JCRC's Boston Jewish Now

A sweeping Democratic victory is only the beginning of the story.What do the midterm results tell us about Jewish voters, the direction of the country, and the balance of power in Washington? Jeremy Burton and Ian Mackey talk through the Massachusetts and national results, how Jewish voters weighed competing concerns, and the questions raised by the President and Vice President’s comments about Israel.Then they look toward January, when a new Congress will confront a president with considerable power — and voters with high expectations for change.

What happens when voters reject a government but can't agree on what should replace it?That may be the defining question emerging from Israel's election. Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition appears to have lost its majority, but the opposition faces its own challenge. Now, the country's political future could depend on negotiations that challenge long-standing divisions and assumptions about who can — and should — govern together.On this episode of Boston Jewish Now, we explore what the election reveals about a changing Israel. From the remarkable political mobilization of Arab citizens to the possibility of the country's first Mizrahi prime minister, the preliminary results offer a window into the competing visions shaping Israeli democracy.Recorded October 28, 2026, at noon ET, while election results are still being counted.Read more: Israel's New Center of Gravity by Mijal Bitton from the Wall Street Journal

Three issues are drawing our attention this week, from Cambridge City Hall to the West Bank and Israel's upcoming elections. Following a contentious Cambridge City Council hearing on two proposals targeting businesses connected to Israel, JCRC CEO Jeremy Burton discusses what happened, what comes next, and how Jewish residents are working to make their voices heard. Then, we turn to escalating violence by Jewish extremists in the West Bank, why the Israeli government's failure to protect Palestinian civilians demands condemnation, and how criticism of Israeli policies on this issue still come from a deep commitment to Israel and its founding values. Finally, with Israeli elections approaching, we talk about Israel's parliamentary system, why election night won't necessarily produce a new prime minister, and what JCRC's longstanding commitments mean for the next Israeli government — whoever leads it.The Cambridge City Council has not yet voted on these proposals, and there's still time to make your voice heard. Submit written comments to [email protected] urging councilors to reject them.

Israel’s Declaration of Independence promised political and social equality to all its citizens. What will it take to make that promise a reality for Jewish and Arab Israelis?On this episode of Boston Jewish Now, Jeremy Burton speaks with Mohammad Darawshe, Director of Strategy at Givat Haviva’s Center for Shared Society, about what it means to move beyond coexistence and build a country in which Jewish and Arab citizens can thrive together.From bringing thousands of Jewish and Arab students together, to placing Arab teachers in Jewish schools and Jewish teachers in Arab schools, creating partnerships between neighboring municipalities, and opening pathways into higher education and tech careers, Givat Haviva is putting that vision into practice.Jeremy and Mohammad explore why these efforts matter and what both communities must do to realize Israel’s founding promise.Read the article Mohammad references here.

Massachusetts created the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism to take a statewide look at how antisemitism is affecting Jewish life and what institutions can do about it. The Commission’s final report lays out recommendations across a range of sectors, including K–12 schools.In this segment, we break down the K–12 recommendations and walk through what schools and districts can do to better recognize, prevent, and respond to antisemitism — and how students and parents can press for action when those practices aren’t in place.If you’re a school or district leader, the included PDF guide makes it easier to get started. You don’t have to sort through the entire Commission report or figure out which recommendations apply to your school or district — the guide pulls together the relevant steps in one place.If you’re a student or parent and you see a gap in your school, the guide can help you identify what may be missing and make a specific ask. These recommendations are endorsed by the governor, the attorney general, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, and backed by the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism. You can bring them to school and district leadership with the credibility of the state behind them.Ready to get started?Get the guide here, and reach out to JCRC or CJP if you need help putting the recommendations into practice.

Election Day is November 3. Are you ready to vote?With nine statewide ballot questions, races up and down the ballot, and important decisions about how Massachusetts conducts its elections, there's a lot voters need to know before heading to the polls.In this episode of Boston Jewish Now, Jeremy Burton is joined by our partners at Common Cause Massachusetts and JCRC's new Director of Government Relations, Ian Mackey, to help you prepare.From voter registration deadlines and mail-in ballots to what to do if something goes wrong at the polls, we cover the essentials of casting your vote. We also break down some of the consequential ballot questions, and the future of Massachusetts' gun safety law (Question 9), which JCRC supports preserving.And beyond the mechanics of voting, Jeremy reflects on why it's important to look beyond party labels, examine candidates on their merits, and recognize leaders willing to stand up to extremism.Before you vote, do your homework. This episode is a place to start.Register to vote/check your registration status here.2026 MA Ballot Questions (red book).Common Cause's election protection work.

Three years after October 7, many of us can still remember exactly where we were when we first understood what was happening. We remember who we called, what we saw, and how the day unfolded around us.And only three years later, we are already confronting questions about how October 7 ought to be remembered, commemorated, and taught. So what can earlier experiences teach us about that process?Spencer Cronin joins Jeremy Burton on Boston Jewish Now to look at what we can learn from the evolution of Holocaust and 9/11 commemoration and education as new generations encounter these events differently than those who experienced them firsthand — and as those with no firsthand memory or relationship to the events become responsible for teaching them.They discuss how communities develop rituals of remembrance and the challenge of figuring out how to teach traumatic history while its meaning is still being shaped and contested.And this is the challenge of October 7: the need to explain and teach what happened began almost immediately, even while the memories of that day remained firsthand for so many of us. Watch the full conversation as Jeremy and Spencer consider what it means to remember October 7 now, and what we owe the generations who will know it only as history.

The controversy over Macklemore’s removal from the Ed Sheeran concert at Gillette Stadium was quickly framed as a fight over two words: “Free Palestine.”But was that really the whole story?Jeremy Burton looks at what much of the public conversation left out, including the lyrics and context of Hind’s Hall and Macklemore’s broader track record.He also takes on the larger free speech question: What does freedom of speech actually protect? Is a private venue declining to provide someone a stage the same thing as censorship? And how should we think about those questions at a moment when the government itself is facing a far more consequential First Amendment challenge over access to the White House press corps?It’s a conversation about what gets lost when complicated stories become simple headlines, and why precision matters when we talk about speech, antisemitism, Israel, and Palestine.

State Senator John Velis joins Jeremy Burton for a wide-ranging conversation about the experiences that first moved him to confront antisemitism in Massachusetts and ultimately helped lead to the creation of the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism.Senator Velis reflects on hearing from Jewish constituents, including young people experiencing antisemitism; asking Jewish colleagues what they needed from an ally; and what he learned through the Commission’s work from students, families, educators, critics, and others across the Commonwealth.Jeremy and Senator Velis also talk about how his military service has shaped his approach to public life, and the issues he is focused on today, including behavioral health, substance use, housing, affordability, and keeping Massachusetts a place where people can build their lives.It is a conversation about what we owe one another as allies, as neighbors, and as people invested in the future of the Commonwealth. We’re grateful for Senator Velis’ partnership with JCRC and the Jewish community over more than a decade, and look forward to many more years of working together in service of a stronger Commonwealth.

The Massachusetts primary results are in, and some of the results have made national headlines. But how are the polls shaping up for Jewish life in Massachusetts?In this episode of Boston Jewish Now, CEO Jeremy Burton takes a closer look at what the results reveal about Massachusetts voters and the state’s political landscape. From the U.S. Senate and House races to the road ahead to November, Jeremy unpacks what, if anything, changed — and how progressive today’s Democrats really are. We also discuss the elections ahead, what to look for on the ballot, and how changing the way we vote could shape Massachusetts politics.