Articles

We are in a new era of global hate and American extremism. While we know that Jews have experienced these difficult times before in their complex history, we are encountering a fundamentally different American Jewish experience than we have known.
A number of factors have made this contemporary expression of hate distinctive and particularly dangerous. In other places, I have addressed some of the historic manifestations and triggers associated with various expressions of hate.

American Jewry and its institutional actors are today in a different operational place. No doubt, conversations about the future of various agencies, services and programs are essential.
Where does community relations policy-making belong within the Jewish communal orbit? Should such national instruments as the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, (JCPA) be incorporated into the federation system or should it be permitted to remain an independent entity? At a time of such deep polarization around politics and policies, is there room for a communal public policy agency to articulate its independent message, when at times its viewpoints are seen as not reflective of the community’s power base?

This is a critical, yet challenging moment for the Los Angeles Jewish community as we await the first population study since 1997 and anticipate the selection of a new executive leader of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. What do we want to see for our community going forward?

The conflict pitting Palestinians against Israelis is operating on various fronts. The scenes are taking place on the streets and in the towns of Israel as well as the West Bank and Gaza, as armies, mobs and terrorists play out their respective roles.
But the public relations battle is being waged thousands of miles beyond the State of Israel on Twitter, Facebook, and in the halls of governments, here we find this secondary conflict being carried out over history, ideas and public opinion.

As I complete fifty years of service and study of the Jewish communal scene, it’s an appropriate time for reflection and assessment. Indeed, while the hundreds of articles that I have crafted for eJewishPhilanthropy and other national and local publications offer specific insights into the Jewish communal enterprise, what are some of its sustaining trends and takeaways?

This past week, the American Jewish University announced plans to seek tenants to fill its available space. This news came at the same moment that Hebrew College announced its decision to sell its property and to move into Temple Reyim in Newton, Massachusetts.

Across the country, in the wake of a radical shift to online triggered by the pandemic, Jews are witnessing the downsizing of various institutions, the mergers of others, the growing availability of commercial facilities and the presence of empty religious properties. Here in Los Angeles, we should seize this opportunity: Is this the moment for a realignment of Jewish institutional life?

On January 6, 2021, the nation was roiled by the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. To many, this distinctive nationalist — even tribalist— form of political behavior seemed like an anomaly. But this anti-state violence is not unique, nor is it the first wave of modern terrorist behavior. We are currently in the midst of a new terrorist assault on this nation.

In 2004 UCLA emeritus professor, David Rapaport, one of this nation’s experts on terrorism published his “Four Waves on Modern Terrorism”:

Wave One: Anarchism 1880-1920

Wave Two: Anti-Colonialism 1920-1960

Wave Three: New Left 1960-2000

Wave Four: Religious 1979-2010

Later this spring, the Pew Research Center will be issuing its latest demographic findings on the state of American Jewry. This latest survey follows its 2013 analysis of Jewish Americans, providing a further analysis of the changing profile of our community.[1]

In this moment, both in advance of that report and in connection with some new national data concerning American society, these ten findings may provide some useful insights. Some of the data being introduced here will directly align with the forthcoming Pew report, while other elements will likely reflect other social and ideological trends that may have particular significance for Jewish audiences and our institutions, moving forward.

We are living in a new American political environment, where a war against minorities in general, and Jews in particular, has been launched. This moment represents the single most significant threat to Jews since the Shoah. The scope of anti-Jewish expression is not bound by a broad increase in the number of anti-Semites but rather in the ability of these hate actors to actualize their beliefs and carry forward their plans. In many ways, social media has enabled these players to gain significant media attention and visibility.