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(RNS) — The day before Passover, a federal judge ordered the University of Pennsylvania to comply with a subpoena from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission seeking to obtain lists of Jews who may have experienced or witnessed antisemitism, as part of an investigation into antisemitism on that campus.

Judge Gerald J. Pappert of Philadelphia’s Federal District Court ruled that the subpoena falls within the government’s authority, even though he acknowledged the Trump administration “ineptly worded” the request.

University leaders, joined by Jewish faculty and students, have pushed back. They argue that any demand to compile lists of Jews raises serious constitutional and moral concerns and risks chilling Jewish life on campus.

Many Jews support efforts to investigate antisemitism at Penn, and I am one of them. Jewish students have described a hostile environment at the university during protests and campus debates. 

As author Rafael Medoff writes in “The Road to October 7: Hamas, the Holocaust, and the Eternal War Against the Jews,” of a conference hosted at Penn: 

“In late September 2023, four university departments co-sponsored a two-day literary festival on campus called ‘Palestine Writes,’ featuring several speakers who had compared Israel to Nazi Germany, accused ‘Zionists’ of controlling the media, and blamed European Jews for their own persecution during the Holocaust. Festival organizer Susan Abulhawa, an author and BDS activist, had tweeted that she ‘takes comfort in knowing’ that Israel eventually will be ‘wiped off the map.'” 

After Oct. 7, Jewish students at Penn were subjected to taunts of “You’re a dirty little Jew, you deserve to die.” In congressional hearings, lawmakers pressed university leaders — including Penn’s then-president, Liz Magill — on whether calls for violence against Jews violated campus policies. Her infamous response was that it depended on the “context.” 

Universities need to take claims of antisemitism seriously. But Jews also know that some methods of investigation — even those that are ostensibly in support of Jews — cross a line that history has burned into memory. 

Like, the memory of lists. They recall how Nazi officials entered towns across Europe and demanded lists of Jews from local authorities. In Vienna, officials used detailed registries to isolate Jewish families. In the Netherlands, civil records allowed occupiers to identify and deport Jews with chilling efficiency.

Oh, please, you might say. Are you being “triggered”?

As a matter of fact, yes. There is a folk saying that shows up in several cultures, that someone who has been bitten by a snake will be afraid even of a rope. The rope is harmless, but it reminds you of that snake that bit you.

For Jews, history has often been a snake that bites. Memories can create trauma, which can create sensitivity, even hypersensitivity, even when we might have imagined that such sensitivities would have faded into the past.

That snake that bites is not only in the European past; it is also in the American present. Why shouldn’t Jews be afraid of any governmental institution — of any administration — having access to lists of Jews? Certainly of this administration, wherein there have been murmurs about the “globalists” (cue: antisemitic dog whistle) and the Great Replacement Theory, the conspiracy that alleges that Jews are bringing in darker-skinned immigrants to replace white Americans.

Judge Pappert said that comparisons to Nazi Germany are counterproductive. No, your honor, that is a failure of imagination. It is not that this subpoena mimics Nazi policy. But we would be deaf if we did not hear its rhyme and echo.

When leaders dismiss those echoes and memories, they do not calm fears; they deepen them. They send a message that Jewish history does not matter.

Neither can you dismiss the timing of this decision — on the very doorstep of Passover.

The very purpose of Passover is to remember. When Jews hear the word “lists,” they do not automatically think of “Schindler’s List” — a list of those to be saved. We hear lists, and we think of those who had demonic designs against us.

As Jonathan Safran Foer wrote in “Everything Is Illuminated”:

The pinpricks of memory: We were slaves; we were vulnerable; we lived at the whim of tyrants. We sit at the Passover Seder, and we read the Haggadah, which states: “In every generation, a person is commanded to see themselves as if they had personally left Egypt.”

If you want freedom and safety, then you must be vigilant. Vigilance requires an early warning system. If in this case that early warning system seems a tad too sensitive, it is because we have been bitten by too many snakes.

Passover offers a blueprint. The Seder relies on storytelling. It calls on those around the table not only to sing, not only to bless, but to speak, to question, to bear witness. If we want to confront antisemitism effectively, we should follow that model.

The government may possess the legal authority to demand information. But legality alone does not resolve moral questions. Wisdom requires sensitivity to history, especially when that history carries trauma. Jews ask not for exemption from investigation, but for recognition of what certain actions mean in light of their past.

