Stephen Wise

The attack on a Michigan synagogue last Thursday was the latest example of a “direct connection between hatred of Israel and hatred of Jews,” Rabbi @AmmiHirsch, who leads Manhattan’s Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, said during a sermon on Friday evening. ji.news/4v4gj

The assault on Temple Israel was not a natural disaster, a tsunami, a hurricane, a tornado that struck without warning. Hateful deeds are the end-result of hateful thoughts and hateful words — ignored, indulged, coddled, appeased, or encouraged by moral, political, legal and civic authorities. swfs.org/carnage

This @FreeSynagogue podcast episode is especially important to me. The #Jewish community does not normally hear directly from Palestinians — & I think it’s critical that we do. On “In These Times,” our goal is to platform important voices like @afalkhatib that are not often given enough consideration in mainstream circles. Our full conversation here —> podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-…

Oct. 7 was a massive miscalculation — one that decimated Gaza, dismantled Iran's proxy network and reshaped the Middle East in Israel's favor. @afalkhatib of @Realignforpalestine joins our Rabbi @AmmiHirsch on today's podcast to argue that the Palestinian cause needs a different kind of advocacy... youtu.be/i-gOJKv2xnQ

Award-winning journalist @Nadav_Eyal joins our Rabbi @AmmiHirsch to help us understand why regimes like Iran's are so threatened by dissent and debate, and how that clash with Western values is unfolding across the Middle East… youtu.be/ODSdBKHV0Oo

Listening to Liz brought back all the emotions of the past 27 months. But for the first time in 14 years, there are no Israeli hostages in Gaza. May Abigail and all the children whose lives were crushed during this long war — Israeli and Palestinian — find their way back to joy and happiness. youtu.be/6zhh-uUEb4I

After Hamas terrorists murdered Abigail’s parents, they abducted the 3-year-old and held her in Gaza for 51 days. Liz Hirsh Naftali joins our Rabbi @AmmiHirsch to share how she transformed from grieving family member into relentless advocate. youtu.be/6zhh-uUEb4I

The visionary behind vegan restaurants like @BeyondSushi, Chef Guy Vaknin tells our Rabbi @AmmiHirsch about how he's been targeted by the community that once celebrated his success — not because of his politics, but because of his Israeli identity. youtu.be/1DXa1RIbK8k

Reform Movement Alumni for Israel is a leadership program for American Reform Jews ages 22–35 to strengthen their commitments to Israel and the Jewish people through travel, learning and friendship. Learn more at swfs.org/rafi

Rabbi @AmmiHirsch said in an interview that he has spoken with Mamdani repeatedly about what he called a clear connection between anti-Zionism and antisemitism — which, he noted, the mayor has not acknowledged. More from @matthewkassel: ji.news/4mues

Pharaoh commanded Egypt's midwives to kill Hebrew male children. Unlike the Nazis tried at Nuremberg, "some women defied his order," says Rabbi Dalia Samansky. "Judaism is clear: we are not to acquiesce to illegal and immoral commands — even at the risk of our own lives..."

.@JonahPlatt has emerged as one of the Jewish people’s most compelling advocates. Watch as he tells our Rabbi @AmmiHirsch how he connects with young Jews — and gives us the pride to stand up for who we are. youtu.be/dP87wcbPl7g

I was part of a group of rabbis who met again yesterday with @ZohranKMamdani. While we were pleased to be able to discuss our concerns with the mayor-elect, those concerns remain. We've never before had a mayor who has expressed this kind of ideological hostility to the very existence of Israel. It is not about policy differences; rather, it is about the denial of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state at all. I continue to worry deeply about the upcoming four years and conveyed to the mayor-elect that anti-Zionist rhetoric and anti-Israel policies will threaten Jewish safety in NYC and will, inevitably, lead to an unproductive and tense relationship with the Jewish community. What Mr. Mamdani says and which policies he pursues is up to him — he will be the mayor — but I emphasized that the Jewish community will energetically oppose any and all anti-Israel rhetoric and action.

.@ADL’s @JGreenblattADL told me some on the right are “working through” the concerning elements of #antisemitism. Soberly, he observes that this isn't happening in the same way on the left...

I really appreciate @JGreenblattADL’s assessment of #antisemitism. When we first spoke on @FreeSynagogue’s “In These Times” in 2022, he differntiated anti-Jewish animus from the left and right. Watch his take on how it’s manifesting on the far right today: youtu.be/7LUXILyjP10