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| JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT. Give a tax-deductible donation New York divests from Ben & Jerry's, Texas lawmaker says Holocaust book inappropriate, two Netflix series spark debate, baseball's first Jewish pitcher and more. OUR LEAD STORY Inside Google, Jewish employees clash over Israel
“Jewglers” is one of many employee groups at Google, where there are also “Gayglers” (for LGBTQ+ employees) and “Greyglers” (for older ones). The Jewglers’ 2,800 Jewish members mostly use its listserv to seek travel advice, share recipes and plan the company Hanukkah party. But over the past year, Jewish employees of the search giant have split as Jews in so many communities have, over politics surrounding Israel.
The backstory: The conflict started with Google’s donation to The Movement For Black Lives, a racial justice nonprofit, in the summer of 2020. Some Jewish Googlers objected to the donation because the movement’s original charter decried Israel for “crimes of apartheid.” Soon the Jewglers spawned an anti-Zionist splinter group trying to challenge the prevailing pro-Israel Jewish voice at the company.
But wait, there’s more: Meanwhile the mainstream Jewglers complained about what they saw as an inadequate response to antisemitism by Google management — and the Simon Wiesenthal Center agreed, launching an ad campaign this summer that criticized the company for not firing a diversity director whose antisemitic remarks years before were revealed by a right-wing website.
The latest: An open letter published this month by Google and Amazon employees demanded the two companies withdraw a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with Israel. The day after the letter was made public, Google announced a $5.8 million commitment to combat antisemitism online.
ALSO IN THE FORWARD In a scene from 'Inside Job,' two characters plot to take over the world. (Netflix) Does Netflix’s ‘Inside Job’ encourage antisemitic conspiracy theorists? Though some people were concerned that the series would encourage real conspiracy theorists, our digital-culture critic, Mira Fox, says it does the opposite. “There’s nothing like a mainstream animated show to defang dangerous beliefs,” she writes. If you’re a real conspiracy theorist, though, you’ll probably think the show is all part of the plan. Read the story >
In 1899, Major League’s first Jewish pitcher left the field after one game to become a lawyer:The pitcher, Leo Fishel, was a student at Columbia University when he was plucked from the college squad to take the mound for the New York Giants. He had “a variety of curves, both slow and speedy,” The New York Times said in its account of the game, “and at times he mixes these up in such clever style that the hard-hitting Philadelphias were made to look foolish.” But a baseball career was not in the cards. Read the story >
Halloween is Sunday...
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY 🍦 New York State is expected to divest $111 million from Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, over the ice-cream maker’s decision to end sales in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The state comptroller said that a 90-day review showed the company had violated New York’s policy of prohibiting investments in companies involved in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. (Forward)
💻 The last Jew in Afghanistan, who had for years refused to grant his wife a divorce, finally did as part of his departure from the war-torn country. The backstory, revealed for the first time, involves a panel of rabbis in Australia and a Zoom hook-up across four countries. (Plus61J)
📚 A Texas state lawmaker’s investigation into 800 books taught in the state’s public schools includes one about women who were humiliated, tortured or murdered during the Holocaust. The lawmaker, a Republican who is running for Attorney General, also asked district superintendents to flag any books that touched on sexuality or HIV or could make students feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress.” (Forward)
🏠 Landlords in Maine evicted a Black Jewish man for placing a mezuzah by his front door, an apparent violation of the lease. The Maine Human Rights Commission is slated to discuss the case Nov. 8, after an investigator found it likely a case of discrimination. (News Center Maine)
📱 Gidon Lev is an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor who’s a star on TikTok, where he has more than 2 million followers. While the vast majority of feedback he gets are from adoring fans, Lev also is subjected to some antisemitic comments and Holocaust denial. (SoCal Jewish News)
🎱 Billiards legend JoAnn Mason Parker was just inducted into a Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Now, 26 years after retiring from the pro circuit, Parker, 53, is eyeing a comeback. “I’ve got the itch,” she said. (The Jewish News of Northern California)
🥯 Designer delis are dotting New York City. The eateries employ deft branding, vintage decor and visual cues that appeal to both hipsters and nostalgic Jews. One expert credited the popularity of Amazon’s “The Marvelous Miss Maisel.” Another offered a more practical explanation: They places look great on Instagram. (NYT)
Shiva call > Tyler Herron, who pitched for Team Israel during its Cinderella run in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, died this week at 35. In 2014, Herron, a Major League Baseball prospect who was of Puerto Rican descent, discovered through DNA testing that his grandmother was Jewish. He called his time playing for Team Israel “the best experience I’ve ever had in baseball.” (JTA)
FROM OUR KITCHEN The temperatures are dropping which can only mean one thing …. OK, maybe it means many things, but one is: Instant Pot season! The handy appliance makes soups, apps, sides, full-on meals and more. Just set it and forget it. (Well, don’t actually forget it. You’ll want to partake in its warm goodness after a long day of writing newsletters. But we digress…)
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Instant Pot recipes… Speedy, Spicy Brisket Ginger-Chicken Soup, Almost Instantly Saffron Chicken Biryani Creamy Fontina Polenta and Truffled Mushrooms Beef Stew with Syrah Hot Beet Borscht
ON THE CALENDAR David Ben-Gurion speaking at the Knesset in 1957. (National Photo Archive of Israel) On this day in history: A man named Moshe Dwek threw a grenade into the Knesset chamber while it was in session on Oct. 29, 1957. David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir and other ministers were injured in the attack. After spending 15 years in prison, Dwek emerged to start his own political party and ran for Knesset in 1988. He lost.
If it’s almost Halloween, that means it’s less than two months until Christmas. Which means it’s the perfect time to share this quirky profile: Meet the Orthodox Jewish Santa who trains America’s Christmas performers.
Did you know that the last Friday in October is known as Frankenstein Friday? Well, now you do. To celebrate, check out this secret Jewish history of Frankenstein.
PHOTO OF THE DAY Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman advises us via Instagram that good mornings start with good coffee…and his face.
Thanks to Nora Berman, Rob Eshman, Mira Fox and Louis Keene for contributing to today’s newsletter. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at editorial@forward.com. Support Independent Jewish Journalism The Forward is a non-profit 501(c)3 so our journalism depends on support from readers like you. You can support our work today by donating or subscribing. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of US law.
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