What is the solution? Rather simple. Investigators can ask Jewish students, faculty and staff to come forward voluntarily and testify. They can create safe, confidential channels for reporting antisemitism. They can partner with Jewish organizations on campus and beyond. They can listen. That approach respects both the urgency of the problem and the dignity of the people affected.

Let this administration fight antisemitism. But let it also be sensitive to Jewish fears.

And to all of you, a joyous Passover and holiday season.  

New from Lillian Daniel and WJK Books

After public exile, Lillian Daniel found unexpected grace, deepened faith, and a new vision for a church that embraces honesty, healing, and restoration.

Pastor Lillian Daniel crossed a line that threatened to cost her everything. But the resulting scandal, which led to a yearlong exile from ministry and changed the whole trajectory of her life, also offered a pathway toward faith, hope, and a new vision for what the church can be for all, including those who stumble.

At a time when the church is facing both decline and its own public scandals, this is a story of what Daniel discovered about sin, repentance, and restoration only once she had fallen, as she puts it, “into the ditch,” like the man left and ignored on the side of the road in the parable of the Good Samaritan. She realized that her understanding of what she was supposed to be as a pastor and as a Christian needed to shift dramatically, and she came away with new perspectives on what the church needs to become if it is to make it through its own time in the ditch. With its personal narrative of failure and redemption and hard-earned perspective on the church’s internal processes, Daniel’s story will be particularly valuable for church leaders navigating investigation procedures or seeking to build systems marked by transparency, healing, and restoration.

With soul-searching honesty, Daniel describes the isolating experience of being investigated by the church, as well as the good news she found along the way. She explains how the vital confidentiality protections put in place to protect victims can also overwhelm the whole church system, including those in charge of the process. And it is within that process that she found out who would show up and who wouldn’t, witnessing surprising grace in the unexpected company of wise, caring people who helped her make her way back after her transgression. Through those connections and deep reflection, she reconnected with the God who, it turns out, had never left—whom she’d spent more time talking about than talking to. Ultimately, through this experience, she saw that the church will survive only if it shows up for everyone—saints, sinners, and everyone in between. This is the vision she has for the church today.

Emphasizing compassion, repentance, and the spiritual work it takes to relate to those who stumble, Daniel reminds us that the ditch is the place to which the gospel speaks most deeply. It turns out to be a place not simply of disgrace or injury but also of humor, hard work, unexpected guides, and vital insight, where the God we have always been dependent on comes to find us. And it’s in that ditch, a place of real and lasting hope, where we can come together to begin building a better church.

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Contact:
Natalie Smith
Westminster John Knox Press
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RNS or Religion News Foundation.

TRIKORFO, Greece (AP) — Can a centuries-old ritual of spiritual renewal rekindle a New Year’s resolution to build healthy eating habits before it fades in the spring?

For six weeks every year, millions of Orthodox Christians around the world adopt a largely vegan diet, abstaining from meat, dairy products, eggs, and fish with backbones. Oil and wine also are prohibited on weekdays during the 40-day Lenten period before Orthodox Easter, which often falls later than its Catholic and Anglican counterpart.

The annual adherence to a plant-based, Mediterranean-style meal plan drives a communal rediscovery of vegetables and oil-free cooking methods in majority-Orthodox countries.

In Greece, even McDonald’s franchises get into the lean Lent spirit by adding seasonal menu items that meet most of the proscriptions of the Greek Orthodox Church. The menu includes shrimp wraps, shrimp salad, vegetable spring rolls and plant-based McVeggie burgers but is not oil-free.

Although following Eastern Orthodox dietary guidelines before Easter is often referred to as fasting, the focus is on going without certain foods, not refraining from eating altogether. The rules are not rigid but can be adapted to account for personal needs.

Here’s a look at the annual alimentary tradition, along with reasons to consider sticking with a similar diet and cautionary advice from nutritionists.

Different dates, different traditions

Christian traditions diverge between East and West ahead of Easter, and not just in their methods for determining the most important date on their calendars. Catholics are encouraged to give up one or more personal indulgences during Lent but get to decide whether to deny themselves dessert, alcohol, video games, swearing or something else. Members of the Orthodox Church forgo animal products except for shellfish.

