G.O.A.T. Cholent!

A top 10 list from three years of independent reporting.

At the stroke of midnight on Monday, The Cholent will enter its FOURTH YEAR. (Yes, I was on Substack before Bari Weiss.) As we close out 2023, I thought I’d share a top 10 list of Cholent stories, going back to 2021.

What does a story need to make this list? One, it had impact, measured by high engagement rates. Two, it scared me. I’m most proud of the stories that made me wonder if I should go into hiding right after hitting publish. Three, it predicted something or provided analysis that turned out to be useful. Four, it is unique to Seattle — a story that can’t be told anywhere else.

Each of these stories has one or more of these elements. I hope you’ll enjoy re-reading them, or reading them for the first time if you’re new here.

1.

Questioning Covid policies in the middle of Covid? I knew immediately that school closures were going to be catastrophic. And I was right. That seems silly to say now, but it was terrifying back then. Remember?

2.

Back in the early days I explored podcasting. I love this medium but didn’t pursue it ultimately. But I think this interview with Dara Horn is so timely right now and worth a listen. And if you haven’t read the book, there is literally no better time than now.

3.

This story will always live on my top 10 list because it scared me so much, and it was the beginning of my exploration into liberated ethnic studies, which I continue to write about and follow closely. The oppressor/oppressed, decolonization, anti-Western ideology that’s central to ethnic studies is present in many DEI initiatives and is fuel for current anti-Israel activism.

4.

Another terrifying one. Really, this was the most terrified I ever was to hit publish, because almost everyone in the story was someone I considered a friend at some point. But this also makes the top 10 because when a donor pulled her donation from the Israel studies department, it was scandalous, and it looked to many like a benefactor deciding what can and can’t be taught. Now, with elite universities scrambling to hit the right tone on anti-Semitism (shouldn’t be that hard), donors closing their checkbooks, and questions about the role of Qatari money in American schools, this story looks quaint.

5.

This guest essay by Ned Porges generated sentimental reactions from several readers who felt that it hit them right in the heart. It’s a sweet tribute to a lifelong hobby and the local Jewish community that was “along for the ride.”

6.

Readers sort of hated this one, but I’m throwing it up on the top 10 to see if anyone has changed their mind.

7.

This is just a super-cool story specific to Seattle: the funding of a rare Sephardic book archive in Israel by the local philanthropic Samis Foundation.

8.

This is a two-for-one, since it’s a follow-up to a story about JewBelong’s billboards in Seattle. A lot of people had strong feelings about the messaging strategy, which all leads to the fun/maddening question in the story: who runs Judaism’s marketing strategy?

9.

When Mutual Fish closed, I thought I’d write up a little tribute since many Jews shopped there. I didn’t realize it would unlock an entire history of WWII-era Jewish-Japanese relationships, all stemming from the two communities’ work down at the docks. I’m perhaps most proud of this story.

10.

Like many of you, I have followed the aftermath of October 7th obsessively. How could I ever write about another topic again, I have wondered. The pieces I’ve written here since then have all fallen into the “scary” category. What if I’m wrong? What if I misstate a fact or draw an inaccurate conclusion and destroy my reputation? Who am I to say anything about anything? However, I have found that my reporting on things like ethnic studies and local activism have prepared me to see current events clearly and has sharpened my writing as well as my conviction. As we grow distant from 10/7 and the war grinds on, we should periodically stop and remember the immediate actions of Israel’s detractors and the rawness of our emotions.

What do you think? Share your favorite/least favorite Cholent stories in the comments, and tell me if you would change this list!

Wishing you all a happy new year. May we only know good things in the year to come.

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Shoutouts

Shoutout to Emily Alhadeff for continued excellence in local Jewish journalism —Jonathan Greene

Thank you, Jonathan! I was on vacation this week and didn’t send out the call for shoutouts, so please leave nice words in the comments. — Emily