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How our Yiddish group uses the Forverts podcast to learn the language
When the Iowa City Yiddish Group began meeting at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was one of the absolute beginners. Six years later, I lead the enthusiastic group of some 12-15 retirees and produce lesson plans for each class that incorporate a variety of activities to promote listening and Yiddish speaking skills.
Each class draws from printed, auditory, and visual texts: songs, excerpts from interviews in the Wexler Oral History Project at the Yiddish Book Center, advertisements in old issues of Der Forverts, poems, folk tales, film clips, and the like. For each text, I design activities to promote comprehension, get students interacting with the text and with each other, and learn a bit of grammar, much as I did for many years when I taught Spanish to college students.
When I discovered that the Forverts had introduced a podcast intended for intermediate-level students, Yiddish with Rukhl, I knew I could use it to help the group learn.
One of the challenges of working with authentic texts โ that is, texts produced by native speakers for native speakers, not for language learners โ is that they are often frustratingly difficult for students. In addition, there are particular challenges with texts that students listen to rather than read or view, since listening happens in real time with no way to pause to look up a word or ask a question, nor can listeners rely on visual elements (as one could do with a film) to get clues to meaning. But Yiddish with Rukhl avoids those issues.
The format is straightforward: In each episode, editor Rukhl Schaechter reads two articles on a topic clearly at a relatively slow pace. Because the articles were previously published in the Forverts, I could use the audio recording and printed texts in tandem, which our group particularly appreciates.
A frequent topic of conversation among language teachers is how to come up with class activities that can bridge the gap between studentsโ comprehension levels and texts that the students would struggle to understand on their own. This is especially true for authentic texts, but also applies to any text students find somewhat difficult. With the first podcast episode, devoted to coffee, I created activities for the first half of the first article, Di kave-hoypshtot fun der velt (โThe Coffee Capital of the Worldโ)ย by Leyzer Burko.
ย
This was my lesson plan:
- I started with a pre-listening activity, whose purpose was to introduce students to the themes of the audio text so that some of the information they would then hear would already be familiar to them. In this case, I wrote some open-ended questions to get the students talking (oyf yidish) about their feelings about coffee as children, their current coffee-drinking routines, and what the term kave-kultur means to them. The Iowa City Yiddish group is made up of smart people, and they had a lot to say about coffee culture in Europe, both past and present, that they then heard in the podcast.
- Then, I played five minutes of the podcast, which corresponded to the first half of the article. Depending on the platform one chooses (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.), you can modify the playback speed, which can be helpful if a group finds the pace too fast. Although the students had the printed text in front of them, I asked them to close their eyes and focus just on comprehension. A quick self-assessment revealed that most understood 70-80%, which I consider ideal for learning.
- I played the recording again, and this time asked the students to follow along in their printed texts and circle words they did not know.
- We then read the text aloud, stopping at words that needed explanation. Each time I asked someone who already knew the word to derklern oyf yidish; that is, explain the meaning of the word without recourse to English. Paraphrasing, or using language you know to explain something you do not have the words for yet, is a skill that language learners at all levels need, and it is also a way for me to conduct as much of the class as possible in Yiddish.
- Finally, I used the printed text to teach grammar. Our group has never warmed to learning grammatical patterns in isolation, so I have turned instead to teaching such topics as inflection of nouns and pronouns, word order, and separable-prefix verbs by showing students how they work in texts to make meaning. This activity is the only one we did in Yiddish; the rest of the class was conducted almost entirely in Yiddish.
When we worked on Zikhrones fun an unterban-pasazhir (โMemories of a Subway Passengerโ) by Rukhl Schaechter, I opted to focus exclusively on listening comprehension. Rather than activities based on the printed text (lesson plan steps 3, 4 and 5), I designed a series of collaborative listening activities. The narrative structure of the article was a good match for collaborative listening, because events in chronological sequence are often easier to understand and remember.
After a couple of pre-listening activities to orient students to the content of what they were about to hear, they focused on understanding as much as they could while listening to the audio of the article.
I then divided them into breakout rooms, where their task was to collaboratively create a list in simple Yiddish of the pieces of information they had understood in the six-minute article. We then got back together and I played the audio again with the goal that they would confirm their comprehension, notice and understand what their group mates had contributed, and pick up additional new pieces of information. They then returned to their breakout groups to expand on what they had written earlier. The final step was to return to the whole group once again and combine the groupsโ lists to recreate as full a picture as possible of the content of the article.
The members of the Iowa City Yiddish group have expressed enthusiasm for working with the podcasts, and I plan to design lessons for more of them over the coming months. The relatable topics, appropriate difficulty level, and clear audio quality make them ideal for a community Yiddish group.
The post How our Yiddish group uses the Forverts podcast to learn the language appeared first on The Forward.
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Argentina rabbi: What can can learn from losing the World Cup?
ืืขื ๏ญืึทืจื๏ฌฎื ืืขื ืขื ืืื ืืืง, ืื๏ฌื ื ๏ฌฏืื ืกืืฃ ๏ญืื ืขื ืืืขืืึพืืขืืขืจ ืืืจื ืื 2026 ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ๏ฌฏื ืืขืจื๏ญื ืึท ืืืื ๏ญืจ๏ฌื ื ืืื ๏ฌฎืจืืขื ืืื ืข, ๏ฌปืื ืฆื ืืขืจื ืืื ืขืก ืืืื ืืื.
