Jewish book collections in Europe. But about 20,000 books and many valuable manuscripts have been missing since the end of World War II. … Now, more than 80 years later, the books are slowly returning to the 150-year-old seminary, the oldest institution of its kind in Central Europe — sometimes individually, sometimes in batches, some from Europe, some from further afield.” [NYTimes]
Flying Under the Radar: In Inside Philanthropy, Michael Kavate spotlights five billion-dollar foundations — three are Jewish-founded — that do not maintain an online presence. “Earlier this year, inspired by the then-viral term ‘stealth wealth’ — i.e., luxury fashion items invisible to the untrained eye — I came up with a tongue-in-cheek label for such operations: ‘stealth philanthropies.’ Like their wearable counterparts, these foundations have all the modesty of a luxury garment without a flashy brand name, while still being visibly high end to the knowledgeable eye. … I believe these stealth philanthropies — a term I define as foundations with 10-digit endowments and IRS filings but without websites, LinkedIn pages or virtually any other public presence on the web — are a useful, if indirect, barometer in a sector that is increasingly reliant on the ultra wealthy and largely opaque (if flexible) donor-advised funds.” [InsidePhilanthropy]
Be Positive: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, M.J. Prest shares strategic advice for fundraisers working on their year-end appeals. “The holidays are an ideal time to highlight the beneficial impact your organization has had all year long, especially at the end of a tumultuous year. … [Development executive Seth] Rosen says that the best tactic is one that focuses on your organization’s wins, not on the potential impact of not meeting your fundraising goals. ‘Stay away from the lights-out appeal: “If you don’t give, we won’t survive,”’ he warns. ‘People don’t want to give their money to something that could fail. Make people feel good about giving to your organization. … People won’t do that if they are afraid you are closing.’” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Word on the Street
The Foundation for Jewish Camp and Combined Jewish Philanthropies are launching today a new FJC New England regional center, with support from the Krupp Foundation, to strengthen Jewish camps in the area…
The American Jewish Committee accompanied the families of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, the Israeli Embassy employees who were killed in a May terror attack outside an AJC event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, in meetings yesterday in Jerusalem with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and others…
A suspect in the vandalism of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia turned himself in to authorities, and is expected to face charges related to two separate incidents last month in which he spraypainted walls of the museum…
More than 1,800 actors, entertainers, producers and other film industry workers signed a pledge not to screen films or work with Israeli film institutions “that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”; signatories include Emma Stone, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Ayo Edebiri and Olivia Colman…
The Chicago Commission on Human Relations held a hearing on antisemitism on Monday that included the testimonies of a Chicago Public Schools student who faced antisemitism from both classmates and a teacher, as well as a Jewish man who was shot while walking to synagogue…
Israel’s soccer team fell short in its World Cup qualifier match to Italy 5-4; the Israeli players wore black armbands in recognition of the Jerusalem terror attack earlier in the day in which six people were killed…
Bloomberg Philanthropies is awarding $100,000 to eight cities to implement stricter speed limits as the inaugural cohort of its?Initiative for Global Road Safety?Speed Challenge: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Bogotá, Colombia; Bengaluru, India; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Guadalajara, Mexico; Kampala, Uganda; Mombasa, Kenya; and Quito, Ecuador…
The Tree of Life organization, created to commemorate Pittsburgh’s 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting, unveiled the designs for its new building…
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency interviews Samuel Freedman to mark the 25th anniversary of his book Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for the Soul of American Jewry…
Bert Romberg, whose German-born family fled the Nazis and became a mainstay of the Dallas Jewish community, died on Aug. 27 at 95…
Major Gifts
Northwestern University trustee Jennifer Leischner Litowitz and Alec Litowitz donated $20 million to the school to establish the Center for Enlightened Disagreement, which will be named for them…
The Swiss Friends of Yad Sarah raised $1.4 million for the Israeli nonprofit, which provides medical equipment and assistance to patients in Israel, at its inaugural gala last Sunday in Zurich…
Transitions
Ken Weinstein, the former president and CEO of the pro-Israel Hudson Institute think tank, has been named ombudsman of CBS News, where he will be tasked with reviewing complaints about editorial bias from consumers and employees; the hire represents a shift for the news organization, which has faced accusations of anti-Israel bias in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports…
Pic of the Day
The World Jewish Congress, in partnership with the German nonprofit What Matters, unveiled a new exhibition yesterday — titled “Sports. Crowds. Power.” — at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva. The exhibit, which will be on display through Sept. 12, examines the influence of sports in the rise of the Nazi regime. The show is running parallel to the 60th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
“Today, as Jews and Israelis are once again being excluded from sporting and cultural forums, ‘Sports. Crowds. Power.’ should serve as a stark warning of what happens when hatred and persecution are allowed to thrive unchecked,” WJC Israel CEO Sara Friedman said in a statement after the exhibit opening. “Bringing this exhibition to the United Nations is our way of sounding the alarm. … Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we must ensure that the sporting community stands firmly against antisemitism.”
Birthdays
Israeli entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of Lightricks, Zeev Farbman turns 46…
President of Israel from 2014 to 2021, Reuven “Ruvi” Rivlin turns 86… Beverly Hills resident, Barbara Schechter… Senior fellow emeritus in the foreign policy program at The Brookings Institution, Kenneth G. Lieberthal turns 82… Former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Donald M. Berwick turns 79… President of the Middle East Forum and publisher of its Middle East Quarterly journal, Daniel Pipes turns 76… President emeritus of Yeshiva University, Richard M. Joel turns 75… A founder of the Shas party, he served in the Knesset for 16 years, Nissim Mordechai Ze’ev turns 74… Founding president of Shalem College in Jerusalem, he has been a visiting professor at University of Chicago, Cornell, Johns Hopkins and Georgetown, Martin Seth Kramer turns 71… Brooklyn educator, Steven Elworth… Retired editorial director of Schocken Books (the Judaica imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, which is part of Penguin Random House), Altie Karper… Israeli businesswoman and philanthropist, Shari Arison turns 68… Israeli businessman and president of Limmud FSU, Aaron G. Frenkel… Suzanna Stone… Washington-based communications strategist and tactician, Jeffrey Weintraub… Crisis management consultant, author and founder of Washington-based PR firm Dezenhall Resources, Eric B. Dezenhall turns 63… Founder and managing member of Alternative Asset CFO Services, Lloyd Eric Appel… Professional golfer formerly on both the PGA Tour and then on the Champions Tour, Jules Ira “Skip” Kendall turns 61… Actor, comedian, screenwriter, film producer and musician, famous for “The Chanukah Song,” Adam Sandler turns 59… Author and former senior national correspondent at HuffPost for 10 years, now a correspondent and podcast host for The Bulwark, Jonathan Cohn turns 56… Former member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party, Dov Lipman turns 54… Former partner and associate director at Boston Consulting Group, now an independent consultant, Sacha Frédéric Litman… Features writer and political columnist for New York magazine, David Freedlander… Global head of financial innovation and digital assets at Amazon Web Services, Michael B. Greenwald… Program specialist at USC’s school of architecture, Carla Hashley… Former head of Google Cuba, now an investor and strategist, Brett Perlmutter… Managing director at Alums for Campus Fairness, he is also the D.C. chair of B’nai B’rith Connect, Trey Meehan… Co-founder of International Hummus Day in 2012, now an angel investor, he served in the IDF’s signals intelligence group, Unit 8200, Ben Lang… Fourth overall pick by the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 NHL draft, he is the son of hockey star Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, Luke Hughes turns 22…
