Opinion

When the X account “StopAntisemitism” put out its annual list of finalists for their “Anti-Semite of the Year” award, a social media firestorm was ignited. This was due to the inclusion of Rachel Griffin Accurso, otherwise known as Ms. Rachel, who has built a multimillion-dollar empire on the promise that she is unconditionally “pro-child.” Her brand is pastel-soaked, puppet-filled, and meant for toddlers. Yet a closer look at her public positions reveals a far more selective definition of which children deserve her voice and which ones can be quietly ignored when the politics become inconvenient.

If Jewish houses of worship are now as controversial as abortion clinics, then antisemitism has reached a tipping point that requires a stronger response than mere buffer zones.

(Dec. 5, 2025 / JNS) When faced with a problem, the political class always knows what to do: They pass a law that, while not always useless, is usually more about dealing with appearances than substance.

More than a year ago, in West Orange, New Jersey, a group of pro-Hamas protesters gathered in front of a synagogue — a house of worship with nothing to do with foreign politics. During that protest, one of the radicals violently attacked an elderly Jewish man who was simply trying to attend services. Dr. Moshe Glick intervened to protect the victim and ended up injuring the attacker. Yet it was Dr. Glick, the defender, who was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

New York City devolved into a scene of anarchy and chaos as protestors took to the streets to obstruct justice. Routine Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are never routine when occurring in a leftist city, especially on a holiday weekend when protestors are already riled up and ready to ruin everyone else’s days off to ensure that their preferred causes are front of mind. Those who didn’t harass shoppers for their Black Friday purchases without paying deference to Gaza were chanting derogatory epithets to the NYPD. Meanwhile, halfway across the country, a massive fraud scheme was unraveling that cost the taxpayer over a billion dollars and was aided and abetted by elected officials. Both of these stories emphasized the same point: America has an immigration problem.

Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation on December 1 authorizing the building of a Holocaust memorial at Empire State Plaza in Albany. Facing the ornate State Capitol in Albany, the long processional walkway serves as New York’s version of the National Mall, with monuments to veterans, Martin Luther King Jr., firefighters, police officers, and sculptures by prominent artists.

The incoming New York City mayoral administration is focusing directly on affordability, with the 400-member transition committees representing numerous nonprofits aiming to implement a rent freeze, upzoning near transit lines, and speeding up residential construction.