ืืื ืืื ืืืฉ ืฆืขืืจ๏ฌฏืื โ ื๏ฌฏื ืขืจ ืืขื๏ฌฏืื โ ืคึฟืึทืจืื๏ฌฏืก ื๏ฌฏื ืืขืจ ืืืืืขืจืฉืืขืจ ื๏ฌฏืก ืืขื๏ฌฏื?!
ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืื ืืขืขื ื๏ญืขืจื: โ ืืื ืืื ื ืืฉื ืืขื ืืืืืขืจืฉืื ืก ืืืื๏ฌฎืืืขืจ, ืืื ืืืืขืจ ื ืืฉื ื๏ฌื ๏ฌฎืืื๏ฌฏืง๏ฌฎื. ืืื ืืืืืก ื ืืฉื ืคึฟืึทืจืื๏ฌฏืก ืขืจ ืืื ืื๏ฌฏืก ืขืจ ืืื, ืืื ๏ญืึทืจืื๏ฌฏืก ืขืจ ืืื ื ืืฉื ืื๏ฌฏืก ืขืจ ืืื ื ืืฉื. ืืื ืืืื ๏ฌฎื ืื ืืืืืืืงืกืืข ๏ญืจ๏ฌฎืืข ืืื ื ืืฉื: โืคึฟืึทืจืื๏ฌฏืก ืืื ื๏ฌฏืก ืืขืฉืขืโ? ื ืึธืจ ืืืืขืจ: โืื๏ฌฏืก ืืืฆื? ืื๏ฌฏืก ืงืขื ืขื ืืืจ ืืื ืืขืจ๏ญืื ืืขืจื ืขื?โ
ื๏ฌฏื ืขืจ ืืื ืืข๏ญืจืขืื, ืื๏ฌฏืก ืืื ื๏ฌฎืื ืืื ืืขืจ ืืืกืึพืืฉืืึผื. ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืื ืืข๏ญืจืขืื ืฆื ืขืจ ืืขืืขื ืงื ืื ืืข๏ฌซื ๏ญืื ืืื ื.
โ ๏ฌฎืืืืื. ืืขืจ ๏ญืืฉ ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ื๏ฌื ืืขืฉืืื ืืขื.
ืจืืืืืง โ ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืขื๏ฌฏืื โ ๏ฌฏืืขืจ ื๏ฌฏืก ืืื ืืืืื ืืขืจ ืขืจืฉืืขืจ ืืืื ๏ญืื ืืขืจ ืืข๏ฌซื. ื ๏ฌฏื ืืขื ืื๏ฌฏืก ืืื ื ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ื ืื ืืื ืืืืขืจืืขืืขืื ืื ื ืึฟืืื, ืืื ืืืขืืืขืจ ืืขืจ ืืืืืขืจืฉืืขืจ ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืขืฉืืงื, ืืื ืขืจ ๏ฌฎืจืืืก ๏ญืื ืฉื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืื ๏ฌฎืืืขืงืืขืืขืฆื ืฆื ืืขื ืื๏ฌฏืก ืขืก ืืืขื ืืืขืจื.
ืืขืจ ืืืืืขืจืฉืืขืจ ื๏ฌฏื ืืขื๏ฌฏืื ืืขื๏ฌฎืื ืืื๏ญืื๏ฌฎืงืกื ืึท ืงืืงืืื, ืื๏ฌฏืก ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืขืืขืื ืฉ๏ฌฏืื, ืืื ืืื ื ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืืืขืจ ืืข๏ญืจืืื. ๏ฌฏืืขืจ ืืืืฃ ืืึธืจืื ื๏ฌฏื ืืขืจ ืืืืืขืจืฉืืขืจ ืืขืฉืืงื ืึท ืื๏ฌฏืจืขื, ืื๏ฌฏืก ื๏ฌฏื ืคึฟืึทืจื๏ฌฏืจืื ืืขื ืงืืงืืื, ืืื ืืขืจ ืืืื ืืื ืคึฟืึทืจืืจืืงื ื ืืขืื๏ฌฏืจื.
ืืืขื ืื ืืื ื๏ฌฏื ืฉื๏ฌฎืจืง ืืขืืจืขื ื, ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ื ืืขืืืื ๏ญืื ืืขืจ ืืืฅ ืืื ืืื ืืขืื๏ฌฏืจื ื๏ฌฏืจ ืคึฟืึทืจืฆืืืืืคึฟืื. ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืขืจ ืืืืืขืจืฉืืขืจ ืืข๏ญืจืขืื: ืืจืืืขืจืกืื ืืืืขืจื ืงืืงืืื?
ืืื ืืื ื ื๏ฌฏื ืืขืขื ื๏ญืขืจื: ืืึธ, ืืื ืฆืื ืืืื.
ื๏ฌฏื ืืขืจ ืืืืืขืจืฉืืขืจ ืืขื๏ฌฏืื: ืื ื๏ฌฎืืืืขืจืกื ืึท ืงืืงืืื, ืื๏ฌฏืก ืื ื๏ฌฏืกื ื ืืฉื ืคึฟืึทืจ๏ญื๏ฌฎื ืฆื ืืื ื ืืฉื ืืื๏ญืืขื๏ฌฏืืขืืืขื. ืืื ืืืื ื ๏ฌฎืื ืืื ืขืจ ืืื๏ญืืขืงืืืขื, ืืื ืืื ืืืื ื ๏ฌฎืื ืืื ืขืจ ืคึฟืึทืจื๏ฌฎื ืืขื.
