The New Yorker recently published a feature portraying American synagogues as “boiling over” and Jewish communities as deeply divided over Israel. A closer look at the sourcing tells a different story.
The article relies heavily on voices that are anti-Zionist or sharply critical of Israel. One such source received extensive space and a full photo spread, while pro-Israel representation was minimal. Major communal figures, including ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, Dan Senor, and Bret Stephens, were not interviewed directly. Instead, their views were drawn from past writings or secondhand accounts, without an opportunity to respond.
The piece also omits a key demographic: Orthodox Jews. Modern Orthodoxy is strongly associated with Zionism and represents one of the fastest-growing segments of American Jewry. Not a single Orthodox voice appears.
The narrative is further built on anecdotal departures from synagogue life. Broader data points in the opposite direction. A United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism survey found nearly half of congregations reported increased attendance since October 7, while only a small fraction saw declines. Jewish Federations of North America similarly reported sustained increases in engagement.
Opposition to specific Israeli policies is presented as evidence of a communal split. Yet large-scale polling shows that 89% of U.S. Jews overwhelmingly support Israel’s existence.
The result is a portrait shaped more by selective framing than by the full picture.
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