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JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT. |
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WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION |
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Grandson of Holocaust survivors writing Harris’ DNC speech, Congress issues more subpoenas to Columbia over campus antisemitism, German biscuit maker apologizes for Nazi past, Chick-fil-A’s new Christian streaming service, and much more. |
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DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION |
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Jon Polin comforts his wife Rachel Goldberg-Polin as she speaks about their son Hersh, who is being held hostage by Hamas, Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Getty) |
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How an Israeli-American hostage family brought the DNC to tears
It was a powerful and poignant moment.
As tens of thousands at the United Center chanted, “Bring them home, bring them home,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose 23-year-old son Hersh is among the 109 hostages being held in Gaza, dropped her head onto the podium. When she lifted it after a few seconds, there were tears on her cheeks.
Much of the audience remained standing and in rapt silence as she and her husband, Jon Polin, Chicago natives who are the most prominent representatives of Israel’s hostage families, spoke in clear, measured tones for nearly nine minutes, then received sustained applause for their calls for a ceasefire in Gaza that frees the hostages.
“There is a surplus of agony on all sides of the tragic conflict in the Middle East,” Jon said. “In a competition of pain, there are no winners.” |
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“Uncommitted” delegates to the DNC staged a sit-in outside the arena Wednesday to demand a Palestinian-American be allowed to speak from the main stage. (Jacob Kornbluh) |
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About last night… Hours after Jon and Rachel’s speech, about a dozen “Uncommitted” delegates to the Democratic National Convention staged a protest outside the arena, demanding that a Palestinian-American also be given a turn to speak from the main stage. They stayed all night.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, widely regarded as a potential first Jewish president, captivated the convention with oratory skills reminiscent of President Obama.
Former President Donald Trump slammed Shapiro afterward on social media, calling him a “highly overrated Jewish governor.” Trump added: “Shapiro, for strictly political reasons, refused to acknowledge that I am the best friend that Israel, and the Jewish people, ever had.”
The headline speaker of the night was the vice presidential candidate, Gov. Tim Walz. He is not Jewish, but his Lutheran values are. |
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Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, and Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Getty) |
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Sen. Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the U.S., speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Getty) |
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Elsewhere around the DNC…
Opinion | American Jews have never been more divided. At the DNC, unity is back on the table: “The Democratic Party, American Jews, and Democratic Jews have spent months fighting bitterly over antisemitism and what it means to have Jewish political representation,” writes Emily Tamkin. “Over the course of this week, we could see so clearly that it doesn’t mean any single thing; that there is space in our discourse for multiple interpretations, and that we don’t always need to demonize those who think differently than we do.” Read her essay ➤ Matzo brei and hash browns: Manny’s Deli in Chicago is among the best Jewish delis in the U.S. It’s a must-stop this week for various Democratic politicians and strategists, as our editor-in-chief, Jodi Rudoren, discovered on Wednesday.
Defending dictators: Some of the loudest voices outside the DNC — including those at anti-Israel protests — are spreading misinformation and conspiracies, argues Nadav Ziv in an opinion essay.
Exercise diplomacy: A Jew and a Palestinian who live in Chicago have been jogging together for five years. During the DNC, they are leading a daily run for a ceasefire in Gaza. |
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READERS LIKE YOU SHAPE EVERY PART OF OUR WORK |
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The family of Yagev Buchshtav, a hostage whose body was recovered this week from Gaza, at his funeral on Wednesday. (Getty) |
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The latest… On a phone call Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “stressed the urgency of bringing the ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure.”
Hundreds of Haredi Israelis clashed with police on Wednesday in Jerusalem, “amid rising national tensions about a court decision ordering a draft for the insular community.”
American Airlines said it would extend its suspension of flights to Israel through March 2025.
El Al said it would not change the price on four international routes until the end of the year, after public backlash against the airline for increasing prices on other routes.
Critics are asking the Emmys to rescind its nomination of a news report from Gaza, accusing the Palestinian reporter of having a history of “spreading antisemitism and condoning violence” and for being affiliated with a terrorist group. But the Emmys say it can find no evidence to support those claims.
He survived Oct. 7 by hiding for 14 hours while terrorists invaded his kibbutz. Next week, he’ll be a flag bearer for Israel at the Paralympics. |
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– From our Sponsors: Callan– |
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| Between the Temples Opens in Theaters Friday August 23 |
| Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane star in the heartfelt new comedy BETWEEN THE TEMPLES. A cantor in a crisis of faith finds his world upended when his grade school music teacher becomes his new Bat Mitzvah student. IndieWire calls BETWEEN THE TEMPLES "spiky, hilarious, and thoroughly unorthodox." BETWEEN THE TEMPLES opens only in theaters nationwide this Friday. |
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WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY |
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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside Columbia University in November. (Camillo Barone) |
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🏫 Congress issued more subpoenas to Columbia University on Wednesday for documents related to its investigation into campus antisemitism. It comes “just days before Columbia begins classes for its fall semester, and as the campus prepares for renewed anti-Israel protests.” (Jewish Insider)
🇨🇦 Police are investigating after 100 Jewish organizations around Canada received similar bomb threats on Wednesday. “I’m disgusted,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “This is blatant antisemitism.” (JTA)
📚 A Brooklyn bookstore parted ways with an employee who canceled an event at the last minute when she realized one of the moderators was a Zionist. (Forward)
👏 Seattle Jewish groups are planning to remount an exhibition about antisemitism without the help of outside groups, months after staff at a museum shut it down over “Zionist perspectives.” (JTA)
🍪 A popular German biscuit maker apologized over its company’s Nazi past, including using hundreds of forced laborers. The statement comes as a new book about the history of the company was published this week. (Politico)
📺 Chick-fil-A, which touts itself as a company that operates according to “biblical principles” and is closed on Sundays, is launching a streaming service — yes, you read that right — that will feature family-friendly TV shows. (Vulture) |
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As we mentioned up top, the most emotional moment of the DNC Wednesday night came when Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of an American-Israeli hostage, addressed the crowd. Watch their speech above, and read a transcript here. |
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Thanks to Jacob Kornbluh, Julie Moos, Jodi Rudoren and Talya Zax for contributing to today’s newsletter, and to Beth Harpaz for editing it. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at editorial@forward.com. |
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