Asaf Elia-Shalev
@asafeliashalev.bsky.social
Senior reporter @JTAnews | Author of ISRAEL'S BLACK PANTHERS from @UCPress | Abu Carmel
Exclusive: I just published new reporting on the group seeking to launch a religious Jewish charter school in Oklahoma — and why they think their legal strategy will survive the constitutional test that sank the Catholic charter.
November 21, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Exclusive: I just published new reporting on the group seeking to launch a religious Jewish charter school in Oklahoma — and why they think their legal strategy will survive the constitutional test that sank the Catholic charter.
Dug deeper into the new stat that 51% of rabbinical students in a new national survey identify as LGBTQ www.jta.org/2025/11/18/u...
Surging LGBTQ enrollment in Jewish seminaries signals 'astounding' shift in US rabbinate - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
A surge in LGBTQ rabbinical students reflects long-delayed access and a changing model of spiritual leadership, raising questions about a possible ‘queering’ of the non-Orthodox rabbinate.
www.jta.org
November 18, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Dug deeper into the new stat that 51% of rabbinical students in a new national survey identify as LGBTQ www.jta.org/2025/11/18/u...
An estimated 51% of rabbinical students today identify as LGBTQ, according to a new report — the most comprehensive study of American rabbis ever conducted. Read my story on the findings:
November 12, 2025 at 4:39 PM
An estimated 51% of rabbinical students today identify as LGBTQ, according to a new report — the most comprehensive study of American rabbis ever conducted. Read my story on the findings:
Breaking: Jewish groups are quitting or threatening to quit Heritage Foundation's Project Esther www.jta.org/2025/11/03/u...
Jewish exodus underway from Heritage Foundation’s antisemitism initiative over Tucker Carlson - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Project Esther, launched as a conservative strategy to fight antisemitism, appears to be unraveling after Heritage's president defended Carlson’s friendly interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes...
www.jta.org
November 4, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Breaking: Jewish groups are quitting or threatening to quit Heritage Foundation's Project Esther www.jta.org/2025/11/03/u...
Fascinating deep dive by @arnorosenfeld.bsky.social on Elon University’s antisemitism strategy—winning praise from left & right, succeeding without doing any of the things Trump wants Harvard & Columbia to do. A model of solutions journalism. forward.com/news/antisem...
This school is fighting antisemitism all wrong. Why is it working?
Elon University has earned praise for creating a safe campus for Jewish students even as it enables free speech blocked by other universities.
forward.com
October 16, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Fascinating deep dive by @arnorosenfeld.bsky.social on Elon University’s antisemitism strategy—winning praise from left & right, succeeding without doing any of the things Trump wants Harvard & Columbia to do. A model of solutions journalism. forward.com/news/antisem...
Newest FARA filings reveal: Israel to spend up to $4.1m on Christian PR campaign focused western U.S.
October 3, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Newest FARA filings reveal: Israel to spend up to $4.1m on Christian PR campaign focused western U.S.
Scoop: Israel’s secret ‘Esther Project’: DOJ filings reveal paid US influencer campaign amid AI-powered PR blitz
www.jta.org/2025/09/30/i...
www.jta.org/2025/09/30/i...
Israel’s secret ‘Esther Project’: DOJ filings reveal paid US influencer campaign amid AI-powered PR blitz - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
As Netanyahu calls social media the “eighth front,” new documents reveal how Israel is paying to shape U.S. opinion.
www.jta.org
October 1, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Scoop: Israel’s secret ‘Esther Project’: DOJ filings reveal paid US influencer campaign amid AI-powered PR blitz
www.jta.org/2025/09/30/i...
www.jta.org/2025/09/30/i...
The Body Keeps the Score made trauma guru Bessel van der Kolk a cultural hero. Some of his fans were horrified when he compared Israelis to Nazis at a recent talk. My story on what happened — and his ban from teaching at the storied Omega Institute. www.jta.org/2025/08/19/u...
