Joel S.
@joelhs.bsky.social
Professor of Religion and Jewish Studies, Sarah Lawrence College. PhD in Religious Studies, University of Chicago. Globalist elite and Thing-in-Itself-hating Jew. Husband of @petticoatshrink.bsky.social. He/Him/הוא/ער
Have a post go semi-viral on this platform, get accused by people to my right of sucking up to antisemites who will never accept any Jews, and by people to my left of covering up for Palestinian genocide, all because I wrote a semi-nuanced article on the changing meaning of the word "Zionism."
February 11, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Have a post go semi-viral on this platform, get accused by people to my right of sucking up to antisemites who will never accept any Jews, and by people to my left of covering up for Palestinian genocide, all because I wrote a semi-nuanced article on the changing meaning of the word "Zionism."
"Amy Kershenbaum, 58, who was among those inside the event, said: 'Many of us would not be here if Reform policies were in place when our ancestors sought refuge.'"
February 11, 2026 at 4:46 PM
"Amy Kershenbaum, 58, who was among those inside the event, said: 'Many of us would not be here if Reform policies were in place when our ancestors sought refuge.'"
Nigel Farage should be heckled everywhere he goes, but also, calling Jews who support Reform UK “Reform Jewish” is going to get very confusing very quickly.
February 11, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Nigel Farage should be heckled everywhere he goes, but also, calling Jews who support Reform UK “Reform Jewish” is going to get very confusing very quickly.
The far-right Reform UK launched a Jewish members' organization. Jewish protesters interrupted the event, heckled Nigel Farage, and accused Farage of using Jews "launder and whitewash his politics." www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Nigel Farage heckled at launch of Reform Jewish group
Jewish activists interrupt speech at synagogue and accuse party of paving way for persecution of other minorities
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:58 PM
The far-right Reform UK launched a Jewish members' organization. Jewish protesters interrupted the event, heckled Nigel Farage, and accused Farage of using Jews "launder and whitewash his politics." www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
“Israeli Annexation of the West Bank Is Now a Legal Reality” www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
'Tectonic': Israeli annexation of the West Bank is now a legal reality
As Israel Expands Its Legal Powers in the West Bank Into Palestinian-controlled Enclaves, Could the International Community – and U.S. President Donald Trump – Finally Be Moved to Act Beyond Empty Con...
www.haaretz.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:11 PM
“Israeli Annexation of the West Bank Is Now a Legal Reality” www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
"Any serious push to account for the actions of this government — to abolish the president’s private army, restructure immigration enforcement and punish anyone responsible for wrongdoing — must include recompense and repair for its victims." www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/o...
Opinion | We Have to Face What ICE Has Done to Us
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:37 PM
"Any serious push to account for the actions of this government — to abolish the president’s private army, restructure immigration enforcement and punish anyone responsible for wrongdoing — must include recompense and repair for its victims." www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/o...
ICYMI: I published a piece this week about the first survey in a long time explicitly asking American Jews if they are Zionists, and what it tells us that American Jews are more likely to believe the state of Israel is committing genocide than to identify as Zionists. www.jta.org/2026/02/09/i...
Zionism was never a single concept. We should be grateful to JFNA’s survey for the reminder. - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
A Jew can believe in a Jewish, democratic state and still doubt whether contemporary Zionism advances both of those commitments, writes a scholar of European Jewish intellectual history.
www.jta.org
February 11, 2026 at 1:25 PM
ICYMI: I published a piece this week about the first survey in a long time explicitly asking American Jews if they are Zionists, and what it tells us that American Jews are more likely to believe the state of Israel is committing genocide than to identify as Zionists. www.jta.org/2026/02/09/i...
The Zionist Organization of America trying to kick HIAS out of the Conference of Presidents really is a sign that the center cannot hold for American Jewish politics any longer, and that if there was ever a compelling need for something like the Conference of Presidents, it is long since over.
February 11, 2026 at 5:44 AM
The Zionist Organization of America trying to kick HIAS out of the Conference of Presidents really is a sign that the center cannot hold for American Jewish politics any longer, and that if there was ever a compelling need for something like the Conference of Presidents, it is long since over.
