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Our office is closed Monday for Presidents’ Day. The next “Forwarding” will arrive in your inbox bright and early on Tuesday. --- Today: Report reveals 'sexualized' culture at Jewish camps, Anne Frank's tree to be planted in Iowa, writer solves century-old murder, 'West Wing' star kvells about his new parsha podcast.
OUR LEAD STORY It’s been exactly 805 days since the last episode of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” But who’s counting? Season 4 started streaming on Amazon this morning.
Previously on: It’s hard to remember where we last left off with our favorite mid-century fictitious Jewish comedienne, Midge Maisel. What began as a side hustle in New York’s basement comedy clubs (Season 1) moved to bigger audiences in the Catskills (Season 2), and then to a USO tour and Las Vegas (Season 3). We’ve prepared a handy recap to help get you situated before you binge the new episodes this weekend. Catch up now ➤
Watch party: Mira Fox, our culture reporter, got an early look at the first two episodes of the new season. It’s set in 1960, as second-wave feminism is beginning, and Midge is intent on proving she can have it all. She “might be done trying to make it in a man’s world,” Fox writes. “She wants to change the whole industry.” And: “It seems likely that one part of that big change is giving up on men — their rules, their sense of humor, their ability to control her and dictate her life.” Read Mira’s review ➤
A big tent: Casting non-Jewish actors in decidedly Jewish roles has caused criticism of late, with Sarah Silverman denouncing the practice as “Jewface.” In “Maisel,” the main character, her parents and even real-life comedian Lenny Bruce are all portrayed by non-Jewish actors. But Caroline Aaron, the Jewish actress who plays Midge’s mother-in-law, has no problem with it. “I think that acting in its purest form is taking a walk in someone else’s shoes,” she said. “And ultimately, isn’t that the definition of empathy?” Read the interview ➤
Starring…us! Your favorite Jewish news organization made a cameo in the show’s second season when Midge was bragging about her wedding announcement. “It got a write-up in the Jewish Daily Forward,” she gushed. “In Yiddish, so it didn’t get a wide readership, but the picture was sensational!”
ALSO FROM THE FORWARD Wayne Hoffman’s great-grandparents, Sarah and David, at their wedding in 1906. A writer seeks clues of his great-grandmother’s murder in 1913:When Sarah Feinstein, an immigrant from Russia raising four young children, in Winnipeg, was shot to death, the crime shocked the Jewish community. It made headlines across North America – in both the English and Yiddish press. The murderer was never found. A century later, Sarah’s great-grandson, who is a journalist, reopened the cold case. He had to work quickly because his own mother, who held some clues, had Alzheimer’s and was quickly forgetting the past. Their journey to track down the killer is the subject of a new memoir.Read the story ➤
Investigation finds history of Reform movement hiring disgraced rabbis ‘sexualized’ culture at camps: The group’s congregational arm in the 1990s enabled sexual abuse against children by hiring rabbis who had been fired from other jobs over accusations of sexual misconduct, according to a new report by a law firm hired by the Union for Reform Judaism. It is the third such major investigation of national Reform institutions in less than a year, and also found the organization had allowed leaders accused of sexual harassment to lead summer camps. “It is obviously very hard to read and every member of the Reform movement will be processing this for a long time to come,” said Rabbi Mary Zamore, director of the Women’s Rabbinic Network. Read the story ➤
When Jewish institutions hang a ‘For Sale’ sign: What does a Jewish institution owe its donors and the larger community? The announcement that American Jewish University in Los Angeles will sell its 22-acre Bel Air campus led Rob Eshman, our national editor, to ask longtime donors what they think should happen to the large, pricey parcel situated on what one donor called “the Jewish mountain.” Read his ‘Letter from California’ ➤