Renowned trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk banned from teaching at Omega Institute over 'antisemitic comments' - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The bestselling author of "The Body Keeps the Score" faced backlash after comparing Israelis to Nazis during a workshop.
www.jta.org
August 20, 2025 at 9:49 AM
The Body Keeps the Score made trauma guru Bessel van der Kolk a cultural hero. Some of his fans were horrified when he compared Israelis to Nazis at a recent talk. My story on what happened — and his ban from teaching at the storied Omega Institute. www.jta.org/2025/08/19/u...
Reposted by Asaf Elia-Shalev
SCOOP from me: FEMA is planning to order states to immediately stop activities intended to combat domestic violent extremism - the latest in a broad federal move to downplay the threat:
Combating Domestic Violent Extremism Is No Longer a FEMA Priority
Documents obtained by WIRED show FEMA plans to direct states and tribes to halt activities intended to combat domestic violent extremism so as to align with "current administration priorities."
www.wired.com
August 6, 2025 at 1:40 PM
SCOOP from me: FEMA is planning to order states to immediately stop activities intended to combat domestic violent extremism - the latest in a broad federal move to downplay the threat:
Over the weekend I went to the campaign launch of Che Ahn, who is running for California governor. He has been on my radar as a major figure in the Christian nationalist movement. No shofar or other Jewish rituals as I half-expected — but the Israeli flag was in the backdrop.
August 5, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Over the weekend I went to the campaign launch of Che Ahn, who is running for California governor. He has been on my radar as a major figure in the Christian nationalist movement. No shofar or other Jewish rituals as I half-expected — but the Israeli flag was in the backdrop.
1/ The new @USCIRF 2025 report urges Congress to reauthorize the Lautenberg Amendment—a key pathway for persecuted Iranian religious minorities to reach the U.S. But there's a glaring omission: no mention of Trump's freeze that still blocks the program.🧵
www.uscirf.gov/sites/defaul...
www.uscirf.gov/sites/defaul...
www.uscirf.gov
July 31, 2025 at 2:34 AM
1/ The new @USCIRF 2025 report urges Congress to reauthorize the Lautenberg Amendment—a key pathway for persecuted Iranian religious minorities to reach the U.S. But there's a glaring omission: no mention of Trump's freeze that still blocks the program.🧵
www.uscirf.gov/sites/defaul...
www.uscirf.gov/sites/defaul...
Congrats to all the AJPA award winners! I am honored that my series on the global crowdsourcing to support Israel's war efforts in Gaza first place for investigative reporting. shorturl.at/q87lp
shorturl.at
June 24, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Congrats to all the AJPA award winners! I am honored that my series on the global crowdsourcing to support Israel's war efforts in Gaza first place for investigative reporting. shorturl.at/q87lp
Reposted by Asaf Elia-Shalev
In the continuing saga of CA's plastic law, CalRecycle introduced draft regs re chem recycling based on a report you can't access unless you pay $187 -which is kind of a scam, bc no standards or guidelines are in report. 🤷♀️ #plasticwaste @gavinnewsom.bsky.social #SB54 www.latimes.com/environment/...
Want to understand CalRecycle's chemical recycling rules? You'll need to pay
CalRecycle's latest attempt at rules to implement the state's plastic waste law is under fire — including for its decision to use ISO guidelines on hazardous waste that cost nearly $200 to access.
www.latimes.com
May 30, 2025 at 12:19 PM
In the continuing saga of CA's plastic law, CalRecycle introduced draft regs re chem recycling based on a report you can't access unless you pay $187 -which is kind of a scam, bc no standards or guidelines are in report. 🤷♀️ #plasticwaste @gavinnewsom.bsky.social #SB54 www.latimes.com/environment/...
My reporting that the IDF’s top international spokesperson is a Messianic Jew has gotten little reaction — which kind of validates the Messianic claim that they’re just ordinary Israelis who happen to believe worshipping Jesus is the most Jewish thing you can do.
The international spokesperson of the IDF, Nadav Shoshani, grew up in a Messianic congregation in Jerusalem that was founded by his pastor father, meaning he was raised in with a religion that blends Jewish practices with worship of Jesus.
www.jta.org/2025/05/29/i...
www.jta.org/2025/05/29/i...
