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This Week:

• Attack on Detroit Area Synagogue
• In the Fight Against Antisemitism, We Have Allies
• RJC PAC Announces First 2026 Endorsements
• RJC Victory Fund Airs Ads About Massie and Gallrein
• RJC in the News
• Short Takes
• Week's Best Tweets
• Upcoming Events

Attack on Detroit Area Synagogue

As this newsletter was being prepared, we learned about the car-ramming and shooting attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, MI. The suspect is dead and the children and staff on-site were evacuated without injury. We are grateful to the Temple Israel security guards and local police for their quick and decisive action to stop the attacker.

President Donald Trump said: "I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in the Detroit area following the attack on the Jewish synagogue earlier today. I've been fully briefed — and it's a terrible thing... We're going to be right down to the bottom of it."

Attorney General Pamela Bondi posted on X: "Our @FBI and @ATFHQ agents are on the scene assisting local authorities at Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Please pray."

The RJC posted: "The terror attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, MI is the THIRD attack in just the last couple of weeks, following attacks in Austin and in New York City. And yet, almost every Democrat has voted to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. Indefensible."

In the Fight Against Antisemitism, We Have Allies

This week, the Republican Jewish Coalition and National Review co-hosted a symposium on antisemitism in Washington, DC that featured top members of the US Senate, representatives of the Trump Administration, thought leaders, social media influencers, and religious freedom advocates.

The Jewish community, perhaps for the first time in history, has non-Jewish allies who understand the nature of antisemitism, care about the welfare of Israel and the Jewish people, and are fighting to keep the cancer of antisemitism – always a mark of a society's decline – from growing in the United States. Take note of who they are: Republicans and conservatives, who are committed to keeping antisemites out of their movements and out of our country.

You can watch all the great speakers and panels from the event here.

There was considerable media interest in this symposium. Here is a sample of the coverage.

Politico:

"I believe Tucker Carlson is the single most dangerous demagogue in this country," [Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)] said Tuesday during an antisemitism symposium in Washington hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition and National Review, before promising to directly take on the popular conservative podcast host.

"I have seen more antisemitism in the last 18 months on the right than at any point in my lifetime," Cruz continued. "It is being spread by loud voices, the most consequential of whom is Tucker Carlson."

Jewish Insider:

Antisemitism is rising on the American right, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) warned on Tuesday, expressing concern that efforts to combat it are not doing so quickly or effectively enough.

"I want us to be winning, but I'm not sure it is accurate as a descriptive manner that we are winning right now," Cruz said at an antisemitism symposium in Washington organized by the Republican Jewish Coalition and the National Review.

… "The fact that this room is persuaded does not mean that the college campus is. It does not mean that the Capitol Hill interns are. It does not mean that the interns at Heritage, at [Conservative Partnership Institute] and every other conservative institution in this country, that they're persuaded," said Cruz. "We need to fight and engage it and take on the core premises, because if we lose the next generation, we lose the country."

JTA:

It wasn't [Sen. Ted Cruz's] first time speaking to the RJC crowd with grave warnings about right-wing antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric. He called antisemitism "an existential crisis in our party" at the RJC's annual summit in November, which was held shortly after Carlson gave a friendly interview to avowed antisemite Nick Fuentes.

Four months later, Cruz's speech served as a sobering follow-up: "This is the beginning of a battle where our nation, our beliefs, our Constitution, the principles that built America, are under assault. And we need to gird ourselves for battle and defeat this garbage," he said Tuesday.

The Algemeiner:

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) [criticized] unnamed right-wing "influencers" who he said were smuggling antisemitism into the conservative movement and promoting ideas incompatible with conservative principles. Cotton dismissed their influence as inflated and said their rhetoric echoed arguments more commonly associated with critics of Israel on the political left.

"I do not agree that I share a political movement or a political party with anyone who traffics antisemitism," he said.

National Review:

Senior Justice Department official Leo Terrell told attendees of the National Review-Republican Jewish Coalition antisemitism symposium on Tuesday that he considers K-12 schools to be the Trump administration's biggest challenge for combatting antisemitism nationwide.

Speaking at the event at the Museum of the Bible, Terrell emphasized the need to focus on combatting antisemitism in the curricula and lesson plans of K-12 schools, and also voiced concern about the lack of hate crime prosecutions in heavily Democratic areas.

Jewish Insider:

The next frontier for the Trump administration's war with higher education might be the US tax code, a senior Education Department official said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a conference about antisemitism organized by the Republican Jewish Coalition and National Review, Noah Pollak, a senior advisor to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, said that making changes to American tax policy could be a useful vehicle to fight antisemitism on campuses.

…"Things in the tax code, they may sound boring," Pollak added. "But they would be very effective in creating some disclosure."

Pollak said changes to the tax code might also force universities to cut back on spending on left-wing priorities.

National Review:

As PragerU influencer Shabbos Kestenbaum mentioned on our panel [during the antisemitism symposium hosted by National Review and the Republican Jewish Coalition], the anxiety about the future that is shaping groyper-esque sentiment among Gen Z — whether it's being priced out of the real estate market or struggling to afford health care — is real. The problem is that they're misidentifying the culprit.

"They're saying the reason you can't get ahead in life, the reason you can't leave your mom's basement, the reason you won't have a successful relationship, the reason you keep working two to three jobs is 'something something the Jews' and 'something something Bill Ackman' and 'something something AIPAC' and 'something something Bibi [Netanyahu],'" Kestenbaum said.

…To suggest that success is impossible in America because of a Jewish cabal distorts not only the truth but our very understanding of meritocracy in this country. America offers abundant opportunities. Some people do well because they're in the right place at the right time, but getting ahead is still largely a function of grit, patience, and determination.

