Before we begin, some housekeeping: Last week, I interviewed President Obama’s Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro on stage at Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City. We talked about everything from the situation in Gaza, to the impending Israeli elections, to his wife Julie’s vital work supporting African asylum seekers in Israel.
It was pointed out to me afterward, however, that despite promising to keep newsletter readers apprised of my speaking appearances, I neglected to mention this one before it happened. So starting with this edition, I’ll be including a short ticker at the bottom of some installments with my forthcoming speaking calendar, for those who’d like to catch me in person.
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
You Ask, I Answer
Ben W. asks: Which side of the [Latke-Hamantash] debate are you on? Or are you staying neutral? Personally, I will fight for latkes until I can no longer fight.
Following my Purim edition chronicling the history of the storied Latke-Hamantash debate, several readers noted that I had not disclosed my own allegiances. I could duck behind the need for journalistic objectivity here, but the truth is, there can be no objectivity on a subject as sensitive as this one, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. So, which side of the battle for best Jewish food am I on? It’s a trick question, and the answer is this:
Sarah E. asks: I was wondering if you had any book recommendations about the current rise in anti-Semitism across Europe? I really want to become more informed about this awful development but I want to make sure I read well-researched and respectful accounts, so I thought I'd ask.
This is a great question, and unfortunately, I don't think there's a good, up-to-date broad survey book out there that covers everything from country to country. At best, you've got books that tackle one country's particular issues, like Dave Rich's book on the British left today or Marc Weitzmann's on France. You might supplement with the recent surveys done by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights on Jewish experiences of anti-Semitism, as well as CNN's quality reporting and polling from late last year. (And if you’re really looking to be depressed, here’s a piece I wrote crunching that data, putting it in historical context, and explaining why things in Europe are even worse that they appear.) That should give you a wide sweep of the issues across the geographic and ideological spectrum.
Got more questions for me? Reply to this email and I’ll pick some for my next mailbag.
Things You Should Read
My Tablet colleague Armin Rosen has a fascinating deep dive into the African Hebrew Israelite community, “the most successful African American utopian separatist project in history” that just happens to be located in the Israeli desert town of Dimona. Read the whole thing.
There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding U.S. aid to Israel. For example, most people have no idea that most of it—and ultimately, under President Obama’s new agreement, all of it—must be spent in the United States. Another common myth is that America spends more “defending Israel” than any other country. In The Atlantic, James Kirchick puts the aid in global context, and shows how from South Korea to Japan, this is far from the case.
According to a poll released this past week, “42% of British Jews would ‘seriously consider’ emigrating if [Jeremy] Corbyn became prime minister, while 87% believe the Labour leader to be anti-Semitic.” Read the full report and ponder how bad things must be for that many Jews to agree on something that controversial.
News You Can Use
Upcoming Speaking Appearances
April 11 at 7pm | AJC Headquarters, New York City
Status Quo or No? A Conversation on the Aftermath of the Israeli Elections
Details and registration here.
April 16 at 7pm | Congregation Adas Israel, Washington D.C.
Across The Divide: Examining the Future of US-Israel, Israel-Diaspora Relations
Details and registration here.
April 23 at 12:30pm | Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL
The Seven Myths About Anti-Semitism: Why Anti-Semitism is So Hard to Fight and What to Do About It
Forthcoming: Connecticut, Detroit, Los Angeles, Australia…
Questions? Comments? Free sufganiyot? I’d love to hear from you, especially about that last one. Reply to this email, or drop me a line at yrosenberg@tabletmag.com. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook. And be sure to tell your friends about this newsletter!