Gone are Greeks’ beloved dishes like mousaka and souvlakia — grilled meat wrapped with toppings. So are dairy products like milk and cheese. Vertebrate fish like anchovies, mullet and hake are no-nos too, although shrimp, oysters and calamari are permitted.

On a lush coastal hillside in central Greece, 40 monks closely follow these rules at the Monastery of St. Augustine and Seraphim. The monks, who wear black robes and full beards, grow and harvest most of their own produce in the monastery’s gardens, including an abudance of zucchini and tomatoes.

Their meals during Lent are basic but not bland. The monks have mastered methods to replicate familiar tastes and textures. Oven-roasted potatoes are coated with tahini instead of oil to preserve the crunch factor. Vegetable stock prepared from scratch gives lentil dishes a hearty flavor.

The monks listen to prayers read aloud as they eat.

Mind over meals

Father Nektarios Moulatsiotis, the monastery’s affable abbot, says the practice of fasting and following a restricted diet is essential for deep reflection and focus required for the spiritual preparation for Easter. He compares it to endurance training.

“In the same way someone goes to the gym to shape their body,” Nektarios said, “the church is a gym for the soul.”

Occasional hunger pangs aren’t something to resist; they are part of the plan. The idea is simple: less indulgence, more clarity.

“You cannot really pray, study, chant or do any spiritual exercise with a full stomach,” he said with a chuckle.

Nektarios argues that a nutritious yet disciplined diet can produce benefits that apply outside of a religious setting as much as inside of one, such as a sense of greater self-control and enhanced awareness.

The science of a 6-week reset

Orthodox monks observe several fasting periods that limit what, when and how much they eat for most of the year. Researchers have studied their health and food intake for decades to determine if their customs hold any clues to preventing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes.

However, the advantages of eating a balanced diet that includes whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes are well-established. Reduce consumption of meat, saturated fats and processed foods long enough, and the body typically responds.

“Fasting certainly has benefits, provided it’s done correctly,” Eirini Babaroutsi, a sports nutritionist at the Hellenic Athletics Federation, said. For example, Orthodox Christians tend to eat more fiber during Lent, which helps the digestive system function better, she said.

“It also matters what we do eat, not simply what we avoid,” Babaroutsi said. “With the right combinations, we can get all the nutrients we need.”

Meals that meet the guidelines aren’t confined to the ingredients found in Orthodox-majority countries in Southern and Eastern Europe. Babaroutsi suggests porridge with oat milk, vegetable wraps with olive paste, and high-quality peanut butter as helpful international additions.

Luckily, one size doesn’t fit all

There are a few considerations.

A six-week fasting cycle is not advisable for older adults and young children, Babaroutsi said. The Eastern Orthodox church also exempts people with serious health conditions, special dietary requirements, and pregnant or nursing women from strict obedience.

Engaging in a post-Lent binge as a reward also is best avoided because loading up after a period of abstinence can strain the body, Babaroutsi said.

For those wary of making a full commitment, know that you’re not alone. Orthodox Lent started on Feb. 23, but many Greeks participate only during Holy Week, which starts on April 5, Palm Sunday, and goes until April 11, the day before Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter this year.

Supermarkets and bakeries in Greece make it easier to abide by stocking fast, family-friendly meals and an assortment of seasonal goods.

These include jars of pickles and olives, bags of chickpeas and other pulses, squid sliced into rings in freezer cases, the creamy pink fish roe known as taramosalata, and slabs of unleavened bread shaped like small surfboards.

In central Athens, at the slippery-floored central fish market, vendors call out over piles of Lent-compliant clams, octopus and mussels, shoveling seafood into paper cones.

Gerasimos Mantalvanos, the market’s general manager, said many customers tend to overindulge when Easter Sunday’s traditional lamb dishes and sweets arrive. For most, a spirit of moderation eventually returns, he said.

“It is good for eating habits to change from time to time during the year,” Mantalvanos said. “So a period of fasting, a little fish and some abstinence from meat, I think these are good for the body. It is a kind of small detox, a little break.”

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AP photographer Thanassis Stavrakis and videojournalist Srdjan Nedeljkovic contributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday night, offering an update on the war in Iran during his first prime-time speech since launching strikes alongside Israel more than a month ago.

With the speech, Trump was getting a wide audience to articulate clear objectives for the war that could attempt to reconcile weeks of changing goals and often contradictory messages about whether he’s winding down or ready to escalate military operations — even as Iran kept up its attacks on Israel and Persian Gulf neighbors and airstrikes pounded Tehran.

