Marcia G. Yerman

Many American Jews are presently focused on concerns of antisemitism in the United States. A top concern is “anti-Zionism.” Yet, many Jews in the United States are not aware of the severe threat of fascist forces and ideology in Israel. “Ministers of Chaos” takes a deep look at the tentacles of racism and ethnonationalism in today’s state of Israel.

Still, all I could think about was the murder of Renee Good and the assassination of Alex Pretti. Two original all-American snuff movies, brought to the nation by Donald J. Trump, and directed by Steven Miller.

For those who want to truly understand the challenges of daily life for Palestinians in Gaza, Brian K. Barber’s book, “No Way Forward: Life Stories of Three Families in the Gaza Strip,” offers a unique perspective by sharing the personal narratives of three men whose lives are traced from childhood to middle age. This in-depth approach provides unique insights.

In the days of the Old Testament, iconoclastic prophets were not always appreciated or heeded by the Israelites. Frequently, they were seen as nettlesome presences giving voice to truths that the populace was reluctant to confront.

Rabbi Arik Ascherman fits the bill, down to the physical look. With a white beard and an elongated build, he could easily be envisioned in a garment of rough cloth with feet shod in sandals.

“Holding Liat” is the story about the kidnapping of Liat Beinin Atzili by Hamas commandos. Beyond being a documentary covering the efforts to free an Israeli-American hostage, it is a window into various perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, via three generations of a family and bridging two countries.

The New York Historical‘s exhibition, “Black Listed: An American Story,” extended through November 2, is a presentation not easily forgotten. A traveling show originated by the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, previously mounted in Los Angeles, and expanded by The New York Historical, the lessons of the “Hollywood Red Scare” couldn’t be more relevant to the moment.

It started on October 24, when I received a letter from my synagogue’s Rabbi about the “Rabbinic letter” (not yet on my radar) that she hadn’t signed on to and why. During her Rosh Hashanah sermon, she had spoken of her desire to be a rabbi to all her congregants, regardless of differing points of view. It was a statement I had felt was long overdue.

On Sunday, September 28, the halfway mark between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I attended a talk in Manhattan featuring peace activists Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon.

Sunday was going to be a busy day, a pre-holiday marathon of Jewish political action from the NW Bronx to Union Square in Manhattan.
The Bronx leg didn’t go terribly well. While handing out literature for Zohran Mamdani with Jews for Religious and Economic Justice (JFREJ) and the Unity Democratic Club, a woman approached the table where I was sitting. She informed me, “You were probably raised in a Communist family.”

With the topic of “anti-Zionism” becoming part of the conversation around Israel-Palestine, and the first anti-Zionist forum held recently in Vienna, “Citizens of the Whole World: Zionism and the Cultures of the American Jewish Left” is well-timed for its deep dive into Jewish-American political activism and social justice movements, particularly in laying out the precedents for today’s “left-wing” Jewish organizations.

On August 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Maine Monument in Columbus Circle in Manhattan and steps away from the Trump International Hotel, a sea of outraged American Jews gathered to call for an end to the Israeli government's starvation and ethnic cleansing of the residents of Gaza, and the safe entry of substantial humanitarian aid.

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At a time when Americans face each new day with trepidation as the country’s laws and freedoms come under attack, the documentary “Water for Life” stands as an example of how values can triumph. The road isn’t easy, and there are setbacks along the way, but that’s part of the journey.

In the 1980s, Bruce Neuburger was given a sheaf of letters by his father, which contained correspondence from his grandparents, Benno and Anna Neuburger. The exchanges took place between late July 1938 to 1941. Bruce's father and aunt had successfully made it out of Nazi Germany; his grandparents didn't. They became part of the murdered masses.

Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17) was in the Bronx on Tuesday, April 22, to speak to students at Manhattan University. Dr. Margaret Groarke, the Department Chairperson of History, Political & International Studies, extended the invitation as the coordinator of Jaspers Vote, a nonpartisan voter engagement organization on campus. Lawler, a 2009 university alumnus, engaged in an open student forum.