The Brooklyn Nets made NBA history with back-to-back first-round picks when they drafted Israeli point guard Ben Saraf at number 26 and Yale University and University of Michigan center Danny Wolf number 27.The Nets selections instantly doubled the number of Jewish players in the league, with Saraf and Wolf joining Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings) and Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers). Both Saraf and Wolf embrace their Jewish heritage and see their careers as an opportunity to challenge stereotypes.
During their set at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, British punk band Bob Vylan led the crowd in chanting “Death to the IDF.” The festival organizers condemned the hate speech and incitement of violence, and the BBC, which livestreamed the performance, later apologized for not canceling the broadcast. U.K. police have launched a criminal investigation, and the U.S. has revoked visas for Bob Vylan.
The University of Florida’s Levin College of Law is reviewing its policies and procedures after a student who had been suspended for past racist and antisemitic comments received a faculty award for a paper arguing that constitutional rights apply only to white citizens. The student, Preston Damsky, had previously called for the “abolition” of Jews. University officials say they are reviewing the award process and reaffirming their commitment to student safety and equity.
Carolyn Klausner and Jacob Rond, Jewish students from Wayne State University, have been named as the recipients of the prestigious 2025 Elaine C. Driker Award — given to Hillel of Metro Detroit students committed to Jewish life in Detroit. Klausner, a third-year physical therapy student, is dedicated to educating others about Israel and celebrating Israeli culture. Rond, a sophomore mechanical engineering student, is dedicated to engaging with the supportive Jewish community.
Hillel Israel and Hillel International, with critical support from the Matanel Foundation, launched the inaugural Matanel Fellowship for Global Jewish Leadership, choosing 15 Jewish students from around the world to participate in a year-long program amid surging antisemitism on college campuses. This fellowship aims to connect Jewish people around the world and foster the fellows’ “sense of responsibility” for the global Jewish community. Manatel Fellow and Tel-Hai College student Avihu Sela said that connecting with Jewish people from around the world is “something we need right now.”
Karen Diamond, an 82-year-old victim of last month’s firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado of peaceful demonstrators advocating for the release of Israeli hostages, died from her wounds. Marc Soloway of Bonai Shalom congregation in Boulder remembered Diamond as “someone who has given so much of herself over the years to the Bonai community and beyond.” Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect of the attack, will now face two counts of murder.
A 36-year-old Ohio man, Feras S. Hamdan, was arrested after allegedly attempting to run Jewish U.S. Representative Max Miller off the road while shouting antisemitic slurs and threats to Miller and his family. Hamdan turned himself in and was charged with aggravated menacing.
In response to the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, Birthright Israel rerouted approximately 1,500 participants from the Israeli port city of Ashdod onto a cruise ship bound for Cyprus. The decision was made to ensure student safety. The participants were eventually routed to other parts of Europe before returning safely home to the U.S. and Canada.
In response to Israel’s preemptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities and military leaders, Iran launched a wave of ballistic missiles at Israel, hitting major cities including Haifa and Tel Aviv. The attack killed eight civilians and left 300 injured, marking one of the deadliest escalations in the region since the start of direct hostilities.
A kosher grocery store in Boston, The Butcherie, was vandalized when a brick painted with the words “Free Palestine” was thrown through its front window. Local authorities are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, noting that the act targeted a visibly Jewish-owned business. Community members and leaders have since gathered in support of the store, condemning the incident as an attack on the broader Jewish community. The Butcherie posted a hopeful message on social media after the attack saying, “The Jewish people have endured far worse and have always stood tall, with dignity and unity. We will continue to serve our community proudly and without fear.”
The IDF confirmed that the body of hostage Aviv Atzili, who was killed during Hamas’s October 7th attack and taken into Gaza, was recovered last week in a military operation. Atzili was a respected artist and a pillar of the Kibbutz Nir Oz community. His wife, Liat, was also taken hostage but was released in November 2023 during a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas.
In this opinion piece by the New York Times Editorial Board, antisemitism is examined as a persistent and growing threat in today’s discourse, with increasing antisemitism coming from both the far left and far right. The op/ed highlights how harmful stereotypes and conspiracy theories about Jewish people are increasingly normalized, and urges society to confront and reject these dangerous attitudes before they become further entrenched.