There are academic anti-Zionists far more poisonous than Shaul Magid, and this newsletter will continue to cover their activities. But it’s also worth considering how often universities have been a welcoming place to American Jewry, something Michelle Margolis considers in her investigation into the history of Jews at Columbia:

The [school’s] 1784 charter had an interesting requirement, that there should be regents from among the clergy representing all “respective religious denominations in this State.” Chosen to represent the Jewish religion was Gershom Mendes Seixas of Shearith Israel Congregation, the oldest Jewish congregation in New York. Seixas remained on as a trustee when Columbia received its own board of trustees in 1787, and would continue serving as a trustee until he resigned in 1814 due to “infirmities.”

Jonathan Nathan received his A.B. in 1826 and his Master in Chancery (a kind of law degree) from 1840–1845. He maintained a close relationship with his college classmate, Hamilton Fish, Sr., [later the governor of New York], and the library has a collection of letters written from 1843–1857 to his school friend. One particularly interesting letter in the collection addresses his Jewish practice: “I am anxious to come up now as our Passover commences on Wednesday when our system of dietetics will keep me home for a week.”

Yesterday, the Iranian foreign minister flew to Geneva to meet with European diplomats. President Trump, meanwhile, indicated that cease-fire negotiations might soon begin with Iran, which would presumably involve Tehran agreeing to make concessions regarding its nuclear program, while Washington pressures Israel to halt its military activities. According to Israeli media, Iran already began putting out feelers to the U.S. earlier this week. Aviram Bellaishe considers the purpose of these overtures:

The regime’s request to return to negotiations stems from the principle of deception and delay that has guided it for decades. Iran wants to extricate itself from a situation of total destruction of its nuclear facilities. It understands that to save the nuclear program, it must stop at a point that would allow it to return to it in the shortest possible time. So long as the negotiation process leads to halting strikes on its military capabilities and preventing the destruction of the nuclear program, and enables the transfer of enriched uranium to a safe location, it can simultaneously create the two tracks in which it specializes—a false facade of negotiations alongside a hidden nuclear race.