ืืื ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืขื ื ืืฉื ืจืืื ืืช ื๏ฌฏืื ืืืืฃ ืืขืจ ืืจืืืกืขืจ ืฉื๏ฌฏื ื ืื ืืื, ืื๏ฌต ืขืก ืืืืื ืขื ืืขืจ ๏ญืื ืฆืืืขืืฃ ืืืืื ื ืืขื ืืฉื?โโฆ
ืื ืืข๏ฌซื ืฉืืขืื ืืื ืื ืคึฟืึธืจ ืึท ๏ญืฉืืืข ๏ฌฏืืขืจ ืื๏ญืข ๏ญืจ๏ฌฎืืข: ืื๏ฌฏืก ืคึฟืึทืจืืื ื ื๏ฌฎืงืข ืืื ืืืขืจ ืืจืขืกืืข ื๏ฌฏืจื?
ืืื ืืึธ ืงืืืขื ืืืจ ืฆืืจืืง ืฆืื ืืืขืืึพืืขืืขืจ. ืขืก ืืื ื๏ฌฏืจ ืคึฟืึทืจืฉืืขื ืืืขื, ๏ฌฎื ๏ฌฎื ๏ฌฎืจืืขื ืืื ืขืจ ื๏ฌฏื ื๏ฌื ๏ฌฎื ืืืืฉื ืืืขื ื๏ฌื ื๏ฌฎื ืฉืึทืคึฟื ืคึฟืึทืจืฉืคึผืืื. ืกืคึผืึธืจื ืจื๏ญื ๏ฌฎืจืืืก ืฉื๏ฌฎืจืงืข ืืข๏ญืืื, ืืื ื๏ฌฏืก ืืื ืืืืงื ืืืื ืข ๏ญืื ืื ืกืืืืช, ืคึฟืึทืจืื๏ฌฏืก ืืขื ืืฉื ื๏ฌฏืื ืขืก ๏ฌฎืืื ืืื.
โ ื๏ฌื ืืจืืืขืจ ืืื ื ืืฉื ืงืืื ืืกืจืื โ ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืื ืืขื๏ฌฏืื โ ืคึฟืึทืจืงืขืจื. ืขืก ืืืฒึทืื, ๏ฌฎื ืื ืืืกื ืึท ืืขื ืืฉ ืืื ืืข๏ญืื. ืืื ืืข๏ญืื ืืื ืึท ื๏ฌืขืจืข ืืืื.
๏ฌฏืืขืจ ืืืขื ืื ืขืจืฉืืข ๏ฌฎื ืืืืฉืื ื ืืืืื ืฉืืื ๏ฌฏื ืืื ืึธ๏ญืฆืืฉืื๏ฌฎืื, ืืื ๏ฌปื๏ฌฎื ืืื ืฆื ๏ญืจืขืื: ืื๏ฌฏืก ื ๏ฌฏื ืืื ืืขืื ืคึฟืึทืจืืื ื ๏ฌฎืืึท ื๏ฌฏืก ๏ญืื ื๏ฌื ืืืืขืจืืขืืขืื ืงืืื?
ื๏ฌฎืืจ๏ฌฎืื ื ๏ฌฏืจ ืึท ื๏ฌฏืืขื ื. ืื ื๏ฌฏืกื ื ืืฉื ืืขืงืขื ื ืืจืขื ืืขื ืืขื ื ืฆืืื, ืืื ืื ื๏ฌฏืกื ืืืื ื ืืฉื ืืืจื ืืขืืืขื ืื ืืคึผืื. ืืื ื๏ฌฏื ื๏ฌฏื ืืขืจ ืจืขืืืื๏ฌฎื, ืื๏ฌฏืก ืืื ืืืื ื ืืฉื ืืขืืืขื ืืื ื๏ฌื ืข ืืขื ื, ๏ฌฎืืื ืฉื๏ฌฎืจืง ื๏ฌฎืืืืจืงื ื๏ฌื ืข ืืข๏ญืืื.
ื๏ญืฉืจ ืื๏ฌฏืื ืืื ืืขืืืื ื ๏ฌฎืจ๏ฌื ืฆืืืืืื ืื ืืขืืืข ืขื๏ฌฏืฆื๏ฌฏื ืขืืข ืขื ืขืจืืืข ืืื ๏ฌฎื ๏ฌฎื ืืขืจ ืืื โืคึฟืึทืจืืขืกืโ โ ืืื ๏ฌฎื๏ฌฎ, ืื๏ฌต ื๏ฌื ืข ื๏ฌฎืฉืืืกื ืืื ื๏ฌื ืข ืืข๏ฌซืื ืงืขื ืขื ื๏ฌฎืงืข ื๏ฌฎืื ๏ฌฎื ืืืชื ืืืืืง.