But wait, there’s more… Antisemitic graffiti was found outside a new Israeli restaurant in Manhattan. “I just hope nothing worse than this will happen,” said owner and chef Rafael Hasid. Saturday marks the yahrtzeit of a pogrom carried out in the Ukrainian shtetl of Felshtin in 1919. Here’s a first-person account from that day. What to drink this Shabbat? Try the wine with a Yiddish name.WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY Rabbi Angela Buchdahl led the crowd in song at the opening ceremonies Thursday night. (Photo: BBYO) 🤝 More than 2,500 teenagers from 40 countries arrived in Baltimore on Thursday for a BBYO convention, marking one of the largest in-person gatherings of American Jews since the start of the pandemic. They will celebrate Shabbat and hear talks from a wide range of speakers – including Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, A.J. Dillon of the Green Bay Packers, and Jurnee Smollett, an Emmy-nominated actress. (Religion News Service)
🌳 A sapling from the chestnut tree that Anne Frank wrote about in her diary will be planted at the University of Iowa. “This tree will serve as an important reminder to reject hatred toward Jews and others,” said a campus Hillel leader. The sapling will be surrounded by a specially fabricated iron cage to protect it from antisemitic vandalism. (Daily Iowan)
✝️ A group of parents are suing a West Virginia school district for hosting an assembly that doubled as an evangelical Christian revival, with teenagers being asked to accept Jesus or go to hell. The suit claims the district has a history of ignoring religious freedoms and promoting Christianity. (AP)
😮 Jews in Arizona are suing the state to stop it from executing prisoners with Zyklon B, the same lethal gas used in Auschwitz. It’s “tantamount to approving of what the Nazis did,” said a spokesperson for the Phoenix Holocaust Association. “To think that 70 to 80 years later we’re thinking of using it as a method of capital punishment is mind-boggling.” (Jewish News of Greater Phoenix)
🍽️ While some may still think of Jewish cuisine as gefilte fish or pastrami on rye, a growing number of chefs are experimenting with kosher barbecue, Korean-influenced matzo ball soup and much more. Rob Clement, 35, owner of Meshugganah in Charlotte, North Carolina, says location is just as important as tradition. “To be in the South, and not use collards or field peas, would be to not understand where we are,” he says. (Wall Street Journal)
Shiva call ➤ Greta Ferusic, who survived Auschwitz and the siege of Sarajevo, died at 97. “One might ask,” Ferusic said in a 1997 documentary chronicling her story, “how I was able to adapt and make life fairly comfortable for myself. My reason was that it was better to think about the future, and what could be done with it, than to mourn for what is lost.” (New York Times)
YOUR WEEKEND READS It’s a long holiday weekend. And, sure, a new season of “Mrs. Maisel” has arrived, but you’ll have plenty of time for leisurely reading. In this week’s edition of our printable magazine, you’ll find a deep dive into the most iconic Jewish ad of the 20th century, an essay on how to talk to family you may disagree with about the conflict in the Middle East, and our exclusive interview with Harvey Fierstein, the Broadway star who has just written a memoir. Get your copy here ➤ ON THE CALENDAR On this day in history: Connie Wisniewski, a member of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, was born on Feb. 18, 1922. She was considered one of the best pitchers of her generation, was named to four All-Star teams and was the league’s first to be honored as Player of the Year. Her nickname was the Iron Woman. When she retired, she worked at General Motors in her native Detroit and eventually opened a restaurant, the Chicks Dugout.
In honor of National Drink Wine Day (wait, that’s not every day?), peruse our guide to Shabbat wine pairing.
VIDEO OF THE DAY In case you missed it: Jodi Rudoren, our editor-in-chief, chatted with Joshua Malina, a co-star on “The West Wing,” and Rabbi Shira Stutman. The odd couple – a West Coast actor and an East Coast clergy – have joined forces for their new podcast, “Chutzpod!” where they discuss Jewish news and the weekly Torah portion. Being Jewish “has been the cornerstone of my identity,” Malina said, adding that the podcast has “been so meaningful to me in ways I couldn’t have anticipated.” Watch the conversation here ➤
––– Thanks to Rob Eshman, Mira Fox, Rudy Malcom, Arno Rosenfeld, Eliya Smith and Talya Zax for contributing to today’s newsletter. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at editorial@forward.com.
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