Zionism and Jewish Identity

Gideon Lewis-Kraus on a way forward. Plus: two playwrights find humor in Russian aggression; the jazz drama “Round Midnight”; and can Ukraine still win? View in browser | Update your preferences Thursday, February 15, 2024 In today’s newsletter, the Israel question, and then: • Can Ukraine still win? • Two playwrights find humor in Russian aggression • Revisiting the jazz drama “Round Midnight” Jewish Identity with and Without Zionism New books provide sober histories of the conflicts among Jews over Israel and offer alternate ways forward. By Gideon Lewis-Kraus Illustration by Matt Chase Although the prospect seems scarcely imaginable now, there was a time, not very long ago, when American Jews were free to have no particular thoughts or feelings about Israel. This was true not only of run-of-the-mill Jews but of intellectuals and writers as well. And it wasn’t merely that assimilation—an act at once idealistic, pragmatic, and mortifying—was more pressing to a Philip Roth or a Saul Bellow than one’s relationship, one way or another, to the nascent Jewish state. It’s that Israel, and Zionism, didn’t seem like relevant objects of concern. This is no longer a tenable position. Keep reading Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » From the News Desk Essay Can Ukraine Still Win? As Congress continues to delay aid and Volodymyr Zelensky replaces his top commander, military experts debate the possible outcomes. By Keith Gessen The Political Scene: The Biden campaign’s response to a special-counsel report claiming the President has diminished memory may not quell voters’ growing concerns about his age. Do Democrats have a backup plan for the election? Listen and follow » In the News Representative Michael R. Turner, a Republican from Ohio, briefly baffled and terrified the public yesterday when he referred in a statement to a “serious national security threat” that had been shared with some members of Congress, and demanded that the Biden Administration urgently declassify information related to the security risk. It turns out the threat being referred to was an ongoing Russian project to pursue a space-based nuclear weapon—but government officials stressed that no such device had been deployed and there was no immediate threat. For information on objects in the skies that might warrant a bit more concern, consider these recent stories from our pages: Onward and Upward with the Sciences The Elusive Peril of Space Junk Millions of human artifacts circle the Earth. Can we clean them up before they cause a disaster? By Raffi Khatchadourian A Reporter at Large How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously For decades, flying saucers were a punch line. Then the U.S. government got over the taboo. By Gideon Lewis-Kraus Books Have We Already Been Visited by Aliens? An eminent astrophysicist argues that signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life have appeared in our skies. What’s the evidence for his extraordinary claim? By Elizabeth Kolbert Culture Dept. The Theatre Two Comic Playwrights Find Dark Humor in Russian Aggression Sarah Gancher’s “Russian Troll Farm” and Sasha Denisova’s “My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion” look for truth in a world of lies. By Helen Shaw The Front Row “ ’Round Midnight,” Revisited: A Feast of Music and Acting The saxophonist Dexter Gordon has the role of a lifetime in Bertrand Tavernier’s 1986 drama of an American jazz icon in Paris. By Richard Brody Critics at Large: Today’s leading artists are also savvy P.R. professionals who strive to shape their images in real time. Where does that leave the art itself? Listen and follow » Fun & Games Dept. Crossword A Beginner-Friendly Puzzle Green “Star Wars” sage: four letters. By Elizabeth C. Gorski Daily Cartoon Thursday, February 15th By Mort Gerberg Name Drop: Can you guess the identity of a notable person—contemporary or historical—in six clues? Play a quiz from our archive » P.S. The much loved polar explorer Ernest Shackleton was born on this day in 1874. In 2015, when Jonathan Franzen took a boat trip to Antarctica, he discovered the niche celebrity that surrounded the late adventurer. He writes, “We were given a book about Shackleton, PowerPoint lectures about Shackleton, special tours to Shackleton-related sites, a screening of a long film about a re-creation of Shackleton’s voyage, and a chance to hike three miles of the arduous trail that Shackleton had survived at the end of it.” Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for the daily newsletter from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2024. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.