ืื๏ฌฏืก ืคึฟืึทืจ ืึท ืคึฟืึทืจืืขืกื ืืืื ืืื? ืืึธ ืงืืื ๏ฌฎืจ๏ฌื ๏ฌฎื ืืืืกืขืจืืขืืืืื ืืืขืืข ืืืจืื ๏ญืื ืขื ืจืืืดื.
ืืขืจ ืจืืืดื ืฉืจ๏ฌืื, ๏ฌฎื ืืขืืขืจ ืืขื ืืฉ ื๏ฌฎืจืฃ ืฉืืขื ืืืง ืืขื ืืื ๏ฌฎืืืื ืืื ืื ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืข ืืืขืื ืืื ๏ญืื ืงื ื๏ฌฎื๏ฌฎื ืฆืืจื ืฆืืืืฉื ืืืืช ืืื ืืืึฟื.
ืืืื ืืฆืืื. ืืืื ืืื ืื๏ฌฏืจื. ืืืื ืืขืฉืื ๏ญืื ืืกื. ืึทืคึฟืืื ืืืื ืืืืขืจ ืืขื๏ฌฎื ืง.
ืืขืืขืจ ืืืื ืขืจ ๏ญืื ืืื ืงืขื ืืืืขืจืืืขืื ืื ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืข ืื๏ฌฏื ืืืืึฟื โ ื ืืฉื ื ๏ฌฏืจ ืคึฟืึทืจ ืืื ๏ฌฎืืืื, ื ๏ฌฏืจ ืคึฟืึทืจ ืืขืจ ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืขืจ ืืืขืื.
ืืืจ ืืจ๏ฌฎืืื ืึธืคึฟื: ืื๏ฌฏืก ืืึทืื ืืืืก ืื๏ฌฏืก ืืืืณื ื๏ฌฏื? ืืื ืืื ื๏ฌฏื ืืืืื ืืืื ืืขื ืืฉ ืฆืืืืฉื ๏ฌฎืื ืืืื๏ฌฏื? ืืขืจ ืจืืืดื ืืขื ืืื ืื ืฆื ืงืืงื ืืืืฃ ืืขืจ ืืืขืื ืืื ๏ฌฎื ืืขืจืข ืืืืื:
ืฉืืขื ืืื ืคึฟืึธืจ ืึท ืื๏ฌฏื. ืืืืฃ ืืืื ื๏ฌื ืฉืืืืขื ๏ญืืจ ืืืื๏ฌฏื ืืขื ืืฉื. ืืืืฃ ืืขืจ ืฆืืืืืืขืจ ื๏ฌื โ ื ๏ฌฏื ๏ญืืจ ืืืื๏ฌฏื. ืื ืื๏ฌฏื ืืื ๏ญืื ืงื ื๏ฌฎื๏ฌฎื ืฆืืจื. ืืืฆื ืฉืืขื ืืื ืคึฟืึธืจ, ๏ฌฎื ืื ืืจืขืืกื ืฆื ืืื ื๏ฌฎืฉืืืกื ืืืืฃ ืืืขืืืขืจ ื๏ฌื ืืื ืฆื ืฉืืขืื. ืืื ืืขื ืขืจ ืจืืข ืืืขืจื ื๏ฌื ื๏ฌฎืฉืืืก ืืขืจ ื๏ฌฎืฉืืืกื ืืืงืขืจ. ืื ืืืกื ืืขืจ ืื๏ฌฏืก ื๏ฌฏื ืืืืขืจืืขืื๏ฌฏืื ืื ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืข ืื๏ฌฏื.
ืืืื ื๏ฌฏืก ืงืืื ืื ืฆื ๏ฌฎืืกืืจ๏ฌฎืงื, ื๏ฌฏืืืจ ืืื ืืืืงืขืจื ืฆืื ืืืขืืึพืืขืืขืจ.
ืืขืจ ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืขืจ ืืืจื ืืจ โ ื ๏ฌฏื ืื๏ฌฏืื ๏ญืื ืฉ๏ญืืื, ืฆืขื ืืืืงืขืจ ื ๏ฌฎืฆื๏ฌฏื ๏ฌฎืืข ื๏ฌฎื ืฉ๏ญ๏ฌฎืื ืืื ืืื ืืขืจืืขืจ ืฉ๏ญืืืขืจ โ ืืื ืืขืจ ืกืืฃ ื๏ฌฎืฉื๏ฌฏืกื ืืขืื๏ฌฏืจื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืืื ืฆืืงื ื๏ฌฏืืขื ื.
ืืืื ืฉ๏ญืืืขืจ. ืืืื ื๏ฌฏื. ๏ฌฎืืื ืืื ืืืื ืืื ืืขืจ ืจืืื ืืืชืืืงืขืจ ืืืขืื.
ืืขืจ ืืจืืืกืขืจ ืืขืจ๏ฌฎื ืื ืฆืืืืฉื ืืืืก ืืื ืฉืืขืืืก, ืื๏ฌฏืก ื๏ฌฎืืืืื ืื ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืข ืืขืฉืืืืข ๏ญืื ืืขืจ ืืขื ืืฉืืืื, ืงืขื ืืืืกืืขื ืืื ืข๏ญืขืก ืฆื ืืจืืืก, ๏ฌปืื ืึท ืืืื ื๏ฌฏื ืงืขื ืขื ื๏ฌื ืืืืจืงื ืืขืจืืืฃ.