In Jerusalem and DC, Messianic and Episcopal communities mourn Capital Jewish Museum shooting victims as their own - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Inside the evolving faith lives of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who had attended an Episcopal church in the months before they were gunned down last week.
www.jta.org
May 29, 2025 at 5:19 PM
My reporting that the IDF’s top international spokesperson is a Messianic Jew has gotten little reaction — which kind of validates the Messianic claim that they’re just ordinary Israelis who happen to believe worshipping Jesus is the most Jewish thing you can do.
The international spokesperson of the IDF, Nadav Shoshani, grew up in a Messianic congregation in Jerusalem that was founded by his pastor father, meaning he was raised in with a religion that blends Jewish practices with worship of Jesus.
www.jta.org/2025/05/29/i...
www.jta.org/2025/05/29/i...
In Jerusalem and DC, Messianic and Episcopal communities mourn Capital Jewish Museum shooting victims as their own - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Inside the evolving faith lives of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who had attended an Episcopal church in the months before they were gunned down last week.
www.jta.org
May 29, 2025 at 2:09 PM
The international spokesperson of the IDF, Nadav Shoshani, grew up in a Messianic congregation in Jerusalem that was founded by his pastor father, meaning he was raised in with a religion that blends Jewish practices with worship of Jesus.
www.jta.org/2025/05/29/i...
www.jta.org/2025/05/29/i...
My profile of Yehuda Kaploun, Trump's pick for antisemitism czar: his history with Biden, the Adelsons and Elie Wiesel; recent infidelity allegations that roiled his synagogue and led to his departure; his role as a fixer in the Hasidic world, and more. www.jta.org/2025/05/15/u...
The rise of Yehuda Kaploun: How a Hasidic fixer became Trump’s nominee for antisemitism czar - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
A senator named Joe Biden first raised Kaploun's profile in Congress.
www.jta.org
May 15, 2025 at 4:36 PM
My profile of Yehuda Kaploun, Trump's pick for antisemitism czar: his history with Biden, the Adelsons and Elie Wiesel; recent infidelity allegations that roiled his synagogue and led to his departure; his role as a fixer in the Hasidic world, and more. www.jta.org/2025/05/15/u...
Honored to be among these fantastic journalists and thrilled for the recognition. rna.org/news/religio...
April 25, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Honored to be among these fantastic journalists and thrilled for the recognition. rna.org/news/religio...
A Yale scholar was suspend from her job because a mysterious AI-powered website called Jewish Onliner surfaced info allegedly linking her to a Palestinian terrorist group. I went digging for who's behind the website and I found someone. 1/5
March 28, 2025 at 7:10 PM
A Yale scholar was suspend from her job because a mysterious AI-powered website called Jewish Onliner surfaced info allegedly linking her to a Palestinian terrorist group. I went digging for who's behind the website and I found someone. 1/5
Why did Trump make "anti-Semitism" hyphenated again?
www.jta.org/2025/03/13/u...
www.jta.org/2025/03/13/u...
Breaking with recent consensus, Trump makes ‘anti-Semitism’ hyphenated again - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Advocates had pushed in recent years for the term to be spelled "antisemitism," saying it would clarify the fight against hatred of Jews.
www.jta.org
March 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Why did Trump make "anti-Semitism" hyphenated again?
www.jta.org/2025/03/13/u...
www.jta.org/2025/03/13/u...
Crazy twist in the Australian "overseas funder" saga: Police now say the wave of antisemitic attacks and the foiled bombing plot were staged—masterminded by a crime boss.
www.jta.org/2025/03/11/g...
www.jta.org/2025/03/11/g...
Antisemitic terror plot in Australia was fake and staged by a crime boss, police say - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Australian Jews were facing violent incidents for months but authorities say there hasn't been a significant attack since early February.
www.jta.org
March 11, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Crazy twist in the Australian "overseas funder" saga: Police now say the wave of antisemitic attacks and the foiled bombing plot were staged—masterminded by a crime boss.
www.jta.org/2025/03/11/g...
www.jta.org/2025/03/11/g...
