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A new curriculum brings adults with intellectual disabilities into the heart of Jewish learning

February 24, 2026February 24, 2026Sara Wood

When he’s not working at the local dog care and boarding center, 24-year-old Raffi Stein-Klotz is usually playing kickball or tending to the garden at his residential facility in Boca Raton. But once a week, Stein-Klotz can be found in an adult Jewish learning class series created specifically for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, […]

At US Commission on Civil Rights hearing, Jewish students warn against politicizing campus antisemitism

February 23, 2026February 23, 2026Sara Wood

Instead of practicing with her a capella group or preparing to lead Shabbat services, University of Maryland senior Tekoa Sultan-Reisler spent her Friday afternoon testifying about campus antisemitism in front of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. She shared that she had witnessed antisemitism at her school, and heard about it from other students […]

Vanderbilt launches inquiry into instructor after math question about Israeli occupation draws criticism

February 23, 2026February 23, 2026Sara Wood

Vanderbilt University has launched an inquiry into a mathematics lecturer whose classroom exercise about Palestinian territory drew criticism from the activist group StopAntisemitism. Tekin Karadağ, a senior lecturer at the university’s department of mathematics, drew the ire of the antisemitism watchdog after it obtained a slide from one of his lectures that used a pro-Palestinian […]

US soldier who protected Jews in POW camp during WWII to be awarded Medal of Honor

February 22, 2026February 22, 2026Sara Wood

An American soldier who is credited with saving the lives of 200 Jewish comrades in a prisoner of war camp in Germany during World War II will receive the U.S. military’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. The award to Roddie Edmonds, who died in 1985, was announced last week. It comes more than a […]

Tucker Carlson interview with Mike Huckabee sparks antisemitism clash and diplomatic backlash

February 21, 2026February 22, 2026Sara Wood

Within 24 hours of going online late Friday, Tucker Carlson’s nearly three-hour interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee had elicited multiple rebuttals of antisemitic conspiracy theories from Huckabee, prompted Carlson to issue an apology and sparked an international incident. The foreign ministers of 14 Arab and Muslim governments jointly condemned Huckabee’s comments about […]

Jan Schakowsky retracts endorsement in a congressional race over candidate’s AIPAC funding

February 19, 2026February 20, 2026Sara Wood

Rep. Jan Schakowsky withdrew her endorsement of a congressional candidate in a neighboring Illinois district on Thursday, citing the AIPAC pro-Israel lobby as a reason. Schakowsky endorsed Donna Miller, the Cook County commissioner, in the 2nd Congressional District last month. Now, she said, she cannot let her endorsement stand. “Illinois deserves leaders who put voters […]

In JFNA’s first ‘State of the Jewish Union’ address, security and antisemitism loom large

February 19, 2026February 19, 2026Sara Wood

Speaking from Washington, D.C., on Thursday, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, Eric Fingerhut, laid out his assessment of the state of Jewish life in America. “The state of the Jewish union in America is strong, but it is being tested,” said Fingerhut. “We are united in our commitment to […]

Tucker Carlson draws scorn for claiming he was ‘detained’ at Israeli airport after Mike Huckabee interview

February 19, 2026February 20, 2026Sara Wood

Tucker Carlson had just barely wrapped his interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee before the two were already disagreeing on a basic fact. Carlson, the influential conservative commentator, flew to Tel Aviv on Wednesday to conduct the interview with Huckabee at Ben Gurion Airport, departing hours later without leaving the airport. But before […]

Les Wexner testifies that he was ‘conned’ by Jeffrey Epstein and did not know of his crimes

February 19, 2026February 20, 2026Sara Wood

Leslie Wexner, the Ohio retail billionaire whose association with Jeffrey Epstein has shadowed his philanthropic legacy, spent six hours Wednesday answering questions in a closed-door congressional deposition that Democrats later derided as implausible and evasive. Wexner, 88, appeared before staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform at his home in New Albany, […]

Quietly sold by Jewish library, letter by famed 18th-century rabbi surfaces at auction, fetching $400,000

February 18, 2026February 18, 2026Sara Wood

A decade ago, amid a financial crisis, the Jewish Theological Seminary turned to its assets, selling real estate as well as rare books from its world-renowned library. The book sales were private, and the institution has never detailed what was sold or for how much. Now, a lost treasure from the library has once again […]