A Cincinnati Jew in London
Hi American Israelites… It’s been a while. Let me re-introduce myself, if you’ve forgotten: my name is Eliana Garfunkel, I graduated from Sycamore High School in 2021 and since then I’ve been outside the states for my further education. First, I was in Milan then London studying fashion design and now I’m finishing a completely new degree from Royal Holloway University of London in Creative Writing and American Literature (I get why it’s funny). I lived in Surrey, where the university actually is, for the first two years of my degree, but I started to be more religious so I moved to Golders Green to be in the community.
When Rabbis Forget the Jewish People
There are moments in Jewish life that look small from a distance but reveal something enormous up close. The controversy at the Jewish Theological Seminary over Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s honorary doctorate is one of them. Some rabbinical students and graduates objected, using the language of genocide and moral disqualification. Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz defended the invitation, noting Herzog represents the State of Israel and the Jewish people. That should have been obvious. Apparently, it is not.
Animal Farm Brings Orwell’s Warning to a New Generation
There is a reason Animal Farm continues to trouble readers and viewers across generations. Beneath its familiar barnyard setting is a warning about pride, fear, persuasion, and the subtle ways people learn to look away from what they know is wrong.
Mercy: A Movie Review
As collaboration between humans and machines accelerates, complexity grows—and so does the unpredictability of unintended consequences. That concern fuels Mercy, Timur Bekmambetov’s sleek sci-fi courtroom thriller starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. On the surface, the film presents a tense, near-future drama about a police detective forced to stand trial before an artificial intelligence he helped create. Beneath the action, however, Mercy raises a far more troubling question: when we delegate judgment to machines, whose morality are we truly enforcing?
Joshua Blatman: A Parent’s Reaction to the Shooting at Temple Israel
“Would you be interested in writing about how today’s shooting made you feel as a parent?” said the text message from my publisher.
“Oh man… I haven’t heard about it yet” I replied, startled.
Tehran Review: The Spy Thriller for Fans of Homeland and 24
Do you have a Homeland– or 24-sized hole in your TV viewing? Then Tehran is the show for you. Warning: There will be spoilers in this review. Tehran sits right in the sweet spot between Homeland’s slower, more methodical spy pacing and 24’s high-stakes, adrenaline-fueled action. It has the patience of a smart espionage drama,
Sarah Litwak: A Teacher’s Reflection on the Temple Israel Shooting
Almost every job I have ever worked has been in childcare in the Jewish community. Needless to say, the attack at Temple Israel in Michigan on Thursday, March 12 hit me incredibly hard. From my first summer as a counselor at a Jewish day camp nearly 10 years ago, I have been asked to prepare for the possibility of becoming a target of violence and hatred. I have gone through active shooter training more times than I can count, and yet I still feel woefully unprepared. I can’t imagine going through something so traumatic. At the same time, I can’t stop picturing it happening to me, to my students, to my community.
Solo Mio (2026) Review: Finding Love—and Yourself—in the Most Unexpected Places
Romantic comedies often begin with the promise of love and follow the chaos that threatens to derail it. Solo Mio flips that formula in a refreshing way. Instead of starting with a couple on the verge of commitment, the film opens with a man whose wedding collapses before it even begins. What follows is not only a search for romance but a journey toward healing and self-understanding.
Security Starts With Awareness
After the recent attack at a synagogue in Michigan, many in the Jewish community are asking the same question: what can we do to stay safe? The answer is not panic. It is preparation. While no security plan is perfect, there are practical habits that strengthen any community. Many of these lessons come from a
The Mystery of the Missing Poppy Seed Filling: Part 2
From her car, hands still resting on the steering wheel, Barbara opened her phone. The synagogue WhatsApp group waited there, its familiar stream of messages offering a fragile sense of connection. Her fingers moved quickly. “Has anyone seen poppy seed filling at Kroger?” The replies arrived almost instantly. And with each message — Hyde Park