AGP Executive Report

Sukkot Abroad: An Israeli family celebrated the holiday in Florida, balancing kosher meals and traditions with a joyful Disney trip for a granddaughter who has spent much of her childhood in wartime. Jewish Arts: American producer Justin Goldner is working on a Yiddish album, while Indianapolis’ Ann Katz Festival marks 28 years of Jewish cultural connection. Community Wellbeing: Israel’s largest PTSD support center has opened with help from British donors, expanding care amid years of trauma. Cultural Heritage: Israel returned 22 ancient artifacts to Greece in its first repatriation of Greek antiquities.

Jewish Heritage: Two former members of a Bronx synagogue are carefully removing 320 memorial plaques from the building and working to reunite them with families. Entertainment: Jerry Seinfeld turned hecklers’ protests about Israel into a comic exchange during a Chicago show, as security escorted demonstrators out. Health & Innovation: Hadassah held its first European medical conference in Limassol, showcasing advances in cancer care, heart health and AI ahead of opening a medical center there. Interfaith Life: A Jewish-Muslim women’s gathering in a sukkah offered a welcome chance to connect across faiths. Archaeology: Excavations in Jerusalem uncovered part of a 2,000-year-old aqueduct that once brought water to the city.

Holocaust Education: Germany’s 16 states plan to deepen cooperation with Yad Vashem, including expanded Holocaust education for teachers and efforts to counter online distortion. Jewish Learning: Torah MiTzion marked 30 years of connecting Israel and Diaspora communities; the organization says about 1,700 emissaries have served in more than 20 countries. Cultural Heritage: Israel returned 22 ancient Greek artefacts, the first repatriation of its kind between the countries. Arts and Education: A U.S. group of nearly 100 Jewish educators canceled a study trip to Italy after being asked to condemn Israel’s Gaza campaign; the city’s mayor later apologized for the request. Community Life: Be’eri, the Gaza-border kibbutz, has opened a new bike park.

Publishing: Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari pulled their children’s book on Palestine just before publication, saying late edits by Penguin Random House misrepresented their views. The publisher said the process followed its standard procedures. Cultural Heritage: Israel returned 22 antiquities to Greece in the first repatriation between the two countries, according to reports. Jerusalem’s Ancient Past: Archaeologists uncovered a 300-meter stretch of a 2,000-year-old aqueduct that carried water to the Second Temple complex; a biblical scholar said Jesus and his disciples may have used its water.

On Screen: Israeli series The Escape opens with a tense story of a young man trapped in an extreme religious sect. The review also praises Shalom, a film about a beloved rhinoceros at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo. Jewish Heritage: Birthright Israel celebrated co-founder Charles Bronfman’s 95th birthday at a gala that raised $3 million for the program; more than 900,000 young Jews have joined its trips to Israel. Cultural Preservation: Israel returned 22 ancient artifacts to Greece in the first repatriation of its kind between the countries. Film Festivals: Meira Blaustein, the Israeli-born co-founder of the Woodstock Film Festival, is preparing to step down as executive director after 26 years and begin a new chapter supporting festivals and artist residencies.

Community and Renewal: A new synagogue has opened in Ibim in the Western Negev, bringing immigrants and local residents together three years after October 7. A children’s choir honored the late regional council head Ofir Libstein. Heritage: Israel returned 22 ancient artifacts to Greece in the first such repatriation between the two countries, as Athens presses to reclaim historic treasures. Film and Debate: Israeli director Yuval Abraham says the government backlash against his documentary NAZA, about military intelligence and civilian deaths in Gaza, has been intense; officials have called for action against the filmmakers and interviewees. Sport: Israeli judoka Raz Hershko won world championship bronze in Baku, dedicating her medal to a soldier killed on October 7 and saying she felt the country behind her.

Cultural Heritage: Israel returned 22 ancient Greek artifacts in the first such handover between the countries. The collection includes pottery dating back to around 700 B.C. Israeli TV: Sketch comedy show Eretz Nehederet is back ahead of the October 27 election, mixing political satire with a joke about actor Sydney Sweeney’s rumored plans to convert to Judaism. Jewish Education: Around 250 teachers and education leaders from Jewish communities worldwide arrived in Jerusalem for a conference with Israeli educators, celebrating eight diaspora teachers for their work strengthening Jewish identity. Jerusalem History: Archaeologists uncovered a 300-meter section of a 2,000-year-old aqueduct that once brought water to the city.

Women in Religious Life: Israel’s High Court has asked the Chief Rabbinate to explain why women are excluded from appointments to the assembly that elects the chief rabbis. The case was brought by women with advanced religious education and advocacy groups. Health: Breast cancer survival rates among Israeli women exceed 85%, according to recent reports. Living With Trauma: A new study finds one in five Israelis still struggles to function three years after the October 7 attacks, underscoring the lasting toll on mental health. Jerusalem’s Past: Archaeologists uncovered a 300-meter stretch of a 2,000-year-old aqueduct that once carried water to the Temple Mount. Film: Jerusalem’s Women’s Film Festival is set to showcase Israeli and international cinema, with a focus on female filmmakers, trauma, healing and hope.

