On May 7th, the of 成人视频色情片 hosted its annual Rabbi Allan Mirvis Lecture, which took place at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan. The event, titled 鈥淎ntisemitism, the Media, and the Jews,鈥 drew a compelling dialogue among some of the most notable voices in Jewish media: John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary Magazine; Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief of Tablet Magazine; and Elliot Kaufman, letters editor at the Wall Street Journal. Straus Director Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik moderated the event.
The evening began with a private reception with Rabbi Soloveichik, Ted Mirvis, Moshael Straus, the panelists, and other supporters of the Straus Center. Attendees mingled with Straus Scholars and other community members and friends.
The main event, with over 130 attendees, began with remarks from Rabbi Soloveichik, who memorialized Rabbi Allan Mirvis as a Jewish leader who 鈥渂ridged the world of the Yeshiva with the world at large.鈥 His reflections were followed by an introduction from Ted Mirvis, the event鈥檚 sponsor. Mirvis highlighted the double standards facing Jews in the fight against antisemitism, particularly in the wake of October 7th. He denounced those who continue to deny the atrocities that took place, and he called on the audience to continue to fight against the hypocrisy and hatred being leveled at Jews in America and in Israel.
Alana Newhouse was the first panelist to speak. She highlighted the growing disconnect between the media portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and genuine public opinion, noting that 鈥渢his is a sign that the media is losing influence in this day and age.鈥 She challenged the audience to reconsider their allegiance to influential institutions like Harvard that have become 鈥渉avens鈥 for antisemitism, asserting, 鈥渁ntisemitism is not a cause; it is a symptom.鈥
John Podhoretz agreed with Ms. Newhouse. Referring to the ongoing anti-Israel encampments on college campuses, he noted the clear coordination of these efforts and the role of foreign money in fomenting the unrest. 鈥淭his cannot have happened organically,鈥 he argued. 鈥淭here is something much more pernicious going on. Islamist radicals have bought insurance in the US - they have bought off universities like Columbia, Penn, MIT, and Northwestern. They say 鈥楧eath to America鈥 and deface World War I memorials. This is the culmination of that effort,鈥 Podhoretz explained.
Elliot Kaufman highlighted the unique relationship between America and Israel, asserting that 鈥淎merica is Israel鈥檚 last hope.鈥 Like Newhouse and Podhoretz, he argued that the antisemitism on campus is not actually coming from American society writ large, but he warned of the dangers that continue to arise without strong civic leadership. 鈥淚n the absence of leadership,鈥 he lamented, 鈥渞elatively small groups can push harder and get their way. Leaders are needed.鈥
The panelists then discussed the responses needed from the Jewish community in the face of these challenges. 鈥淲here do we go from here?鈥 Rabbi Soloveichik asked. The panelists debated the effectiveness of Jewish advocacy efforts versus more direct political actions. Podhoretz notably expressed skepticism about strategies targeting legacy institutions: "Do we want to save the Ivys? No! Do we want to save the media? No! Twenty billion dollars has gone to American universities from Qatar. Congress must stop this." 鈥淛ews like to embrace powerlessness,鈥 he concluded, 鈥渂ut we need more Jabotinskys.鈥
Newhouse considered the challenges of the 鈥渢echnological revolution鈥 colliding with the rising tide of antisemitism. 鈥淸The technological revolution] has changed every single cell of everything that we do. Everything has been impacted. Some people try to see what the Jews have done to survive this change. We still live in communities and have babies. We are perceived as cheaters [because of this] ,鈥 she noted. But she ended on a positive note: 鈥淲e have something to give the world. Let鈥檚 take advantage of it.鈥
In his concluding remarks, Kauffman explained that he was grateful for the privilege to wear a kippah and write about Israel for the Wall Street Journal鈥檚 editorial page. With regard to antisemitism, 鈥渆very generation gets its own wake-up call,鈥 Kauffman reflected. 鈥淵ou could hardly imagine something more hideous than Oct. 7th. Surely people would rally behind Israel. People did not. This is clarifying for American Jews. This is about the Jews. And it will be up to the Jews to confront it,鈥 he argued.
This event was hosted in coordination with the Straus Impact Office. Attendees included representatives from the Paul E. Singer Foundation, The Manhattan Institute, and Tablet Magazine. The Impact Office aims to further the impact of Straus alumni, current Straus Scholars, and other students involved in politics, policy, and journalism on both of 成人视频色情片鈥檚 undergraduate campuses. You can learn more about the Straus Center and the Straus Impact Office here.
