The #JewWave turned into a mini-Democratic tsunami in the midterms even as the overall #BlueWave failed to deliver a knockout punch to President Trump and the GOP. Jewish Democrats had a remarkable election night, flipping 7 Republican-held seats in the House of Representatives, an outsized share of the 35-odd seats that Democrats grabbed from the…
Jewish Democrats were poised to make major gains in the House of Representatives, eying at least five pickups from Republicans. Led by a shocking upset win for veteran Max Rose on Staten Island and wins across suburbs nationwide, Jewish candidates were set to take 28 seats in the House, compared to 23 now. That’s a…
There was precious little that could have compelled Susan Hershberg Adelman to vote against a Democrat in Tuesday’s mid-term elections. To her mind, President Donald Trump has earned continued support in Congress by being the “most pro-Israel president we’ve ever had.” But last week, when Republican congressional hopeful Lena Epstein, who is Jewish, brought in…
No matter whether Democrats pull off a #BlueWave tonight, the new Congress is already certain to feature several new members who are openly critical of Israel and unconditional American backing of the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At least four incoming Democrats who are sure to win tonight have harshly criticized Israel and…
As the midterms loom, Jewish Democrats are poised to flip at least four seats in the House of Representatives — even as their chances of sweeping out several more Republican incumbents seem to have faded in the final days of the make-or-break campaign, an exclusive Forward prediction model reveals. The anti-Trump #BlueWave has pushed several…
Just days after the deadliest anti-Semitic massacre in U.S. history, American Jewish establishment groups got one step closer to achieving one of their longstanding policy goals: Passage of a bill that would criminalize some boycotts of Israel. The alleged murderer in the Pittsburgh killings, Robert Bowers, posted on social media about his hatred for the…
David Shribman, executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and his wife, Cindy Skrzycki, a journalist and senior lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh, live three blocks from the Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 congregants were murdered on October 27 in what is considered the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history. He is Jewish, she…
Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood has known hatred and heartbreak — the heavily African-American church was one of two in East Liberty that were burned down in 1971 in suspected racist arson attacks. Now, the 1,500-member church is supporting another local house of worship that was attacked in a hate…
Author’s note: This article is based on reporting from Friday evening and Saturday morning services at synagogues in Pittsburgh. I informed all people quoted in conversation that I am a reporter and have been reporting in Pittsburgh, and honored pre-arranged requests to keep public statements given at the gatherings off the record. “We mourn for…
On Friday afternoon, the community laid Rose Mallinger, the oldest victim of Saturday’s massacre, to rest. That means the city’s procession of funerals ended with just enough time to let the community prepare for the first Sabbath after the shooting. Friday evening, a number of special services are planned throughout the city, in addition to…
When President Trump claimed that the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh could have been prevented if there had been “protection” inside, reactions in the Jewish community were split. Many liberal Jews — including the family of a man injured in the massacre — felt he was blaming the synagogue for the…
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