A photo of Hirsch speaking in front of a book shelf

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch Says the American Jewish ‘Golden Age’ Has Ended

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Rabbi Declares End to Golden Age

The American Jewish “Golden Age” has ended, according to Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in Manhattan.

Hirsch made the declaration during his Friday Shabbat sermon at the prominent Reform congregation, pointing to midterm election results where Democrats seized control of the U.S. House and Senate with the help of candidates who oppose the U.S.-Israel alliance.

The “heady days” when “Israel had bipartisan support” have ended, Hirsch said during the address. Furthermore, he characterized anti-Zionism as a malicious doctrine of ruin that stands as one of the most anti-democratic and unethical forces in contemporary public life.

Congressional Leadership and Party Tensions

Pro-Israel Representative Hakeem Jeffries faces criticism from progressives as he prepares to lead the House of Representatives when the new Congress convenes in January. Jeffries, a pro-Israel Democrat from Brooklyn who grew up in Crown Heights, must manage delicate party dynamics as progressive lawmakers press for greater pressure on the Israeli government.

Similar misgivings have been expressed by progressives regarding New York Jewish Senator Chuck Schumer, the current Senate minority leader who hopes to become majority leader.

NYPD Hate Crime Data

Jews were targeted in 57.8% of hate crimes recorded last month in New York City, according to NYPD figures. The department announced that Jewish residents were the victims of 26 confirmed hate crimes in October, maintaining the same number as the previous month, even as overall major crime declined across all five boroughs. Jews make up 10% of the city’s population.

Ambassador Accusations and Public Events

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, accused The New York Times of inciting the next genocide against Jews during a speech at a Chabad conference in New Jersey on Sunday.

Leiter stated that after meeting with a group of Times editors in November 2025, he concluded they were the jury, they were the judge [and] they were the firing squad, according to Haaretz. Accusing the newspaper of blood libel, Leiter said, The reason why they are accusing us of genocide is to prepare the next genocide. Against us.

In other developments, the New York Young Republican Club announced Enes Kanter Freedom as a speaker for its annual gala in December. The former NBA player is known for his off-court advocacy for Israel and Holocaust education. The event put on by the NYYRC the previous year drew backlash for featuring attendees who had distributed white supremacist and antisemitic material.

Kristallnacht Commemoration in Manhattan

New Yorkers gathered Sunday to mark the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, listening to music from a choir songbook that survived the burning of Mannheim’s Klaus Synagogue during the 1938 Nazi pogroms. More than a dozen Holocaust survivors attended the Spread the Light event on the Upper West Side, which was hosted by the Yad Vashem USA Foundation.

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