These are going to become the Stolpersteine of the United States.
seen in my neighborhood in south Minneapolis
February 11, 2026 at 5:07 AM
These are going to become the Stolpersteine of the United States.
I have to say, I do not love this new trend of large liberal accounts with millions of followers identifying Jews.
February 11, 2026 at 3:29 AM
I have to say, I do not love this new trend of large liberal accounts with millions of followers identifying Jews.
I wrote a piece yesterday on why most American Jews say they support Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state," but do not identify as Zionists. And it isn't, like a lot of Jewish organizations are pretending, because they are actually all Zionists without knowing it. www.jta.org/2026/02/09/i...
Zionism was never a single concept. We should be grateful to JFNA’s survey for the reminder. - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
A Jew can believe in a Jewish, democratic state and still doubt whether contemporary Zionism advances both of those commitments, writes a scholar of European Jewish intellectual history.
www.jta.org
February 11, 2026 at 2:33 AM
I wrote a piece yesterday on why most American Jews say they support Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state," but do not identify as Zionists. And it isn't, like a lot of Jewish organizations are pretending, because they are actually all Zionists without knowing it. www.jta.org/2026/02/09/i...
I do not think this would be a good idea: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Greg Gutfeld calls for a Jewish Super Bowl half time show with a ‘live circumcision’
Greg Gutfeld even employed a mock Spanish accent to mock Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny’s halftime show
www.independent.co.uk
February 11, 2026 at 12:30 AM
I do not think this would be a good idea: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
So much for being against cancel culture, I guess.
Vance deleted this after two hours. Apparently, commemoration of the victims of the Armenian G* lasts only as long as it does not upset Turkish partners.
February 10, 2026 at 9:52 PM
So much for being against cancel culture, I guess.
They tell me that we don't need my field of Religious Studies, only STEM, just at the time that a lot of the leading STEM figures are creating a new religious identity for themselves without even realizing it.
February 10, 2026 at 8:50 PM
They tell me that we don't need my field of Religious Studies, only STEM, just at the time that a lot of the leading STEM figures are creating a new religious identity for themselves without even realizing it.
I wrote yesterday about how the definition of "Zionism" has considerably narrowed in recent years from its origins, leading an increasing number of American Jews to reject it entirely. www.jta.org/2026/02/09/i...
Zionism was never a single concept. We should be grateful to JFNA’s survey for the reminder. - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
A Jew can believe in a Jewish, democratic state and still doubt whether contemporary Zionism advances both of those commitments, writes a scholar of European Jewish intellectual history.
www.jta.org
February 10, 2026 at 5:23 PM
I wrote yesterday about how the definition of "Zionism" has considerably narrowed in recent years from its origins, leading an increasing number of American Jews to reject it entirely. www.jta.org/2026/02/09/i...
"An extensive survey of over a thousand evangelicals last year... found that just 29% of evangelicals under 35 believe Jews are the chosen people. For all other age brackets, the number was 50% or higher." www.notus.org/perspectives...
The Coming Conservative Turn Against Israel Goes Much Deeper Than You Realize
It’s not just about politics. It’s also about theology. And it’s going to have a massive impact on Zionism, U.S. foreign policy — and even the place of Jews in America.
www.notus.org
February 10, 2026 at 4:26 PM
"An extensive survey of over a thousand evangelicals last year... found that just 29% of evangelicals under 35 believe Jews are the chosen people. For all other age brackets, the number was 50% or higher." www.notus.org/perspectives...
Left: Letter from Miša Lauscher, six years old, from Theresienstadt.
Right: Letter from Susej F, detained in Dilley, Texas.
Right: Letter from Susej F, detained in Dilley, Texas.
February 10, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Left: Letter from Miša Lauscher, six years old, from Theresienstadt.
Right: Letter from Susej F, detained in Dilley, Texas.
Right: Letter from Susej F, detained in Dilley, Texas.
I find this completely and utterly predictable: hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It
One of the promises of AI is that it can reduce workloads so employees can focus more on higher-value and more engaging tasks. But according to new research, AI tools don’t reduce work, they consisten...
hbr.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:53 PM
I find this completely and utterly predictable: hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
At a time of rising attacks on synagogues, the Trump administration is changing the conditions to access synagogue security grants from the federal government, forcing Jews to agree to help ICE to be eligible to receive security money. www.timesofisrael.com/us-jewish-le...
