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JCRC's Boston Jewish Now: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Boston JCRC
Boston Jewish Now helps Boston’s Jewish community make sense of the issues, events, and public conversations shaping Jewish life here. Each episode breaks down what is happening in the news, local government, and community in our region — and, when relevant, the national or global dynamics that affect Jewish life here at home. The podcast is designed for engaged members of Boston’s Jewish community who want to better understand the landscape around them, follow the issues shaping our community’s place in Massachusetts, and know what deserves their attention.
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- 3 weeks ago39 min
BDS in Cambridge, Settler Violence, and Israeli Elections
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 citycouncil@cambridgema.gov urging councilors to reject them.
- 4 weeks ago30 min
Israel’s Unfinished Promise: Building a Shared Society
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.
- Oct 15, 202615 min
Addressing Antisemitism in K–12 Schools
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.
- Oct 14, 202643 min
November 3: Are You Ready to Vote?
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.
- Oct 6, 202638 min
How Will We Teach October 7?
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.
- Sep 23, 202616 min
Macklemore Wasn’t Deplatformed for Saying “Free Palestine”
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.
- Sep 22, 202642 min
What It Means to Be an Ally w/ Sen. John Velis
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.
- Sep 3, 202616 min
What the Primary Revealed About Massachusetts Politics
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.
About JCRC's Boston Jewish Now
Boston Jewish Now helps Boston’s Jewish community make sense of the issues, events, and public conversations shaping Jewish life here. Each episode breaks down what is happening in the news, local government, and community in our region — and, when relevant, the national or global dynamics that affect Jewish life here at home. The podcast is designed for engaged members of Boston’s Jewish community who want to better understand the landscape around them, follow the issues shaping our community’s place in Massachusetts, and know what deserves their attention.
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