Student Safety: A 15-year-old was killed and at least 24 people were injured when a suspected leftover Hezbollah cluster bomb exploded during a school hike in northern Israel. Authorities paused school trips in the area while they assess the danger. Women in Haredi Politics: Two women on the Haredi Public party’s Knesset slate say they want to address gaps in women’s health care, education and employment; the new party is polling below the threshold for entering parliament. Jewish Education: Nearly 100 US Jewish early-childhood educators canceled a study trip to Italy after being asked to sign a statement condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza, putting a long-running educational exchange in doubt. Film and Memory: “Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets,” a documentary about the competing messages on New York’s walls, won a New York Emmy. Jerusalem’s Past: Archaeologists uncovered a 300-meter stretch of an ancient aqueduct that once carried water to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Israeli Lives: “Hinenu: Israel at Ten Million” profiles 100 Israelis through photographs and personal stories, highlighting the country’s diversity.

Northern Israel: One person was killed and about 20 injured when suspected unexploded ordnance detonated during an ORT Ma’alot Yeshiva field trip. Authorities are investigating how the device went off. Jerusalem’s Ancient Past: Archaeologists uncovered a 300-meter stretch of the city’s 2,000-year-old Lower Aqueduct. It is the largest section found so far that is planned to be made publicly accessible. Film & Music: Jerusalem’s Women’s Film Festival will spotlight Israeli and international cinema, with themes of trauma, healing and hope. Boy George is also set to play two shows in Tel Aviv, one dedicated to survivors of the Nova music festival.

Jerusalem’s Ancient Waterworks: Archaeologists have uncovered a 300-meter stretch of the Lower Aqueduct, built about 2,000 years ago to bring water to Jerusalem. It is the largest section set to become permanently accessible to the public. Living With Trauma: A national study finds about one in five Israelis still faces serious day-to-day difficulties linked to mental health; among women aged 18 to 35, the figure rises to roughly one in three. Film and Healing: Jerusalem’s Women’s Film Festival is spotlighting Israeli and international filmmakers, with a focus on trauma, healing and hope. At an October 7 event, Israeli artist Uri Sharon also explored grief and innocence. On Stage: Boy George has announced two Tel Aviv shows, with one dedicated to Nova music festival survivors. Michael Rapaport’s Comedy for Koby tour is marking the foundation’s 25th anniversary. Israeli Film Abroad: “NAZA,” a documentary by Israeli filmmakers Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham, has passed $500,000 at the North American box office through self-distribution.

Jerusalem Film: The Jerusalem International Women’s Film Festival runs Oct. 12–16, with Israeli and international films, documentaries and shorts celebrating women filmmakers. Live Music: Boy George has added a second Tel Aviv concert on Nov. 7 after strong demand for his Nov. 4 show; his new single, “We Will Dance Again,” pays tribute to the Nova festival and its survivors. Jewish Cinema: The UK Jewish Film Festival marks its 30th anniversary with a program including Shalom, about two zookeepers caring for a rhinoceros during the Gaza war, and the comedy The Wedding Entertainer. Online screenings run Nov. 18–30. Heritage: A new feature traces Aramaic’s long history, from ancient Jerusalem to its survival across centuries of upheaval.

Israeli Film: Gidi Dar’s Legend of Destruction, an animated retelling of the revolt against Rome and the fall of the Second Temple, is now available to buy digitally in the US. Oscar Isaac, Evangeline Lilly and Elliott Gould lead the English-language cast. Women in Cinema: Jerusalem’s International Women’s Film Festival runs October 12–16, with Israeli and international films and a career tribute to filmmaker Hanna Azoulay-Hasfari. Cultural Exchange: A US group of Jewish educators postponed a trip to Italy after organizers required participants to sign a statement on Gaza; Israeli educators plan to attend. On Screen in Israel: Actor Mark Feuerstein is heading to Israel to film Midair, a new action thriller for Yes about a crisis aboard a fighter jet.

Israeli Identity: A new Hebrew University survey finds Jewish Israelis feel a stronger sense of national identity and increasingly see Israel as Middle Eastern rather than European, as skepticism toward Europe grows. Film & Memory: A new Israeli documentary follows Soroka Medical Center’s efforts to save lives on October 7. Arts: The Jerusalem Biennale brings Jewish memory from ancestral towns to the moon, while Israel’s Oscar submission, Tell Me Everything, was dropped from a queer film festival after boycott threats. Music: Boy George has announced a second concert in Israel, dedicating it to survivors of the Nova music festival. Heritage: Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old Jewish ritual bath in Israel, dating to the time of Jesus.

Israeli Film: A new KAN documentary revisits Soroka Medical Center’s response to October 7, following staff who treated 674 people while worrying about loved ones and colleagues. Culture and Boycott: A Swiss queer film festival removed the award-winning Israeli film Tell Me Everything after boycott threats. Jewish Community: Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, parents of slain hostage Hersh, are set to speak in Sarasota on Nov. 17; more than 1,300 people registered, prompting a move to a larger venue. Volunteering: Sixty Israelis with Heroes for Life completed a program in Nepal, leading creative activities and school renovation projects across Kathmandu and Lalitpur.

Film: Geneva’s Everyone’s Perfect queer film festival has removed Israeli drama Tell Me Everything after boycott threats. The Ophir Award-winning film, Israel’s Oscar submission, follows a boy discovering his father is gay during the AIDS epidemic. Live Music: Boy George has announced a second concert in Israel, dedicated to survivors of the Nova music festival. Jerusalem Arts: The Jerusalem Biennale includes Into My Fall That Is Endless, a group exhibition at Marie Gallery running through November 15. The city’s cultural calendar also features a new production of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman at Mikro Theater, with English and Russian subtitles.