๏ฌฏืืขืจ ืืืื ืื ืื๏ฌฏื ืืื ื๏ฌฎืงืข ื๏ฌฎื๏ฌฎื ืฆืืจื, ืืื ืืขืจ ืจืืืดื ื๏ฌฎืฉืจ๏ฌืื, ืงืขื ืืขืจ ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืขืจ ืกืืฃึพืจืขืืืื๏ฌฎื ๏ฌฏืคึผืืขื ืืขื ๏ญืื ืืืื ืืขื ืืฉ. ๏ญืื ืืืื ืืฆืืื. ๏ญืื ืืืื ืืื ืื๏ฌฏืจื. ๏ญืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืขื๏ฌฎื ืง.
ืืื ืืขื ืขืจ ืืขื ืืฉ ืงืขื ื๏ฌื ืืืืงื ืื ืึทืืืื. ืืื ืืขื ื๏ฌฎืฉืืืก ืื๏ฌฏืก ืืืื ื๏ฌื ื ืืื ื๏ฌื ืข ืืขื ื.
ืขืก ืืื ืืึธ ื ๏ฌฏื ๏ฌฎื ืขื ืื, ืื๏ฌฏืก ืืขืจ ืืืขืืึพืืขืืขืจ ืงืขื ืืื ืื ืืขืจื ืขื. ืื ื ืึฟืืืื ื๏ฌฎืฉืจ๏ฌืื ืึท ืฆ๏ฌื, ืืืขื ืื ืืืขืื ืืืขื ืืขืจืืจืืืื ืืืจ ืืืชื ืฆืื. ืืขื๏ฌฏืื ืืืขื ืืขืจ ืืฉืื ืงืืืขื ืืื ืืจืขื ืืขื ๏ฌฎื ืขืคึผืึธืืข ๏ญืื ืฉืืื, ืืขืจืขืืืืงืืื ืืื ๏ฌฎืืืขืืืื ืขืจ ืืขืจืงืขื ืื ื ๏ญืื ื๏ฌฏื.
ืงืขื ืืขื ืืื ๏ญืจืขืื: ืืื ๏ฌฎืืื ืืื ืขืก ืืขืืืขื, ๏ฌฎื ืืืื ืืขื ืืฉ ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืก๏ญืืจืืจื ืื ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืข ืืืขืื?
๏ฌฏืืขืจ ืืจ๏ฌฎืื ืฆืืจืืง ืืืขืื ืืขื ืื๏ฌฏืก ืืืจ ื๏ฌฏืื ๏ญืื ืงื ืืืฆื ืืืืืขืืขื. ืืืื๏ฌฏื ืขื ืืขื ืืฉื ื๏ฌฏืื ืืื ืืืื ืืืืื ืืืืง ืืื ืฆืืืขืงืืงื ืืืืฃ ืืืื ืืขื ืืฉ: ืื๏ฌฏื ืขื ืืขืกื.
ืคึฟืึทืจ ืึท ืงืืจืฆื ื๏ฌฏืืขื ื ืืื ืขืจ ืืขืื๏ฌฏืจื ืืขืจ ืฆืขื ืืขืจ ๏ญืื ืขื ืืื๏ญืืขืจืง ๏ญืื ืืืืืึธื ืขื ืืขื ืืฉื!
ืืืื ื๏ฌฏืก ืืื ืืขืืืขื ืืื ืืขืจ ืืืขืื ๏ญืื ืกืคึผืึธืจื, ืืื ืขืก ื ๏ฌฏื ืืขืจ ืคึฟืึทืจืฉืืขื ืืืขื, ๏ฌฎื ืขืก ืืืขื ืงืืืขื ืึท ื๏ฌฏื, ืืืขื ืื ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืข ืืขื ืืฉืืืื ืืืขื ืืื ืืืขื ืื ืฆื ืึท ๏ญืืจืขืจ, ืืืขืืขื ืก ๏ฌปืื ืืืขื ื ืืฉื ืืืื ืืื ื๏ฌื ืข ๏ญืืก, ื ๏ฌฏืจ ืืื ื๏ฌื ืจืื.
ืืฉืื ืืืขื ื ืืฉื ืคึฟืึทืจืืืื ืืงื ืืขื ืืฉื ๏ฌฎืจืื ืึท ๏ญืืืงืข. ืขืจ ืืืขื ืคึฟืึทืจืืืื ืืงื ืืื ๏ฌฎืจืื ืืืช. ๏ฌฎืจืื ืืืืกืงืืื. ๏ฌฎืจืื ืืขืจืขืืืืงืืื. ๏ฌฎืจืื ืฉืืื. ืืื ๏ฌฎืจืื ืืขืจ ืืืืขื ๏ญืื ื-ืืืืืงืืื.
ืืื ื๏ฌฏื ืืขื๏ฌฏืื ืฆืืืขืืขืื ืืื ึทื ืฉืืืืื: โืกืณืืื ืืึธ ืึท ืืฉืืง๏ฌฎืืืขืจ ืฆืืคึฟืึทื. ืืขืจ ื ๏ฌฏืืขื Messi ืงืืื ืื ึทื ืืืกื ืขื ืืขื ืฆื Messiah.
