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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 […]

At the BBYO International Convention, Jewish teens demand a seat at the table

February 18, 2026February 19, 2026Sara Wood

Standing before thousands of teens packed into the BBYO International Convention Saturday night in Philadelphia, Leo Coen and Raquel Rogoff unveiled the culmination of days of collaboration with their peers: a resolution meant to shape not just the next year of Jewish advocacy, but who gets to define it. “People often say that we are […]

A defunct synagogue, reminder of a once-proud community, collapses in Pennsylvania’s coal region

February 18, 2026February 18, 2026Sara Wood

An abandoned synagogue in Pennsylvania’s coal region, which until the early 2000s had served Jewish residents of Mahanoy City for more than 80 years, collapsed late Thursday night, officials and neighbors told the local media. Emergency crews responded to reports of falling walls and scattered debris at the former Beth Israel Synagogue, a brick building […]

Homeland Security hires social media manager whose posts raised alarm for promoting ‘white-nationalist rhetoric’

February 12, 2026February 12, 2026Sara Wood

The Department of Homeland Security has hired a new digital communications director whose social media content for the Labor Department reportedly raised alarm bells inside the department and beyond for promoting white supremacist rhetoric. Peyton Rollins began his new role at Homeland Security this month, The New York Times was the first to report this […]

What to do with anti-Zionist Jews? Try talking to them, some Jewish researchers say

February 12, 2026February 12, 2026Sara Wood

A survey showing that only around one-third of American Jews identify as Zionists set off shockwaves in the Jewish world last week, triggering speculation about what could have caused so many Jews to spurn a label once thought as nearly synonymous with Jewish identity. From his home in Israel, Robbie Gringras had a different reaction. […]

Rep. Becca Balint storms out of Epstein hearing after Pam Bondi raises her record on antisemitism

February 11, 2026February 11, 2026Sara Wood

Rep. Becca Balint stormed out of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday after Bondi deflected questions about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and instead criticized Balint’s record on antisemitism. Lawmakers called the hearing to press Bondi on a range of issues, including Epstein and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. Balint, […]

Unredacted Epstein files and planned deposition thrust Jewish philanthropist Leslie Wexner back into spotlight

February 11, 2026February 13, 2026Sara Wood

Newly released federal investigative documents and a looming congressional deposition have renewed scrutiny of Leslie Wexner, the Ohio billionaire philanthropist long known in the Jewish world for his leadership and largesse — and more recently for his decades-long association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner, the founder of retail giant […]