Local -

Dept. of Education opens Title VI antisemitism investigation at Sarah Lawrence College, where Hillel alleged atmosphere of intimidation

January 7, 2025January 7, 2025Sara Wood

The federal Department of Education is opening a Title VI antisemitism investigation into Sarah Lawrence College in response to a complaint from the campus Hillel chapter that the school fostered a hostile environment for Jewish students. The private liberal arts college in Westchester, New York failed to properly respond to harassment of Jewish students in […]

Investing firm to stop assessing human rights risk in ‘contiguous territorial disputes’ after scrutiny from pro-Israel groups

January 7, 2025January 9, 2025Sara Wood

When investors need help navigating business decisions in conflict zones they turn to specialized firms that are supposed to help them keep clear of human rights abuses. But one of the biggest firms offering advice on environmental, social, and governance issues recently announced that when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it will no longer […]

Everyone has a plan to fight antisemitism. Few have studied what actually works.

January 6, 2025January 6, 2025Sara Wood

When Matt Williams founded a research center for the Anti-Defamation League in 2022, he vowed to “ruthlessly and systematically test” what the organization does. Antisemitism was on the rise, and he wanted the Center for Antisemitism Research to scientifically study what could work to stop it. The creation of the center, he believed, represented an […]

Antony Blinken says he conditioned Biden’s first trip to Israel after Oct. 7 on aid to Gaza

January 6, 2025January 6, 2025Sara Wood

Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that he spent nine hours urging Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza in the days after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. “In the course of that argument, when I was getting resistance to the proposition of humanitarian assistance getting in, […]

Trump names a former critic as Middle East aide — but says, ‘These things usually don’t work out’

January 5, 2025January 5, 2025Sara Wood

Announcing his deputy envoy for Middle East peace, President-elect Donald Trump made it clear that he chose Morgan Ortagus reluctantly. Trump said he picked Ortagus, a spokesperson at the State Department when it was led by Mike Pompeo — who in 2024 considered running against him — because others lobbied hard for her. “These things […]

Elissa Slotkin sworn into Senate on Reform movement women’s Torah commentary

January 5, 2025January 5, 2025Sara Wood

When it came time to choose the text on which she would be sworn into the U.S. Senate, Elissa Slotkin turned to a relatively recent book that reflects her own identity as a Jewish woman. Slotkin, a former congresswoman who narrowly won her election in November, took the oath of office Friday on a copy […]

Joe Biden awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Jewish megadonor George Soros

January 5, 2025January 7, 2025Sara Wood

President Joe Biden awarded the United States’ top civilian honor to George Soros, the Holocaust survivor and billionaire donor to progressive and Democratic causes, along with 18 other people. Biden’s selection of Soros, 94, to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday is notable because Soros’ giving has made him a frequent target of […]

U.S. military vet with ‘deep-seated animus against Jews’ tried to join Hezbollah, feds charge

January 3, 2025January 3, 2025Sara Wood

A 24-year-old Irish-American man with a military record was indicted on terrorism charges for traveling to Lebanon and Syria in an attempt to join Hezbollah, the Justice Department announced Thursday. Jack Danaher Molloy was arrested in Chicago in early December for lying to FBI agents while being investigated for his effort to join the Lebanese […]

Rutgers likely failed to protect Jewish and pro-Palestinian students from Title VI harassment, Department of Education says

January 2, 2025January 2, 2025Sara Wood

Rutgers University likely failed to properly protect Jewish, Israeli and pro-Palestinian students from a hostile environment after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack that launched the war in Gaza, according to a new Title VI resolution agreement reached between the school and the U.S. Department of Education. The school must review its anti-discrimination policies, the agreement […]

Young Jewish supporters of Trump represent a religious and generational shift

January 2, 2025January 3, 2025Sara Wood

This article was produced as part of (JEWISH REVIEW)’s Teen Journalism Fellowship, a program that works with Jewish teens around the world to report on issues that affect their lives. Hadar Zohar couldn’t vote in this year’s presidential election, but the 15-year-old from Miami knew who had her support. “I trust Trump,” Zohar said. “Trump has […]