๏ฌฎืืืืื ืืื ื๏ฌฏืก ืืืืื ืึท ืืฉืืึพืฆืืคึฟืึทื. ๏ฌฏืืขืจ ืึท ื๏ฌฏื ืงืขื ืึท ืงืืืื ืข ืฆื๏ญืขืืืงืืื ืืื ืขื ืืื ืึท ืืจืืง ืฆื ืึท ืืจืขืกืขืจื ืืขื๏ฌฎื ืง. ืืื ืืขืจ ืืขื๏ฌฎื ืง ืืื ๏ญืฉืื:
ืืืื ืื ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืข ืืืขืื ืงืขื ืืื ืคึฟืึทืจืืืื ืืงื ๏ฌฎืจืื ืึท ๏ญืืกื๏ฌฏืึพ๏ญืื ๏ฌฎื, ืืืื ืืืื๏ฌฏื ืขื ืืขื ืืฉื ืงืขื ืขื ืืื ืืืืื ืื ืืขืืืข ืืึธืคึฟืขื ืื ื, ืื ืืขืืืข ืฉืคึผืึทื ืื ื ืืื ืื ืืขืืืข ืืึทืืฒึทืกืืขืจืื ื, ืืขืจืืึธื ื ืืึธืก ืืื ืื, ๏ฌฎื ืื ืืขื ืืฉืืืื ืืื ๏ญืขืึดืง ืืื ืฆื ืคึฟืึทืจืืืื ืืงื.
ืื ืคึฟืจืึทืืข ืืื ื ืึธืจ: ๏ฌฎืจืื ืื๏ฌฏืก?
ืื ื ืึฟืืืื ืืขืขื ืคึฟืึธืจืืืก ื ื๏ฌฏื, ืืืขื ืื ืืืขืื ืืืขื ืืื ืคึฟืึทืจืืืื ืืงื ื ืืฉื ๏ฌฎืจืื ืงืืื ืฉ๏ญืื, ื ๏ฌฏืจ ๏ฌฎืจืื ืึท ืฆืื. ื ืืฉื ๏ฌฎืจืื ืึท ืืขืืืื ืขืจ, ื ๏ฌฏืจ ๏ฌฎืจืื ืืืช. ื ืืฉื ๏ฌฎืจืื ืึท ื๏ฌฏื, ื ๏ฌฏืจ ๏ฌฎืจืื ืืขื ืืืืืขืจืฉืื.
ืืื ืืื ืขืก ืงืืื ืืขื ืขืจ ื๏ฌฏื, ื๏ฌฏื ืืขืืขืจ ืืืื ืขืจ ๏ญืื ืืื ืื ื๏ฌื ืืืืืขื ืข ืจ๏ฌฏืืข. ืืืจ ื๏ฌฎืจ๏ญื ื ืืฉื ืื๏ฌฎืจืื ืืืืฃ ืึท ืคึฟืืื ืกื๏ฌฎืื๏ฌฏื. ืืืจ ื๏ฌฎืจ๏ญื ื ืืฉื ืื๏ฌฎืจืื ืืืืฃ ืึท ืืืขืืึพ๏ญืื ๏ฌฎื. ืืื ืืืจ ื๏ฌฎืจ๏ญื ืืืืขืจ ื ืืฉื ืื๏ฌฎืจืื ืืื ๏ฌฎืืข ๏ฌฎื ืืขืจืข ืืืขืื ื๏ฌฏื ืื๏ฌฏืก ืืื ื๏ฌฎืจ๏ญื ื๏ฌฏื.
ืื ืืขืืขืื ืืืื ืืืื ืคึฟืึทืจ ืืื ืื ืืขืื ื๏ฌฏื. ืืขืืขืจ ื๏ฌฎืฉืืืก. ืืขืืขืจ ืืื ืื๏ฌฏืจื. ืืขืืข ืืฆืื. ืืขืืขืจ ๏ฌฎืงื ๏ญืื ืืกื. ืืื ๏ฌฎืืข ื๏ฌื ืขื ืืขืจ ื๏ฌฎื๏ฌืื ืืืง, ืืื ืืืจ ืฉืืขืื ืืื ืคึฟืึธืจ.
ื๏ญืฉืจ ืืืขืื ืืืจ ืงืืื ื๏ฌฏื ื ืืฉื ืืืืกื, ืืื ืื๏ฌื ืื ืืฉ๏ญืขื ๏ญืื ืึทื ืืืื ืฆืืงืขืจ ืืขืฉืื ื๏ฌฏื ืืื ืคึฟืึทืจืฉ๏ญืจืืื. ๏ฌฏืืขืจ ืืืื ืืขื ืจืืืดื ื๏ฌฎืจ๏ญื ืืืจ ืืขืื ืืื ืืขื ื๏ฌฎืื๏ฌตืกืื๏ฌื, ๏ฌฎื ืขืก ืืื ืืืืขืจ ืืขืืืขื, ๏ฌฎื ืืืืงื ืืขื ืข ืืขืฉืื ื๏ฌฏื ืืืืขืจืืขืืืืืื ืื ื๏ฌฎื ืฆืข ืื๏ฌฏื.
