WHAT’S DRIVING THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONVERSATION

Good morning. Here’s the news you need to start your day:

Middle East: President Trump is weighing whether to escalate U.S. involvement against Iran after speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday night.

NYC mayor race: ICE arrested a Jewish candidate outside an immigration court, while another candidate said “globalize the intifada” is an expression of Palestinian rights.

Campus antisemitism: Columbia settled a lawsuit with an Orthodox student who alleged the School of Social Work discriminated against her by holding a seminar on Shabbat.

We have more on these stories below. But first, the inside story of how Yeshiva University’s settlement with a campus LGBTQ+ club fell apart.

OUR LEAD STORY

The campus of Yeshiva University in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Why Yeshiva University’s official LGBTQ+ club lasted just 50 days

When Yeshiva University quietly agreed to recognize an LGBTQ+ student group earlier this year, it seemed like a fragile peace was taking hold — ending years of litigation while preserving the school’s religious identity. But that truce collapsed almost as quickly as it formed.

Behind the scenes: My colleague Louis Keene spent weeks uncovering what happened, speaking with 11 sources close to the case, including four plaintiffs and one head rabbi. What he found is a cautionary tale about power, faith, and how even small wins can vanish overnight.

What’s next: Some alumni — like Mal Meisels, who co-founded the Y.U. Pride Alliance in 2019 and sued the school for official recognition in 2021 — are not sure they have the stamina for another protracted fight. “They’re not a fair adversary,” said Meisels, who grew up in Hasidic Brooklyn and today no longer identifies as Orthodox. Meisels said Y.U. was “75% of the reason why.”

ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT

President Trump, weighing the U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, is facing backlash from some in his base. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

After months of resisting Israeli pressure to strike Iran, President Donald Trump is now seriously considering direct U.S. military involvement — including refueling Israeli jets and targeting Iran’s underground nuclear site — marking a dramatic shift from his earlier opposition to armed intervention. (New York Times)

Potential U.S. involvement is roiling the MAGA world this week, as high-profile figures like Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene voiced growing concern over U.S. backing for Israel’s strikes on Iran and the risk of being pulled into the fight.

Trump said it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, telling The Atlantic: “Considering that I’m the one that developed ‘America First,’ and considering that the term wasn’t used until I came along, I think I’m the one that decides that.” (The phrase actually goes back to 1940, when it was used to express opposition to U.S. involvement in World War II.)

Vice President JD Vance, a leading voice for the isolationist right, responded to mounting criticism of Trump. “People are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy,” Vance posted on X. “But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue.”

More on U.S. involvement…

Trump posted on social media Tuesday that he is demanding Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” and warned that the U.S. is refraining from targeting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — “for now.” (Times of Israel)

Khamenei said in a televised speech today that Iran would not surrender and that any U.S. military intervention would bring irreparable consequences. (Wall Street Journal)

Trump said Iran is “very close” to having a nuclear weapon, dismissing his own intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard’s testimony to the contrary by saying, “I don’t care what she said.” (Axios)

Only 16% of Americans think the U.S. military should get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, according to a new poll. (YouGov)

Israelis that had been stuck abroad disembark a bus Wednesday after they were flown back to Israel on a special flight. (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images)

The conflict continues…

Iran launched two waves of ballistic missiles at Israel early Wednesday, as Khamenei declared “the battle begins” and urged showing “no mercy” to Israelis. (Times of Israel)

A U.S. official said Israel is running low on its Arrow missile interceptors, sparking concern about its capacity to defend against long-range Iranian attacks if the war drags on. (Wall Street Journal)

Iranian state TV urged citizens to delete WhatsApp, accusing it — without evidence — of spying for Israel. WhatsApp denied the charge, warning the false reports could be used to justify blocking access during a critical time. (Times of Israel)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz thanked Israel for striking Iran’s nuclear sites, calling it a courageous move against a mutual threat: “This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us,” he said. (JTA)

What’s in a name…

Israel’s military operation against Iran is called “Rising Lion,” a nod to a verse in the Bible. But does it refer to religious observance or military might? Our language columnist, Aviya Kushner, explains. (Forward)

Israel’s dramatic strike that killed top Iranian commanders was reportedly code-named “Red Wedding” — a nod to the brutal ambush scene in Game of Thrones — for its swift, almost cinematic execution, according to Israeli media. (Times of Israel)

Travel issues…

Around 1,500 Birthright participants were stranded in Israel when the rocket fire began. They escaped on a cruise to Cypress — thanks, in part, to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. (JTA)

The Chabad of Cypress has been busy. It hosted nearly 2,500 Israelis who ended up there this past Shabbat, after at least 32 flights from the U.S. and Europe were diverted to the Mediterranean island. (Jewish Insider)

The first repatriation flights of Israelis stuck abroad — including from Cypress — landed at Ben-Gurion Airport this morning. (Times of Israel)

The Maccabiah Games, often called the Jewish Olympics, have been postponed to 2026 due to the conflict and travel disruptions, delaying an event that was set to bring 8,000 athletes from 55 countries to Tel Aviv next month. (JTA)

Opinion | My brother-in-law’s kibbutz weathered Oct. 7. Then came the Iranian missile strikes, writes our senior columnist Rob Eshman.

