Good morning, New York. We’re asking local synagogues how their reopening plans are going. Have thoughts? Share them at editor@jewishweek.org.
TODAY’S SCOOP
New York supermarket chain Morton Williams will limit sales of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and the kosher Glatt Express Supermarket in Teaneck, N.J. announced it would no longer carry the company’s products.
- The moves were part of the backlash against the ice cream brand, after its announcement it would no longer sell ice cream in “Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
- Israeli politicians, various pundits and even Ben & Jerry’s current Israeli licensee went after the ice cream maker and its corporate parent, Unilever, for its statement. Read JTA’s explainer here.
- Point: New York’s Jewish Community Relations Council urged Unilever “to reject this decision, to disavow the [boycott Israel] movement and to invest in programs that bring Israelis and Palestinians together to build an atmosphere of peace and cooperation. Peace will only be achieved through dialogue, not boycotts.”
- Counterpoint: The left-wing J Street said that Ben & Jerry’s was drawing “a principled and rational distinction between commercial transactions in the State of Israel & those in the territory it occupies.”
- Jewish Twitter quickly pivoted from arguing about the Netflix show “My Unorthodox Life” to arguing about ice cream.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
The Jewish man who was attacked and robbed by two assailants while walking to synagogue in Flatbush Friday described the assault.
- “They were punching me in the face. I had blood on my face, my shirt … everything was bloody,” Levi, who declined to give his last name, told the New York Post. The assault is being investigated as a hate crime.
Bahrain’s ambassador to the U.S. met with a number of Bahraini-Jewish families living in New York during a visit to the city Monday.
- Context: The Gulf kingdom appointed its first ambassador to Israel last month, following last year’s agreement between the countries to normalize diplomatic ties.
BEYOND THE BOROUGHS
Adam Weiss is the new chief executive officer of the Harold & Elaine Shames Jewish Community Center on the Hudson in Tarrytown, N.Y. Weiss has served as CEO of Ramapo for Children, a family support agency with offices in New York City and Rhinebeck, N.Y.
WAY BEYOND THE BOROUGHS
A new vegan “butcher shop” is serving up kosher food in Rochester, N.Y.
TODAY’S BIG IDEA
Elisha Wiesel responds to criticism of the Washington rally against antisemitism that he helped organize.
- “I understood that some would choose to stay away,” the Nobelist’s son writes in a JTA essay. Nevertheless, “We had tried to build a broad coalition among those who agree on the Jewish people’s right to exist in peace and security here, in the Jewish State of Israel and around the world.”
REMEMBERING
Josh Barbanel, a celebrated reporter and columnist for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, has died at his New York City home. Barbanel, who was 68, had been fighting colon cancer. Colleagues at The Wall Street Journal remembered him as “a walking encyclopedia on the subject of New York real estate” and “a delightful colleague and newsroom presence.” His favored causes included the West Side Campaign Against Hunger and the American Friends of the Jewish Museum of Greece.
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Erika Hecht was a “hidden child,” one of many Jewish children who were provided with false identities and survived the war as Christians. Join the Museum of Jewish Heritage for a virtual program exploring Erika’s experiences during the Holocaust and her struggle with identity, reinvention, and resilience. Register here. 2:00 pm.
A webinar about the Biden administration, the new Israeli government and the Kingdom of Jordan will feature analysis by Haaretz journalist Noa Landau and Middle East analyst Aaron Magid. Register here for this Israel Policy Forum event. 2:00 pm.
Park Avenue Synagogue presents Judy Batalion, author of “The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos.” Hear the stories and extraordinary accomplishments of brave Jewish women who became WWII resistance fighters. Register here. 7:00 pm.