ืืืจ ืงืขื ืขื ื๏ญืฉืจ ื ืืฉื ื๏ฌฎืฉืืืกื ืืืขืจ ืขืก ื๏ฌฏื ืืขืืืื ืขื ืืขื ืืืขืืึพืืขืืขืจ. ๏ฌฏืืขืจ ืืืจ ืงืขื ืขื ืืขืื ื๏ฌฏื ื๏ฌฎืฉืืืกื ืื๏ฌฏืก ืคึฟืึทืจ ืึท ืืืขืื ืืืจ ืืขื๏ญื ืืืืขื.
ืืืื ืืขืืขืจ ๏ญืื ืืื ืื ืืืขื ื๏ฌฏื ื๏ฌื ืืืื, ืืืขืื ืืืจ ๏ฌฎืืข ืฆืื๏ฌฎืืขื ืืขื๏ญื ืืจืขื ืืขื ืืขื ื๏ฌฏื, ืืืขื ืื ืืืขืื ืืืขื ืืขืจืืจืืืื ืืืจ ืืืชื ื ืฆืืื โ ืื ืืืืื ืืืืชืืช ืืืฉืืืื, ืืื ืืืืช ืืฉืื ืฆืืงื ื ืืืืจื ืืืืื ื, ืืืฉ.
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Trumpโs messy new deal with Saudi Arabia shows how far Israel has fallen
The American decision to sign a deal granting Saudi Arabia a pathway toward a civilian nuclear program is a terrible development for Israel โ not just because Riyadh could one day turn nuclear infrastructure developed with the United States into a weapons capability.
The agreement reflects the collapse of Israeli strategy under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023; the erosion of Israelโs influence in the U.S.; and Israelโs descent toward the status of a pariah state.
A day after the deal was announced, Trump โ seemingly rattled by the flood of criticism that ensued โ said it was dependent on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. But he did not clarify what aspect of the Accords he meant; thereโs no indication that such a requirement is included in the already-signed deal; and Riyadh has made clear that it will do no such thing until there is concrete progress toward a Palestinian state, which is a fantastical notion under the current Israeli government.
For years, nuclear cooperation represented one of Washingtonโs greatest sources of leverage over Saudi Arabia. It was long believed that prospect would be used to anchor some kind of pact involving normalization with Israel, binding nuclear safeguards, a regional defense architecture and a united front against Iran. Under such an arrangement, Israel would have established formal relations with the Arab worldโs most influential power, and gained both a central role in a new regional security system and enforceable Saudi commitments against pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Washington has now at least begun giving Riyadh the prize โย no matter what Trump says, amending the deal post-facto will be at best extraordinarily difficult โ without Israel receiving any of the benefits.
That dire truth is the outcome of nearly three years in which Israel has confused military brilliance with strategy, and abandoned almost all public diplomacy as its status in the world plummeted.
No one can deny the extraordinary capabilities displayed by Israelโs armed forces and intelligence services since the Oct. 7 massacre. Hezbollah absorbed devastating blows. Iranian military assets suffered setbacks. Hamas lost thousands of fighters and much of its military infrastructure.
But a sense of true strategy is needed to convert military achievement to political outcomes. Strategy can strengthen alliances, expand legitimacy and leave a country in a stronger geopolitical position than the one in which it entered a conflict.
That seems to be completely beyond Netanyahuโs ability.
In the months immediately following Oct. 7, Israel possessed something extraordinarily rare: overwhelming international legitimacy. Hamas had committed an atrocity that horrified much of the democratic world. Moderate Arab governments viewed Hamas as a dangerous extension of the same Islamist forces that threatened their own stability. Former President Joe Bidenโs administration recognized that extraordinary alignment, and sought to build upon it, working toward an ambitious regional framework.
In the early months of war, Hamas faced near-unanimous global pressure to hand over Gaza to a reformed Palestinian Authority, backed by moderate Arab governments. Arab states appeared ready to help marginalize Hamas politically and financially, and make life uncomfortable for its leaders.
For a moment, it was easy to see a path forward in which Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel, with other countries following. A U.S.-led regional alliance facing Iran might integrate Israel into the Middle East more deeply than was ever previously imaginable.
That framework offered Israel the chance to translate the trauma of Oct. 7 into a strategic transformation of the region. Instead, Netanyahu chose an open-ended war whose nebulously defined goals were not achievable by military means alone, amid a reasonable and growing suspicion in the public and around the world that he was doing so to preserve his hold on power.
Every few weeks Israelis heard that Hamas stood on the verge of collapse. Each extension of the war was presented as the last before โcomplete victoryโ โ which Netanyahu kept claiming was โa stepโ away. Victory remained perpetually on the horizon as Israelโs international standing collapsed.
Now, Netanyahu is wanted at the Hague. Diplomatic isolation has deepened and economic pressure mounted as boycott movements โ including many informal ones โ expanded.
And critically, American public opinion has shifted sharply, particularly among younger Americans, threatening the bipartisan foundation upon which Israelโs relationship with Washington has rested for generations.
Recent credible polls show that more Americans now sympathize with Palestinians than with Israelis.
Israelis think this happened because of a propaganda campaign against them on social media, because of antisemitism in Europe, or because of hostile journalists. That is partly true but mostly wrong. These shifts are mostly a result of the posture of the Israeli government.
The reality is that Israel killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, accepted that toll with remarkably little public reflection or regret, and relied on the trauma of Oct. 7 to justify it. Around the world, that proved politically devastating. It is especially absurd considering that Israel paid this extraordinary price without achieving its central objective of removing Hamas from Gaza โ which was foreseeable and infuriating.
