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The Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s 10 most-read stories of 2022
(JTA) — From the very beginning of the year, 2022 was anything but easy for American Jews.
The year began with a harrowing crisis at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, during which an armed assailant took a rabbi and three of his congregants hostage during Shabbat services.
From there, Jewish communities across the United States weathered book bans that targeted revered Holocaust stories, and more recently, a high-profile spate of antisemitism by one of the world’s biggest pop stars that has inspired antisemitic extremists.
But it wasn’t all bad news. Jews grabbed starring roles in TV and film, on game shows and on TikTok. Through it all, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency tracked each development, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows — and JTA readers came along for the ride.
Here are our 10 most-read stories of the year.
10. Meet Danielle Finn, the Modern Orthodox high schooler bringing her voice to ‘American Idol’ by Sarah Rosen (Feb. 25)
Danielle Finn, a 17-year-old young Orthodox Jewish woman from Los Angeles, will be featured in the upcoming season of American Idol. (ABC/Eric McCandless)
Los Angeles teen Danielle Finn competed in this year’s season of the popular TV singing competition show “American Idol.” The 17-year-old wore a chai necklace to her audition, telling JTA, “I feel like I’m making a great representation of the Jewish community.”
9. The great ‘Maus’ giveaway is on as bookstores, professors and churches counter Tennessee school board’s ban by Andrew Lapin (Jan. 28)
Art Spiegelman, author of Maus, poses in Paris, March 20, 2012. (Bertrand Langlois/AFP via Getty Images)
When a rural Tennessee school board pulled the celebrated Holocaust graphic novel “Maus” from the district’s curriculum, backlash was swift.
A local comic-book store gave away the book for free to every student in the county, a nearby church held a discussion on its themes and a college professor offered free classes on the book to students in the county. Author Art Spiegelman even Zoomed with locals.
8. Comedian who went viral after having beer thrown at her makes a very Jewish TV debut on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ by Caleb Guedes-Reed (Oct. 25)
Ariel Elias makes her TV debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Oct. 24, 2022. (Screenshot from YouTube)
Jewish comedian Ariel Elias went viral for her response to a heckler who threw a beer can at her during a stand-up set at a New Jersey comedy club.
Elias’ fame earned her an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” — her television debut — where she performed a very Jewish set. “I’m Jewish and from Kentucky,” she said to applause. “That’s an insane origin story.”
7. Kanye West’s vow to ‘go death con 3’ on Jews and his antisemitism controversy, explained by Philissa Cramer and Ron Kampeas (Oct. 12)
Kanye West attends the Givenchy Spring-Summer 2023 fashion show during the Paris Womenswear Fashion Week, Oct. 2, 2022. (Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images)
Perhaps the biggest Jewish narrative of 2022 kicked off in October, when rapper Kanye West, who also goes by Ye, unleashed a series of antisemitic comments on social media, initiating a cascading series of consequences for one of the world’s largest pop stars.
We explained the scandal, and the many responses and subsequent stories that continue to develop. More on West below.
6. Jon Stewart vs. Hannah Einbinder: Jewish comedians weigh in on Dave Chappelle’s ‘SNL’ monologue by Jackie Hajdenberg (Nov. 17)
Jewish comedians Jon Stewart and Hannah Einbinder had opposite reactions to comedian Dave Chappelle’s monologue on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ (Screentshots via YouTube. Image via Getty. Design by Grace Yagel.)
Scandal begets scandal. In the wake of the Kanye West episode, comedian Dave Chappelle hosted “Saturday Night Live,” joking in his monologue about Jews running Hollywood.
Jewish comedian and “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder said Chappelle’s monologue was “littered with antisemitism,” while fellow Jewish comedian Jon Stewart defended Chappelle.
5. Our breaking news coverage of the Colleyville, Texas, synagogue hostage crisis by Ron Kampeas and Andrew Lapin (Jan. 15)
The chair and the teacup from the Colleyville, Texas, synagogue hostage crisis will be entering the American Jewish history museum in Philadelphia. (Images courtesy of Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and Emil Lippe/Getty Images. Photo illustration by Mollie Suss)
On Saturday, Jan. 15, all eyes were on Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, where a gunman took Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three of his congregants hostage during Shabbat services.
The standoff lasted 12 hours, and all four hostages left unharmed. The assailant was killed. The incident renewed attention to synagogue security, and to questions of how to balance safety and inclusion.