Trump promised to protect Jews and religious liberty. His refugee ban is keeping out 700 persecuted Iranian Jews, along with Christians and other religious minorities. Family members who made it to the U.S. are pleading for an exception to the ban. www.jta.org/2025/03/06/u...
Trump promised to protect Jews and religious liberty. His refugee ban is keeping out 700 persecuted Iranian Jews. - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Iranian Jewish Americans are calling on Trump to make an exception for their friends and family.
www.jta.org
March 6, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Trump promised to protect Jews and religious liberty. His refugee ban is keeping out 700 persecuted Iranian Jews, along with Christians and other religious minorities. Family members who made it to the U.S. are pleading for an exception to the ban. www.jta.org/2025/03/06/u...
Reposted by Asaf Elia-Shalev
NEW: Trump's pick to run the WH Faith Office, Paula White-Cain, has drawn blowback from a subset of conservative Calvinists influential among some in Trump's cabinet.
Speaking to me, Doug Wilson called her an “erratic woman preacher who has been all over the map.” religionnews.com/2025/02/21/t...
Speaking to me, Doug Wilson called her an “erratic woman preacher who has been all over the map.” religionnews.com/2025/02/21/t...
Trump's pick to run White House Faith Office sparks theological turf war
(RNS) — Idaho pastor Doug Wilson referred to White-Cain as an 'erratic woman preacher who has been all over the map.'
religionnews.com
February 21, 2025 at 11:56 PM
NEW: Trump's pick to run the WH Faith Office, Paula White-Cain, has drawn blowback from a subset of conservative Calvinists influential among some in Trump's cabinet.
Speaking to me, Doug Wilson called her an “erratic woman preacher who has been all over the map.” religionnews.com/2025/02/21/t...
Speaking to me, Doug Wilson called her an “erratic woman preacher who has been all over the map.” religionnews.com/2025/02/21/t...
Wrote about the religious charter school case from Oklahoma and how the U.S. Supreme Court could pave the way for publicly funded Jewish schools throughout the country.
www.jta.org/2025/02/10/u...
www.jta.org/2025/02/10/u...
A Supreme Court case could pave the way for publicly funded Jewish day schools - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The question before the court is whether publicly funded schools should ever be allowed to promote religion.
www.jta.org
February 11, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Wrote about the religious charter school case from Oklahoma and how the U.S. Supreme Court could pave the way for publicly funded Jewish schools throughout the country.
www.jta.org/2025/02/10/u...
www.jta.org/2025/02/10/u...
If you want to know what many families with trans children are dealing with right now, you can read my latest story, which focuses on the Jewish community. They fear the government will take their kid away or worse. www.jta.org/2025/01/31/u...
'I'm not waiting until they come to round us up': Transgender Jews and their families search for safety as Trump takes aim at their rights - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
One transgender Jew described the situation as "like 1930s Germany all over again."
www.jta.org
January 31, 2025 at 7:48 PM
If you want to know what many families with trans children are dealing with right now, you can read my latest story, which focuses on the Jewish community. They fear the government will take their kid away or worse. www.jta.org/2025/01/31/u...
Reposted by Asaf Elia-Shalev
On 🍎THE ORCHARDCAST🍎 ep56 @readtheorchard.org sits down w/ journalist @asafeliashalev.bsky.social to talk about how his book ISRAEL'S BLACK PANTHERS explores a history of the "radicals who punctured a nation's founding myth":
www.readtheorchard.org/p/who-were-i...
harbingermedianetwork.com 🔶
www.readtheorchard.org/p/who-were-i...
harbingermedianetwork.com 🔶
January 31, 2025 at 1:34 PM
On 🍎THE ORCHARDCAST🍎 ep56 @readtheorchard.org sits down w/ journalist @asafeliashalev.bsky.social to talk about how his book ISRAEL'S BLACK PANTHERS explores a history of the "radicals who punctured a nation's founding myth":
www.readtheorchard.org/p/who-were-i...
harbingermedianetwork.com 🔶
www.readtheorchard.org/p/who-were-i...
harbingermedianetwork.com 🔶