“In these past four weeks our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield,” Trump said.

It comes amid rising oil prices, volatile financial markets and polling showing many Americans feel the U.S. military has gone too far in Iran — even as more American troops move into the region for a possible ground offensive. Trump opted not to deliver such an address closer to when the U.S. and Israel first launched attacks, and questions now remain about whether it is now too late for what he says to break through.

A White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the address and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the president will talk about U.S. progress on achieving his goals in Iran and will reiterate his estimated timeline for concluding operations within two to three weeks.

Just before Trump began speaking, the United Arab Emirates warned the public about a missile threat from Iran. A series of blasts could then be heard in Dubai as air defenses worked to intercept the Iranian barrage.

Trump says ‘we could just take the oil’ as Iran leader addresses the US public

The president, in comments during a Easter lunch on Wednesday afternoon, said of Iran: “We could just take their oil. But you know, I’m not sure that the people in our country have the patience to do that, which is unfortunate.”

“Yeah, they want to see it end. If we stayed there, I prefer just to take the oil,” Trump said. “We could do it so easily. I would prefer that. But people in the country sort of say: ‘Just win. You’re winning so big. Just win. Come home.’ And I’m OK with that, too, because we have a lot of oil between Venezuela and our oil.”

The media was not permitted to watch the president’s remarks at the lunch, but the White House uploaded video of the speech online before taking it down. The White House did not return requests for comment from The Associated Press on the video and why it was taken down.

In a social media post earlier Wednesday, Trump maintained a belligerent tone, demanding that Iran stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway vital to global oil supplies — or the U.S. would bomb the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Ages.” The president has also said the U.S. “will not have anything to do with” ensuring the security of ships passing through Hormuz, an apparent backtrack from a previous threat to attack Iran’s power grid if it didn’t open the strait by April 6.

In the same Easter lunch, the president reiterated some of his complaints about NATO allies for their reluctance to get involved in securing the Strait of Hormuz while suggesting that China, Japan and South Korea could also step up to reopen the waterway.

“Let South Korea, you know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm’s way over there, right next to a nuclear force — let South Korea do it,” Trump said of efforts to reopen the strait. “Let Japan do it. They get 90% of their oil from the strait. Let China do it.”

In another morning social media post, Trump wrote that “Iran’s New Regime President” wanted a ceasefire. It wasn’t clear to whom the U.S. president was referring since Iran still has the same president. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, called Trump’s claim “false and baseless,” according to a report on Iranian state television.

Speaking earlier to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled Tehran’s willingness to keep fighting. “You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We do not set any deadline for defending ourselves.”

Hours before Trump’s address, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted a lengthy letter in English on his X account appealing to U.S. citizens and stressing that his country had pursued negotiations before the U.S. withdrew from that path. “Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war?” he wrote.

No signs of Iran relinquishing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz

Since the war began on Feb. 28, Trump has offered shifting objectives and repeatedly has said it could be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of additional U.S. troops are currently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds about why.

Trump has also threatened to attack Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub. And the U.S. could decide to send in military forces to secure Iran’s uranium stockpile — a complex and risky operation, fraught with radiation and chemical dangers, experts and former government officials say.

Adding to the confusion is what role Israel — which has been bombing Iran alongside the U.S. — might play in any of these scenarios.

Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war that has been pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, is up more than 40% since the start of the war.

It’s unclear where diplomatic efforts stand

The U.S. has presented Iran with a 15-point plan aimed at bringing about a ceasefire, including a demand for the strait to be reopened and for its nuclear program to be rolled back.

Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. And in a report last week by Iranian state TV’s English-language broadcaster, an anonymous official was quoted as saying Iran had its own demands to end the fighting, including retaining sovereignty over the strait.

In the interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi acknowledged receiving direct messages from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. He insisted, however, that there were no direct negotiations and said Iran has no faith that talks with the U.S. could yield any results, saying “the trust level is at zero.”

He warned against any U.S. attempt to launch a ground offensive, saying “we are waiting for them.”

In a deal ostensibly to give diplomacy a chance, U.S. officials have given “clear assurances” that Araghchi and Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf won’t be targeted, according to three officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami, Farnoush Amiri in New York and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

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