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WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION

Good morning to you from Israel, where I spent the weekend with family overlooking the Judean Hills. More college presidents to testify before Congress this week about campus antisemitism, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt Seinfeld’s show, White House hosting reception for Jewish American Heritage Month, and a rabbi guest-stars on Saturday Night Live.

ISRAEL AT WAR

A man in Tehran reads a newspaper Monday about the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. (Getty)

President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, a potential successor to the nation’s supreme leader, died Sunday in a helicopter crash along with several members of his entourage. He was 63. His death comes as Iran faces a deepening conflict with Israel.

Amid rumors circulating that Israel was involved in the killing, an Israeli official who requested anonymity said Monday, “It wasn’t us.” Added Avigdor Lieberman, a member of Knesset, “We won’t shed a tear.”

Raisi’s death will likely not change Iran’s policy towards Israel, as “the president of the Islamic Republic is an implementer, not a decision-maker,” explained Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran.

Raisi was known as “The Butcher of Tehran” for his role in overseeing the mass executions of thousands in 1988. Read his obituary.

In other news from Iran: An Iranian Jew who was sentenced to death has reportedly received a one-month stay of execution after a global pressure campaign that included calls for prayer in Persian Jewish communities around the world.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at a press conference in Tel Aviv on Oct. 28, 2023. (Getty)

Plus…

The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with three Hamas leaders, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the Oct. 7 attacks and subsequent war in Gaza.

The IDF confirmed that it killed a senior Hamas operative on Saturday in Gaza.

Funerals were held on Sunday for three of the four hostages whose bodies were recovered by IDF troops this weekend from the Gaza Strip, more than seven months after they were killed. The funeral for the fourth is set for today.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is in Israel and met with political leaders about a Rafah invasion, a deal to release the hostages and ongoing efforts for Israel to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.

Opinion | Why everyone is wrong about the war: “On the pro-Israel side, the war is a necessary response to Oct. 7. Hamas must be wiped out for Israel to have security, and the job is still not done,” writes Rabbi Jay Michaelson. On the pro-Palestinian side, the war is genocide. “Neither narrative describes reality.” Read his essay ➤

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CONFLICT ON CAMPUS

Pro-Palestinian protesters at The New School earlier this month in New York City. (Getty)

Opinion | The campus protests are no longer about Israel. They’re about America:“American society is more polarized than ever, and young Americans seek solutions,” writes Barak Sella, who is graduating this week from the Harvard Kennedy School. “When societies reach a crisis, they have two options — to think about what they can do or who they can blame. It seems that many college students have chosen the latter.” Many, he argues, blame Israel for troubles that ail the U.S.: the lack of universal healthcare, police brutality and more. Read his essay ➤

Opinion | I was expelled from Columbia for my activism in ’68. Here’s what student activists need to focus on next: “Perhaps the most important next step for today’s activists,” writes Nicholas Freudenberg, “is both to articulate with moral clarity what they are against, while also presenting a clear vision of a future better than today’s world.” Read his essay ➤

Plus…

Dozens of George Washington University graduates walked out of commencement ceremonies on Sunday, in protest of last week’s clearing of an campus encampment that involved dozens of arrests.

The presidents of Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA are scheduled to testify before Congress on Thursday about antisemitism on college campuses.

A parents group says it’s fighting antisemitism. Some professors say it’s stifling free speech.

NEW FROM THE FORWARD

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York and a possible contender for the role of Donald Trump's VP, spoke Sunday at the Knesset. (Noam Moskowitz/Knesset Press Office)

🤔 Rep. Elise Stefanik, the New York Republican who took the spotlight for grilling Ivy League presidents about campus antisemitism, spoke at Israel’s parliament Sunday, where she asked for God’s help getting Donald Trump reelected. (JTA)

⚖️ A judge ruled that the man accused of killing Paul Kessler, a Jewish man in California who was struck in November during dueling demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas war, will stand trial. (CNN)

🎤 Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted Jerry Seinfeld’s show Saturday in Norfolk, Virginia. This follows a walkout by Duke students at Seinfeld’s commencement address earlier this month. The comedian has been an outspoken supporter of Israel in its war against Hamas. (WTKR, YouTube)

🎭 A new exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles opened Sunday that honors the Jewish immigrants who laid Hollywood’s foundation. It comes two years after the museum’s opening, which sparked controversy for not including the industry’s Jewish beginnings. (JTA)

🇺🇸 The White House is hosting a reception today for Jewish American Heritage Month. President Joe Biden and Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, will address the gathering. (Jewish Insider)

🚗 A Dallas megachurch hoping to secure a new traffic light near its entrance encouraged its members to flood the road near the church with extra traffic. The city found out about the plan and canceled its traffic study. (Religion News Service)

Shiva calls ➤ Sigmund Rolat, a Holocaust survivor, philanthropist and the founding donor of Polin, The Museum of the History of Polish Jews, died at 93 … Cyril Wecht, a widely respected forensic expert and frequent TV news guest pontificating on celebrity deaths, died at 93 … Alice Stewart, a CNN political commentator, died at 58.

What else we’re reading ➤ Trump’s Christian backers say he shares their faith and values … A small group of older Ukrainians are reliving memories of Nazi occupation during World War II … Landslide forces closure of iconic Southern California chapel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Colin Jost and Michael Che invited Rabbi Jill Hausman on their “Weekend Update” segment on Saturday Night Live in which they told Jewish jokes and watched her silent, but funny responses. “Rabbi Jill,” Jost said, “if you’re here, then who’s controlling the weather?” Watch the full segment above.

Thanks to PJ Grisar and Jacob Kornbluh 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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