JCRC's Boston Jewish Now

Are Jewish Families Chasing Prestige Over Education?

Many Jewish parents are looking at college differently right now. Dr. Greg Weiner offers a perspective few others can. He is the 17th president of Assumption University, the first Jewish president of a Catholic university in the United States, and a scholar of American political thought. In this episode, Jeremy Burton speaks with Dr. Weiner about why Catholic education may offer Jewish students something many families are looking for now: a serious educational environment where faith is taken seriously, difference is treated with respect, and students are formed to think, question, listen, and live responsibly with others. Dr. Weiner makes clear that Catholic universities are not trying to evangelize Jewish students. They take faith, reason, learning, and human dignity seriously. For Jewish students, that can mean entering a community where difference is understood, where conviction is respected, where education is about more than ivy-league prestige — and where there are no encampments. Together, JCRC CEO Jeremy Burton and Dr. Greg Weiner unpack what a college education is, at its best: a place to produce the kinds of people a healthy civic society depends on.

What We Can Learn From Hungary… and More

This week, we’re catching up on the stories and events that had us talking — from Boston to Israel and beyond. We’ll look at what stood out, the questions these moments raised, and why they matter to us as a Jewish community. Reach out to your legislators to support data privacy: https://www.aclum.org/campaigns-initiatives/data-privacy-now/ Read Alan Dershowitz's Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/alan-dershowitz-why-im-becoming-a-republican-86c19b66 Check out the conversation from Yehuda Kertzer and Jeffrey Goldberg: https://jewishinsider.com/2026/04/yehuda-kurtzer-american-jews-political-homelessness-identity/

Are "Mainstream Jewish Institutions" Making Jews Less Safe?

A recent Boston Globe Ideas essay [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/18/opinion/israel-iran-war-antisemitism/] made sweeping claims about mainstream Jewish institutions, suggesting that their posture on Israel and their approach to defining antisemitism are themselves contributing to the climate that makes Jews less safe. In this episode, Jeremy Burton and Oren Jacobson unpack that argument, challenge its logic, and examine how reducing diverse Jewish communal leadership to a single caricature can easily become a way of blaming Jews for the harm or violence directed at them. They also explore where criticism of institutions is fair, where it starts to revive old tropes about Jewish influence, and what it means when those “ideas [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/18/opinion/israel-iran-war-antisemitism/]” gain legitimacy in public discourse. Oren Jacobson [https://www.projectshema.org/team/oren-jacobson] is a civic entrepreneur and the CEO of Project Shema [https://www.projectshema.org/], where he works with communities and institutions across the country to better understand and respond to contemporary anti-Jewish bias and anti-Jewish ideas. His work focuses especially on how these ideas show up in public discourse, even subtly and unintentionally. Oren is a regular partner to JCRC and CJP here in Greater Boston and has previously testified [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu36nMU1V0U] before the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism, helping commissioners and State House leaders better understand Jewish identity in public life.

More Attacks on Jews, More Security — But Is It Enough?

A week with more attacks on Jewish institutions than days in the week. That’s the reality many are waking up to, and asking: what happens next?

When Does JCRC Speak — and Why?

In this episode, we explain how and why JCRC speaks publicly during moments of crisis and controversy. When statements appear under Jeremy Burton’s name instead of the organization’s, what does that actually mean? Who is the real audience for those comments? How does a coalition of 40 Jewish organizations decide what to say in real time when civic leaders are asking for guidance — and why even speak publicly at all? The conversation explores how JCRC engages civic leaders and institutions, the process behind public comments, and why relationship-building — not public outcry, outrage, and blasting — is the most effective way to advance the interests of the Jewish community in Massachusetts.