…"Make something of yourself; don't fall into this pit of despair," was Kestenbaum's message to young men, and I agree.

RJC Victory Fund Airs Ads About Massie and Gallrein

The media took notice when the RJC Victory Fund put out ads this week about Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), an anti-Israel Republican who opposes the US-Israel military efforts against Iran, and about his GOP primary challenger, Ed Gallrein, a pro-Israel decorated veteran who has President Donald Trump's endorsement in the race.

See the ads here.

Politico: Republican group attacks Thomas Massie for his opposition to Iran war

Republicans attempting to oust Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie in a bitter primary are deploying his opposition to the war in Iran.

The Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund on Thursday released an ad supporting Ed Gallrein, the candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump, that focuses on Massie's opposition to the war.

"America is at war with a fanatical regime that seeks nuclear weapons. American hero Ed Gallrein stands with President Trump, our country and our military," a narrator says in the 30-second spot.

"Thomas Massie, he stands with Iran and radical leftists in Congress," the narrator says, "opposing Trump just like he did on the border and taxes.

NY Times: A Republican's Stand Against the Iran War Stirs Up a Heated Kentucky Primary (gift link)

The Republican Jewish Coalition, whose political arm has run a series of ads attacking Mr. Massie, said the ad was part of a $2.9 million investment, though it did not specify what portion of that sum it accounted for, and that it was appearing on TV this weekend. The organization's ad spending has outpaced the Gallrein campaign's own advertising investments, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact.

CBS News: After Trump's call for GOP Rep. Massie's defeat, conservative groups spending over $5 million to try to oust him in May primary

So far, federal campaign finance records show that anti-Massie forces have dominated much of the outside spending picture in the Kentucky contest where the congressman is facing a pro-Trump challenge from Ed Gallrein, whose campaign website describes him as a farmer who has also served in the US Navy. Spending disclosures show that a Super PAC linked to the Republican Jewish Coalition has directed more than $2.8 million towards the contest since late February, while the group MAGA KY has spent around $2.7 million this cycle.

NBC News: Trump takes fight to Rep. Thomas Massie's backyard

Hard-line pro-Israel donors have lined up to amplify [Ed] Gallrein's message...

In one ad, featuring a photo of Gallrein in the Oval Office with Trump, the Republican Jewish Committee Victory Fund tells Kentucky voters they have a choice: "Gallrein and Trump or Massie, who stands with Iran." The spot includes images of Massie alongside the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who are Muslim.

RJC in the News

US News: South Florida University Probes Racist Group Chat Tied to a Local GOP Official

A South Florida university has launched an investigation into a group chat started by an official with the Miami-Dade chapter of the Republican Party that included violently racist slurs, antisemitic comments and misogynistic language.

…An official with the Republican Jewish Coalition on Friday said that it echoed the condemnation of the chat by Florida GOP officials.

"Antisemitism and bigotry have no place in the Republican Party," said Sam Markstein, a spokesman for the Jewish GOP group.

Jewish Chronicle: Mamdani hosts anti-Israel, former Columbia activist at Gracie Mansion

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife hosted Mahmoud Khalil, a former leader of anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, for an Iftar dinner at the mayoral residence in Manhattan on Sunday.

…"In New York City, terrorist sympathizers have a seat at Zohran Mamdani's table," the Republican Jewish Coalition stated. "Mahmoud Khalil should be deported, not fluffed by the mayor of the City of New York. Disgraceful."

Forward: Jewish Democrats press for oversight

After Congress failed to rein in President Donald Trump's authority to wage war alongside Israel against Iran, Democrats say the fight over congressional oversight is far from over.

..."Trump Derangement Syndrome is melting Democrats' brains," said Sam Markstein, a spokesperson for the Republican Jewish Coalition. "Democrats continue to play politics with the national security of the United States, and the American people will remember in November."

Short Takes

Rep. Lisa McClain Honors Barbara Feingold

Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) entered remarks in the Congressional Record this week honoring RJC Board of Directors member Barbara Feingold. The official recognition stated:

"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Barbara Feingold for her steadfast leadership, devoted public service, and unwavering commitment to the Jewish community and the enduring alliance between the United States and the State of Israel. Barbara currently serves as a Presidential Appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, having been appointed in May 2025. In this role, she contributes to the mission of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and ensure that future generations remember the lessons of history so that such atrocities are never repeated.

"A respected national leader, Barbara serves as a National Board Member and Florida Chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition, where she works tirelessly to strengthen the voice of Jewish conservatives and advance the values of faith, freedom, and democratic partnership.

"… Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Barbara Feingold for her distinguished service, her tireless advocacy against antisemitism, and her enduring commitment to the security of Israel, the strength of the Jewish community, and the preservation of freedom and memory for generations to come."

Free Beacon: Left-Wing Activist Group Teaches Liberals How To Get Through Jury Selection and Vote 'Not Guilty' on Trump DOJ Prosecutions, Recordings Show

A left-wing activist group is teaching liberals in Washington, DC, and "across the United States" how to increase their chances of serving as jurors on cases brought by the Trump Department of Justice so they can undermine its chances of securing convictions, training materials reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon show.

Freedom Trainers, whose fiscal sponsor is the George Soros-funded group Community Change, is working to make "jury nullification"—the practice of voting against a conviction even if the defendant broke the law—a go-to legal weapon for the Left. Its sessions and training materials, reviewed by the Free Beacon, show how the group teaches "committed people" to gum up federal prosecutions.

Tweets

Events