US Jewish leaders express alarm over new political conditions for synagogue security grants
Houses of worship that don't cooperate with ICE or that offer DEI programming are worried new terms will make them ineligible for funding that helps cover essential safety measures
www.timesofisrael.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:42 PM
At a time of rising attacks on synagogues, the Trump administration is changing the conditions to access synagogue security grants from the federal government, forcing Jews to agree to help ICE to be eligible to receive security money. www.timesofisrael.com/us-jewish-le...
This is almost exactly what nineteenth century Europeans who were opposed to Jewish emancipation said about Jewish practices. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
February 10, 2026 at 2:08 PM
This is almost exactly what nineteenth century Europeans who were opposed to Jewish emancipation said about Jewish practices. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
There is no threat of imposing Sharia law in Texas, but also, we should not consent to the framing that Sharia is in any way bad. Sharia is part of Islamic religious practice, just as Halakhah is part of Jewish religious practice. It is good for people to be able to practice their religion.
It will surprise y’all to hear that there are no “Muslims taking over the state” and there is no “sharia law” in Texas that threatens anyone.
This is genuinely disgusting.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
This is genuinely disgusting.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
February 10, 2026 at 1:33 PM
There is no threat of imposing Sharia law in Texas, but also, we should not consent to the framing that Sharia is in any way bad. Sharia is part of Islamic religious practice, just as Halakhah is part of Jewish religious practice. It is good for people to be able to practice their religion.
"The proportion of Polish citizens who dislike Jews has risen to 40%, according to findings of Poland's Centre for Public Opinion Research (CBOS)... The number of those with positive opinions of Jews is at its lowest since 2006, at just 22%." www.jpost.com/diaspora/ant...
Dislike of Jews in Poland rises to 40%, new poll finds | The Jerusalem Post
The poll has been carried out annually since 1993, and questions Poles on whether they like or dislike certain national and ethnic groups (21 in total).
www.jpost.com
February 10, 2026 at 5:18 AM
"The proportion of Polish citizens who dislike Jews has risen to 40%, according to findings of Poland's Centre for Public Opinion Research (CBOS)... The number of those with positive opinions of Jews is at its lowest since 2006, at just 22%." www.jpost.com/diaspora/ant...
I wrote about how to make sense of a new poll showing that the majority of American Jews do not affirmatively identify as Zionists. www.jta.org/2026/02/09/i...
Zionism was never a single concept. We should be grateful to JFNA’s survey for the reminder. - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
A Jew can believe in a Jewish, democratic state and still doubt whether contemporary Zionism advances both of those commitments, writes a scholar of European Jewish intellectual history.
www.jta.org
February 10, 2026 at 5:12 AM
I wrote about how to make sense of a new poll showing that the majority of American Jews do not affirmatively identify as Zionists. www.jta.org/2026/02/09/i...
The first meeting of Trump's religious liberty panel ended up with the members spending a lot of time debating Candace Owens. jewishinsider.com/2026/02/reli...
Trump religious liberty panel’s first antisemitism hearing turns contentious over Israel
Carrie Prejean Boller, a member of the commission and a former Miss California, said she opposes Israel and defended Candace Owens from allegations of antisemitism
jewishinsider.com
February 10, 2026 at 5:00 AM
The first meeting of Trump's religious liberty panel ended up with the members spending a lot of time debating Candace Owens. jewishinsider.com/2026/02/reli...
This is a bill that would criminalize Muslims following Sharia.
Not only is this a gross violation of religious freedom, but every Jewish person should understand where this sort of thing can lead.
Not only is this a gross violation of religious freedom, but every Jewish person should understand where this sort of thing can lead.
Tomorrow I will testify before subcommittee of House Judiciary Committee against the proposed "Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act," which would authorize exclusion/deportation of all or most non-citizen Muslim immigrants. My written testimony posted here: reason.com/wp-content/u...
reason.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:37 AM
This is a bill that would criminalize Muslims following Sharia.
Not only is this a gross violation of religious freedom, but every Jewish person should understand where this sort of thing can lead.
Not only is this a gross violation of religious freedom, but every Jewish person should understand where this sort of thing can lead.