Jewish Groups Shift Focus After October 7 Attack

Mainstream Jewish organizations face new challenges in the post-October 7 world.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 1:55pm

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One of the Anti-Defamation League's long-serving officials specializing in researching extremism has left the organization to join the Nexus Project, a progressive Jewish group that has been critical of the ADL. This hiring is indicative of the larger challenge facing mainstream Jewish organizations in the U.S., as they grapple with the aftermath of the October 7 attack and the changing priorities of the Jewish community.

Why it matters

The October 7 attack has forced Jewish organizations to re-evaluate their priorities and funding allocations. The progressive activist world previously required the ADL and other Jewish groups to pay into what was seen as a 'protection racket', but after the attack, these groups have turned their backs on the Jewish community. Jewish organizations must now focus their resources on combating anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, enhancing security, and strengthening Jewish life and engagement.

The details

Aryeh Tuchman, a long-serving ADL official specializing in researching extremism, has left the organization to join the Nexus Project, a progressive Jewish group that has been critical of the ADL. This hiring is seen as indicative of the larger challenge facing mainstream Jewish organizations, as they grapple with the aftermath of the October 7 attack and the changing priorities of the Jewish community. The ADL's CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, has acknowledged the need to focus more on fighting the rise of anti-Semitism, but the progressive activist world has turned its back on the Jewish community, leaving Jewish organizations to re-evaluate their funding allocations.

  • The October 7 attack was a pivotal moment that has forced Jewish organizations to re-evaluate their priorities.
  • In 2024, a Mosaic essay by Jack Wertheimer outlined trends in American Jewish community philanthropy in the post-October 7 world.

The players

Aryeh Tuchman

A long-serving official at the Anti-Defamation League who specialized in researching extremism.

Nexus Project

A progressive Jewish group that has been critical of the Anti-Defamation League.

Jonathan Greenblatt

The CEO of the Anti-Defamation League.

Jack Wertheimer

The author of a 2024 Mosaic essay on the American Jewish community's post-October 7 philanthropy.

Jewish Federations

An organization that reported a surge in Jewish engagement after the October 7 attack.

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What they’re saying

“This moment has required us to be more and more focused on fighting the rise of antisemitism. And I hope when this situation abates — when there's a cessation of hate, when the numbers start to come down — that we'll be able to make different decisions about how we allocate our resources.”

— Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO, Anti-Defamation League (commentary.org)

“The eyes of funders are now open in new ways; anti-Zionism is well-funded and pervasive in certain sectors. For the first time, funders realize how much those ideas have captured institutions.”

— Anonymous, Source in the philanthropy world (commentary.org)

What’s next

Jewish organizations must continue to prioritize combating anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, enhancing security, and strengthening Jewish life and engagement in the post-October 7 world.

The takeaway

The October 7 attack has forced a fundamental shift in the priorities and funding allocations of mainstream Jewish organizations in the U.S. They can no longer afford to divert resources to intersectional, DEI-inflected programs, and must instead focus on the existential threats facing the Jewish community, including the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.