4. Texas school district orders librarians to remove a version of Anne Frank’s diary from shelves by Andrew Lapin (Aug. 16)
“Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” (Courtesy Anne Frank Fonds)
Less than 10 miles from Colleyville, the school district in Keller, Texas, made headlines last summer when librarians were ordered to remove an illustrated adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank” from their shelves and digital libraries.
“It’s disgusting. It’s devastating. It’s legitimate book banning, there’s no way around it,” Laney Hawes, a parent of four children in the Keller district, told JTA. “I feel bad for the teachers and the librarians.”
3. Emma Saltzberg didn’t expect to win on ‘Jeopardy!’ — but criticism of her Israel activism came as no surprise by Philissa Cramer (Feb. 9)
Emma Saltzberg, a Jewish activist from Brooklyn (by way of Philadelphia), won nearly $60,000 on “Jeopardy!” in February 2022. (Screenshot)
From her years of experience in progressive Jewish groups, including IfNotNow, Emma Saltzberg knew that her appearance on one of the most popular TV shows in the United States would likely generate negative comments from those who believe criticizing the occupation is antisemitic.
“That was priced in to my decision to do something public,” she told JTA shortly after winning $60,000. “I was totally expecting it.” What she hadn’t counted on, she said, was her fellow contestants standing up for her.
2. Michelle Williams, who plays Steven Spielberg’s mother in ‘The Fabelmans,’ says she plans to raise her children Jewish by Philissa Cramer (Nov. 25)
Paul Dano, Steven Spielberg and Michelle Williams attend “The Fabelmans” premiere during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, Sept. 10, 2022. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Actress Michelle Williams isn’t Jewish, but her children will be.
In press coverage of her latest movie, Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical “The Fabelmans,” she said that she and her Jewish husband, director Thomas Kail, are raising their two young children with Judaism and that she is studying the religion herself.
“I can’t teach it to them unless I learn it first,” said Williams, who was raised Christian.
1. The Nazi history of Adidas, the sportswear giant that took weeks to drop Kanye West over antisemitism by Andrew Lapin (Oct. 24)
(Getty Images)
In the fallout over West’s antisemitism, one of the biggest storylines was the rapper’s lucrative relationship with sportswear company Adidas, which itself has a complex history with antisemitism.
Adidas ultimately severed ties with Ye, after weeks of criticism and pressure. With the company in the spotlight, we took a look at its Nazi history — something Adidas has rarely addressed publicly.
From all of us at The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, thank you for reading! We look forward to covering the next chapter of the unfolding Jewish story in 2023. As always, feel free to reach out with tips, questions or feedback, and if you value the journalism we produce, please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation.
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The post The Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s 10 most-read stories of 2022 appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Police Chief in UK Retires After Facing Scrutiny for Banning Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans From Soccer Match
WMP Chief Constable Craig Guildford speaking before the Home Affairs Committee on Jan. 6, 2026. Photo: Screenshot
West Midlands Police (WMP) Chief Constable Craig Guildford retired on Friday effective immediately after increasing public scrutiny and revelations over his use of “exaggerated or simply untrue” intelligence to justify a ban prohibiting Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans from attending a match late last year.
Simon Foster, the police and crime commissioner of WMP, announced Guildford’s retirement in a formal statement delivered outside Birmingham’s Lloyd House, which is the headquarters of the West Midlands police force. Guildford will collect his full pension after three decades of service. Foster thanked Guildford for his service and said he welcomes the chief constable’s decision to retire. He added that Guildford’s stepping down is in the “best interest” of the police force and the local community.
Guildford’s retirement follows the decision of the Birmingham City Council Safety Advisory Group, based on the recommendation of West Midlands Police, to ban traveling Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans from attending the Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and the Israeli team on Nov. 6, 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham due to “public safety concerns.”
The announcement also comes just two days after British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the British Parliament that she has lost confidence in Guildford. The minister said she came to the conclusion after receiving a “damning” and “devastating” report by Sir Andy Cooke, his Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary, on Wednesday that revealed several failings by the WMP force in relation to its recommendation to ban Maccabi soccer fans, including “misleading” public statements and “misinformation” promoted by the police.
Foster acknowledged on Thursday that the police forced faced “understandable intense and significant oversight and scrutiny.”
“The findings of the chief inspector were damning. They set out a catalogue of failings that have harmed trust in West Midlands Police,” Mahmood said in a statement following Thursday’s announcement. “By stepping down, Craig Guildford has done the right thing today … Today marks a crucial first step to rebuilding trust and confidence in the force amongst all the communities they serve.”