Things might change if the opposition comes to power in October. The idiotic demonization of the Palestinian Authority might end. Jewish terrorism in the West Bank might be stamped out. Settlement construction beyond the fence line, and certainly illegal outposts, might stop.
Israel might again at least be trying to find a solution to the festering Palestinian issue โ or at least prefer to lower the flames. That might, in the long term, bring Saudi Arabia back to the table.
But the U.S, has stopped waiting. That the Saudi deal was signed at all, no matter what Trump says now, suggests that Washington is now basically indifferent to the loss of leverage for a deal favoring Israel.
How to resolve the muddle Trump has made? The key: the agreement appears to not include the possibility of enrichment on Saudi soil, but just general assistance to create a program for nuclear energy. So Trump will be able to say that enrichment must await Saudi normalization with Israel. But Saudi Arabia will still be able to claim the symbolic victory of entering into nuclear collaboration with the U.S.
And so, the regional architecture envisioned in the first months after Oct. 7 has vanished because of the forever-wars Netanyahu has pursued โ which also resulted in the deaths of dozens of hostages and more than 1,000 soldiers, badly damaged Israelโs economy, and left the countryโs international standing in shambles.
And the strategic alliance between Israel and the U.S. โ without which Israelโs very existence will be in danger โ is falling apart in front of our eyes, not because of Trump but because we are losing the American people.
This is what you get when you are all brawn and no brain, and all tactics and no strategy.
That realization should define Israelโs coming election far more even than arguments over judicial reform or the Haredi draft. Those who have led Israel into this disaster deserve to be punished. Not just removed from power, but decisively repudiated. They have become a danger to the Zionist project itself.
The post Trumpโs messy new deal with Saudi Arabia shows how far Israel has fallen appeared first on The Forward.
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Harvard students have questions after Hillel withdraws its brief against Trump
Jewish Harvard students are still trying to make sense of a baffling turn of events, after Hillel International weighed in on the universityโs lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking restoration of federal funding withheld over alleged campus antisemitism โ and then just as suddenly withdrew its brief from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Hillel International had filed an amicus brief Wednesday supporting Harvardโs suit against the federal government, which seeks to restore roughly $2.7 billion in federal research funding. In its brief, Hillel International acknowledged that antisemitism is an issue at Harvard and other universities, but that โcampus life for Jewish students has meaningfully improvedโ following actions taken by the school.
Less than 24 hours later, Hillel International confirmed that it was withdrawing the brief, citing an error in its internal review process, according to the student newspaper, the Harvard Crimson.
Whatโs more, Hillel International filed the brief without the knowledge of Harvard Hillel, a campus organization that operates independently, the paper reported.
Hillelโs reversal followed sharp criticism of the brief on social media from some Jewish public figures. Among them was Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Harvard Divinity School graduate who filed a Title VI lawsuit against the university for ignoring antisemitism. He wrote on X that he was โshockedโ by the decision.
โRather than take responsibility for their failure to respond to the explosion of antisemitism on American campuses post October 7th, Hillel has instead decided to support the perpetrators,โ Kestenbaum wrote. He encouraged donors to stop giving to Hillel and choose organizations like Chabad or Jewish day schools instead.
Kestenbaum told the Harvard Crimson that Hillel International President Adam Lehman had not seen the brief before the organization filed it. Hillel International did not respond to an inquiry from the Forward to confirm this.
Hillelโs withdrawal of the brief disappointed Tova Kaplan, a recent graduate who testified at a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights hearing on campus antisemitism. The brief cited her testimony.
โWhile Iโm not sure what factors led to this decision, it feels like a prioritization of politics over Jewish students,โ Kaplan wrote in a statement to the Forward.
โThe Trump administrationโs attacks arenโt even designed to help Jewish students โ instead, theyโre designed to instrumentalize our voices and pain to achieve their own political goals,โ she wrote.
Siding with Harvard along with numerous other groups, including civil liberties organizations across the ideological spectrum and 18 other American universities, the withdrawn brief argued that cutting research funding is not a productive way to halt university antisemitism. Harvardโs improvement measures, following recommendations from its own Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias, have been more effective than what the brief called the โdraconian one-size-fits-all approaches of the sort the government here pursues.โ
These measures, the withdrawn brief said,ย โdo not help Jewish students or improve the campus climateโ but instead, โthey disproportionately impact the very Jewish students and Jewish researchers the government purportedly seeks to help.โ
But another recent graduate who said he did not want to be identified, sees Hillelโs opposition to the Trump administrationโs actions as taking the wrong side of the fight. He believes the federal defunding of Harvard pushes the university to protect Jewish students.
โI think a major reason Harvardโs been making changes is because theyโre under threat,โ he said.
He also contends Hillel Internationalโs evidence to back its claim that Harvardโs efforts have improved antisemitism are weak โ lacking measurable results.
Dani Kobrick, a rising senior, said she is perplexed by Hillel Internationalโs actions.
โI donโt think Hillel needed to submit anything to begin with,โ she said. โBut I do think that withdrawing it makes a very big statement.โ
The post Harvard students have questions after Hillel withdraws its brief against Trump appeared first on The Forward.
