Have our people email your people. Share this
WHITE HOUSE HANUKKAH — We’ll get to everyone’s favorite spotted list in a bit but first some real talk.
Ed Note: Our Community's Rare Convergence — It’s no secret we’re a segmented community, operating in political and organizational silos. For better and for worse, no single individual or group “runs” or “represents” the U.S. Jewish community. One challenge we face: Too often, as a community we're unable to talk with each other, but rather we talk at one another. We rarely — if ever — attend the same events. And if we’re not in the same room, it’s rather difficult to share a common conversation.
If there’s been one truly diverse annual gathering of the Jewish community in recent years, spanning the communal and religious spectrums, it’s President Obama’s Hanukkah Party. There are those who focus on national security and foreign policy and others who are committed to domestic issues. Groups such as AIPAC, J Street, Bend the Arc, Conference of Presidents, T'ruah, JFNA, Chabad, URJ, Agudath Israel, USCJ, Orthodox Union, IKAR… and so many more, represented by their top leaders and their “plus ones.” We're talking primarily on the communal side but there has also been a degree of political diversity with several Republican Jews in attendance over the years (January 20th, we will meet you on the other side.” [Wednesday night despite consternation within its own ranks and in the broader Jewish community.” [midnight deadline came and went Thursday with no approval from the president. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Obama had decided to let it become law without his signature. “The administration has, and continues to use, all of the necessary authorities to waive the relevant sanctions” lifted as part of the nuclear deal, Earnest said in a statement… Though Obama's move doesn't prevent the sanctions renewal from entering force, it marked a symbolic attempt by the president to demonstrate disapproval for lawmakers' actions.” [on Wednesday to Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who predicted that Israel would cease to exist within 25 years. “Don't threaten us, we are not a rabbit, we are a tiger,” said Netanyahu while on a visit to Kazakhstan.” [Wednesday that Ivanka had put her Trump Park Avenue apartment on the market for $4.1 million.”
“The French-château-style manse that Ross and his wife, Hilary Geary, bought sits on an acre across the street from Penny Pritzker, the current commerce secretary. So if Wilbur needs to borrow a cup of sugar, Pritzker can also give him the scoop on the dealings at his new office.” [Thursday Morning! Enjoying the Daily Kickoff? Please share us with your friends & tell them to sign up at [
BUSINESS BRIEFS: How Did the American Dream Mall Turn Into a Nightmare? [Wednesday sermon, delivered in his packed living room in Kfar Saba, and is writing an introduction to a book about Ayn Rand. A passage from Genesis in which Jacob professes his unworthiness of all that God has given him is painted in black above the sofas in his corner office at Hagshama headquarters in Petach Tikva, an industrial town east of Tel Aviv.” [
Gratuity not included. We love receiving news tips but we also gladly accept tax deductible tips. 100% of your donation will go directly towards improving Jewish Insider. Thanks! [
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.
Editor's Picks
What Ever Happened to the LA Times?
Who Are the Jews On Joe Biden’s Cabinet?
No Labels: The Group Fighting for the Political Center
Latest Articles
Bass, Raman, Israel
Torah Portion: B’ray’sheet
The Genocide Case Against Hamas
The Match That Oct. 7 Struck
Will Sept. 30 Go Down in History Like Oct. 7?
This Just Makes It Worse
Oct. 7 Makes Me Grateful for the Secular Calendar
It’s hard to imagine commemorating such a dark event on a day of joy. The cognitive dissonance would be unbearable.
October 7th and the Secret of Simchat Torah
In the last three years, so many heroic people have decided that October 7th will not be the tragic end.
EarlyJ Invests More Than $510,000 to Expand Jewish Parenting Centers Across California
Their goal is to ensure Jewish preschools become community hubs for families, starting in the earliest stages of parenthood.
Our Eyes Blink — A poem for Parsha Vezot Hab’rachah
My son turned eighteen yesterday…
AFHU Bel Air Affaire, Los Angeles Jewish Film Fest Screening
Notable people and events in the Jewish LA community.
A Bisl Torah ~ Fragility Beckons Daily Courage
Sukkot emphasizes that which we intrinsically know. We go outside and show the world that no matter the environment, we will express our Judaism with pride and joy.
The Antisemitism You Won’t Hear About in the News
Liat Cohen-Reeis, director of the Antisemitism Task Force at StandWithUs San Diego, has tried to bring local news media’s attention to antisemitic incidents, but has encountered disinterest.
Print Issue: Crisis of Truth | October 2, 2026
An uproar over an article showing discrimination against Jewish and Israeli writers dramatizes how ideology and politics prevail over truth.
A Free Makeover: A Bath, a Haircut and a Second Chance
At the shelters, the grooming does more than make the dogs look and smell better.
Rochelle Furstenberg, Iconic Writer, Editor, Passes Away in Jerusalem
Furstenberg has been an iconic writer and editor in Israeli and American publications for decades, including for the L.A. Jewish Journal, and her death, even at the age of 90, on the eve of Rosh Hashana, deeply moved Jerusalemites who knew her.
What Kind of Judaism Do We Want After Oct. 7?
Arthur Green, “Can Judaism Be Saved: Its Future After Gaza” (Teaneck, NJ: Ben Yehuda Press, 2025) pp. 139.
Your Organization Doesn’t Need a Chatbot. It Needs Its Hours Back.
The point of all this isn’t to replace the people who keep our institutions running. It’s to give them back the hours they spend being human copy machines, so they can spend those hours on the work only people can do.
The Architecture of L’Dor Vador: How Physical Structures Shape Jewish Values and Intergenerational Life
This is more than a proposal to construct apartments. It is an invitation to reconsider what a Jewish institution can be.
Stuffed with Spice and Simcha
The custom of eating stuffed vegetables on Simchat Torah is to symbolize the scrolls of the Torah filled with the wisdom of the holy text.
Crisis of Truth
An uproar over an article showing discrimination against Jewish and Israeli writers dramatizes how ideology and politics prevail over truth.
Rosner’s Domain | Election Day Will Just Be a Beginning
Israelis are an impatient bunch, but their political processes can drag on and on – and on.