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EndJewHatred Hosts NYC Rally in Support of Iranian Protesters, Other Jewish Groups Express Solidarity
Protesters gathered outside the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in New York City on Jan. 15, 2026. Photo: #EndJewHatred
#EndJewHatred, the international grassroots civil rights movement, hosted a rally outside the office of the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in New York City on Thursday night to express solidarity with Iranians amid the crackdown on anti-government protesters in the Islamic Republic.
Demonstrators from various faiths held American, Iranian, and Israeli flags, while some others held signs that read “Free Iran” and “Jews for a Free Iran.” Rallygoers also chanted in English “Free Iran” and in Farsi, “This is our last fight, Pahlavi will return,” referring to Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah of Iran. Pahlavi is in exile in the US, but many Iranians support his return to become the leader of Iran. The exact level of support for Pahlavi is difficult to gauge.
Protesters on Thursday also chanted in Farsi “Long Live Shah. Welcome Reza Pahlavi,” as well as “Death to the dictator,” and “Khameni is a murderer,” in reference to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The rally included a performance by Iranian Jewish Ghazal Mizrahi and speeches by several faith leaders, including Pakistani-American Muslim women’’ rights activist Anila Ali. Michelle Ahdoot, the director of programming and strategy at #EndJewHatred, is a first generation Iranian-American whose parents, husband, and in-laws were all born in Iran before the 1979 Islamic revolution and forced to flee the country.
“It was a flourishing democracy pre-1979,” Ahdoot said of Iran. “What is it now is not PL … We are here tonight, an interfaith showing, people from all different backgrounds, all of us here to restore democracy. All of us united with the same message: The ideology that is there [in Iran] kills, and we won’t stand for it anymore.”
“To speak up is our responsibility. It is time to raise our voices and stand with the people of this world. To stand with humanity. Enough is enough. Down with the Islamic regime,” said Mizrahi in a speech during the rally. “Bring back the beautiful Iran. The country of color, of lively spices, of rich cultural music. It’s time to bring back our country.”
The protests that erupted in Iran on Dec. 28 initially focused on economic issues – including inflation, unemployment, and low wages — but quickly morphed into demonstrations against the country’s Islamist, authoritarian regime, political corruption, and lack of freedom and human rights in the country. Two sources, including one inside Iran, told CBS News on Tuesday that at least 12,000, and possibly as many as 20,000 people have been killed by authorities in Iran during their crackdown to quell nearly three weeks of protests.
Several Jewish groups around the world have voiced support for the Iranian people amid the anti-regime protests. The American Jewish Committee urged “all people of conscience” to stand in solidarity with Iranians and called on the Iranian regime to be held accountable for its violence against protesters.
“Millions of Iranians are courageously demanding a better life, basic dignity, and a more peaceful future. These brave individuals are risking everything to confront a radical Islamist regime that has brought repression, suffering, and terror to its own people, the region, and across the globe,” the AJC said. “The international community has a moral responsibility to act in solidarity with the Iranian people and to advance a safer region and a more peaceful Middle East.”
“My thoughts are with the people of Iran who are protesting a brutal and repressive regime,” said Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress. “May all those who have taken to the streets remain safe,”
Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) CEO Sacha Roytman said the world “must not look away this time” at the Iranian government’s “brutal suppression of its own people.”
“What we are witnessing is not just an internal political crisis, it is a human rights catastrophe of a global magnitude,” he added, in a released statement. “We stand with the Iranian people fighting for their freedom … It menaces anyone who believes in human liberty, dignity, and the right to live without fear … We look forward to a future where the people of Iran enjoy the freedom that is their right and they so richly deserve. May it come soon.”
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Baruch College Receives $75K Donation for Antisemitism Research
Protesters gathered at CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez’s office under the mantra ‘End Jew Hatred’ to protest growing antisemitism within CUNY and their campuses on Sept. 12, 2023. Photo by Meir Chaimowitz/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect.
The Antisemitism Studies Laboratory at Baruch College, a new initiative by the Wasserman Jewish Studies Center to study the rise of “contemporary antisemitism,” has received a $75,000 gift from the AddressHate nonprofit organization, the school announced on Thursday.
