Growing Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood

Ruling for Harvard clouds picture for future campus antisemitism cases

A federal judge in Boston dismissed the Trump administration’s antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard University on Thursday, ruling that the incidents were “too isolated and episodic” to show an ongoing violation of civil rights law. Judge Richard Stearns pointed out that while the government’s amended complaint cited three March 2025 incidents, it still focused almost entirely... <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/authors/josh-kraushaar/">Read More</a>

J Street launches six-figure ad campaign to boost progressive in Swalwell’s former seat

J Street Action Fund, the super PAC affiliated with the progressive Israel advocacy group, spent $108,000 on Thursday on digital advertisements to boost progressive California state Sen. Aisha Wahab in the special election in California’s 14th Congressional District. The AIPAC-affiliated super PAC United Democracy Project has spent nearly $2.5 million — along with significant independent... <a href="">Read More</a>

Vermont synagogue’s fundraiser for Columbia anti-Israel activist draws criticism

A synagogue in the capital of Vermont co-sponsored a fundraiser last Sunday for Mohsen Mahdawi, a former Columbia University anti-Israel activist who has voiced sympathy for Hamas, drawing sharp criticism from some congregants.&nbsp; The event took place at Unitarian Church of Montpelier, which co-sponsored it with Beth Jacob Synagogue, according to a flyer posted on... <a href="">Read More</a>

For 2028's Jewish hopefuls, Israel is the test that decides who's the 'right' kind of Jew

A quarter century ago, when the late Sen. Joe Lieberman was tapped by Al Gore, the Democratic nominee for president, to be his running mate on the 2000 ticket, the question around many a Shabbat table was, “Is he too Jewish to be in the White House?” There’s a different question being asked, largely in... <a href="">Read More</a>

Analyst warns of potential Iranian ‘October surprise’ ahead of midterms

Behnam Ben Taleblu, the senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran program, warned on Thursday of potential Iranian escalation — military or otherwise — in the run-up to the midterms, with the goal of disrupting the elections. Taleblu said on a panel at the Hudson Institute that, ahead of November, “my fear... <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/authors/will-bredderman/">Read More</a>