Plus: At least 51 Palestinians were killed and over 200 injured in Gaza while waiting for U.N. and commercial food trucks to arrive Tuesday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The IDF is investigating the incident. (AP)

From our Sponsor, Discovering Authentic Judaism

POLITICS

New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander, who was arrested Tuesday, walks out of a federal building with his wife, Meg Barnette (right), and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images

New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested Tuesday by federal agents at a Manhattan immigration courthouse while attempting to accompany an immigrant facing detention. He was released later in the day thanks to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Context: In recent weeks, Lander has been accompanying immigrants to their hearings, both to observe the proceedings and help protect them from potential deportation. He is one of two Jewish candidates in New York City’s crowded Democratic mayoral primary, set for Tuesday.

Related: Lander’s arrest marked a breakout moment for the city’s highest-ranking Jewish official. (JTA)

Elsewhere in New York…

Zohran Mamdani, a top contender in New York City’s mayoral primary, declined to denounce the slogan “globalize the intifada,” framing it as a call for Palestinian rights and likening it to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. (JTA, X)

First-person | I thought the Dyke March should be open to Zionists. So my fellow New York organizers kicked me out: “We can’t go backwards to having people feel unwelcome in queer spaces,” writes Jodi Kreines. “The goal of queer spaces is to be a place where everyone can feel that level of community.” She added: “Now, we have to subscribe to this sort of omni-cause. You have to be for everything, or you’re not cool with us.” Read her essay ►

Minnesota assassinations…

Details are still emerging about Vance Boelter, the man accused of killing a Minnesota state politician and her husband and shooting and injuring another state senator and his wife. But the more we learn about Boelter, the more likely it seems that Christian nationalism may have played a role in motivating the attack. My colleague Mira Fox explains. Go deeper ►

Boelter reportedly graduated from Christ for the Nations Institute, an influential Dallas-based Bible college. The school denounced Boelter’s “hateful actions” and said it does not “believe in, defend or support violence against human beings in any form.” (Religion News Service)

Plus: Winsome Earle-Sears on Tuesday secured the Republican nomination for Virginia governor. As we reported last week, a man who has a history of dressing up as Nazis and who praised Hitler’s military for having “accomplished incredible things” donated a total of $900 in monthly installments since last year to a PAC that supports Earle-Sears. (Forward)

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

An entrance to Columbia University in New York City. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

On campus…

🤝 Columbia University settled a lawsuit with an Orthodox student who alleged the School of Social Work discriminated against her because, among other things, she was “forced out” of the program when she didn’t participate in a required training seminar held on Shabbat. “The civil rights of Jewish students are simply not negotiable,” said a lawyer in the case. (Algemeiner)

🏫 The Trump administration notched a major legal win in its campaign to remake higher education after a judge dismissed a faculty-led lawsuit challenging the $400 million funding cut to Columbia over alleged inaction on campus antisemitism. (Guardian)

And elsewhere…

👮 A Maryland man was arrested and charged for allegedly sending threatening messages to several Jewish organizations, including one in Philadelphia. (Dept. of Justice, WMAR)

🎬 In a new interview, Jewish actor Jason Isaacs discusses his advocacy for the Israeli hostages, the antisemitism he faced growing up, and what it was like working with Mel Gibson. (Vulture)

Your pick ► The most-read story on our site, for the second day in a row, is a story about what happened when a millionaire in Alabama offered Jews $50,000 to move to his town. (Forward)

What else we’re reading ► Jewish journalist pens book on 10th anniversary of Charleston church massacre (Religion News Service) … New film goes behind the scenes with Marlee Matlin, the Jewish actress and advocate for the deaf community (Forward) … The nostalgia-filled Borscht Belt Fest returns next month. (New York Jewish Week)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

One of the first and best Jewish comedies I watched growing up was Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs. Well, I’m happy to report to my 12-year-old self that Brooks — who turns 99 this month — has announced a sequel to his Star Wars spoof. But you’ll have to wait just a little longer: It doesn’t come out until 2027.

Related: Our culture reporter PJ Grisar takes a guess at 10 things we’ll likely see in the sequel. Perhaps a bris for Baby Yogurt?

Today’s newsletter made me:

🤓 Confident I understand issues impacting American Jews.

🔗 Connected to the Jewish world.

💡 Curious to learn about something I read.

🤷🏽‍♀️ No different.

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