Founded in April amid a global surge in antisemitic incidents not seen since World War II, the Antisemitism Studies Lab will study, among other things, how antisemitism is fostered on social media. It has raised nearly $500,000 to date, a figure which Baruch College says is indicative of strong support for its mission.
“The environment for Jewish students and communities — in New York and around the world — has changed dramatically in the digital age,” AddressHate founder Joshua Laterman said on Thursday in a statement. “Baruch College has been a leader in taking this reality seriously, not only by studying antisemitism as a historical and social phenomenon, but by examining its dynamic in this fast evolving era of new media.”
He added, “Our investment in the Antisemitism Studies Lab and the Wasserman Jewish Studies Center is part of our effort to break the code of hate before it breaks us.”
Baruch College is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system.
CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez thanked Laterman, saying, “This gift will help our faculty and students analyze the dynamics and effects of digital hate with rigor, and, equally important, translate that scholarship into practical ways to strengthen campus safety, intellectual discourse, and cross community understanding. That’s what an education at Baruch College is all about.”
Founded in 1919, Baruch College in many ways stands as a tribute to the success of Jewish assimilation in America. Its namesake, Bernard Baruch served as an adviser to US President Woodrow Wilson and led the War Industries Board during World War I. Baruch was also a close friend of Winston Churchill, who faced down Hitler alone while waiting for US assistance to stop the Nazi leader’s aggression in the lead up to and early years of World War II.
The CUNY system is the alma mater of many other Jews whose scientific and cultural achievements helped create the “American Century.” That list includes vaccine developer Jonas Salk (City College), comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld (Queens College), and Irving Kristol (City College) — whose political commentary played a key role in shaping the US conservative movement, in part by excluding antisemitic elements of the political right.
However, in recent years CUNY has been a key player in the campus antisemitism crisis.
In 2025, a professor told The Algemeiner it contains elements that are “virtually Judenrein,” and in 2022, Jewish students said they were threatened with strangulation and pressured to say that Jews are racially white people who cannot, and have not, experienced oppression.
“I witnessed a Jewish student get told by the professor in front of our whole class to get her whiteness in check,” a Jewish student and witness to the events told The Algemeiner, speaking anonymously due to fears of retaliation. “The professor basically said, you can’t be a part of this kind of conversation because you’re white and you don’t understand oppression.”
Last year, the Professional Staff Congress (PSC), which represents over 30,000 CUNY staff and faculty, passed a resolution which falsely accused Israel of war crimes and other affronts to humanity, including “genocide” and “apartheid,” and called for the union to divest its pension plan of holdings linked to “Israeli companies and Israeli government bonds no later than the end of January 2025.”
That was not the first controversial resolution passed by the CUNY faculty union. In 2021, during a previous conflict between Israel and Hamas, it voted to approve a defaming statement which accused Israel of “ongoing settler colonial violence” and demanded the university “divest from all companies that aid in Israeli colonization, occupation, and war crimes.” Doing so set off a cascade of events, including a mass resignation of faculty from the union, the founding of new campus Jewish civil rights groups, and a major — ultimately unsuccessful — lawsuit which aimed to abolish compulsory public sector union membership.
In November, a City College graduate student disrupted an interfaith event by exploding into a prolonged rant in which he called for imposing sharia law on Americans, defended amputating the limbs of misdemeanor level criminals and the wealthy, and denigrated a Jewish co-panelist, Baruch College professor Ilya Bratman.
“I came here to this event not knowing that I would be sitting next to a Zionist, and this is something I’m not going to accept. My people are being killed right now in Gaza,” the student, Abdullah Mady, who is also purported to be a local imam, bellowed before challenging the religious bonafides of Muslim students in the audience. “If you’re a Muslim, out of strength and dignity, I ask you to exit this room immediately.”
Mady uttered other pronouncements drawn from the jihadist tradition of radical Islam.
“I’m talking about the elite, the filthy rich, the ones that continue to steal from people as we speak today. Those are the ones that deserve their tips to be cut off,” Mady said. “Sharia … stands against the oppressor. When sharia is implemented, pornography — gone. Alcohol industry — gone. Gambling system — gone. Interest is gone, which is what they use to enslave you.”
Widely criticized for not appearing to combat antisemitism before it became a system wide conflagration, Rodriguez told the US Congress in June that “we are committed to constant vigilance against antisemitism.” He also announced a robust policy agenda which includes a climate survey, an enhanced system for reporting hate crimes, and new training programs on antisemitism prevention and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.