In a time that continues to see rising antisemitism and threats to Jewish communities all over the world, the Federation is resolved to bring light and joy and Jewishness – whether it is through Arts & Ideas programs; the Konikoff Center of Learning and all of its educational opportunities; or the Jewish Community Relations Council and its proud and constant advocacy and support for all, here at home or in Israel. Or maybe it’s through the Federation’s allocated support for the amazing Jewish agencies and organizations who deliver specialized services to the Jewish community.

 If “living well is the best revenge,” then UJFT’s goal is to enable living well – for us, for our children, for our neighbors, and for those we may never have the chance to meet.

 All of these programs and services cost money. And it’s the UJFT Community Campaign (and its remarkable donors, who give year after year) which help bring these services to all who want and need them.

 So, whatever “living well” means to each person – being healthy, being secure, or being inspired to build a closer relationship with God, the Federation hopes you’ll support the programs and services of the Jewish community with a gift of support for the UJFT Campaign –
which ultimately brings so much wellness in the world.

 The three options to make a gift of support to the 2026 UJFT Community Campaign are: 

• Online via the Federation’s secure website at www.jewishva.org/donate. 

• Call or email Amy Zelenka, UJFT’s chief development officer, at 757-965-6139 or azelenka@ujft.org. 

• Mail a check to: United Jewish Federation of Tidewater
5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200
Virginia Beach, VA  23462
(Note: 26 Community Campaign on the check). 

Amy Zelenka is United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s chief development officer.

To help Jewish News readers understand probate, Judy Rosenblatt, a Commissioner of Accounts for the Virginia Beach Circuit Court, agreed to answer some questions concerning the process. In her role as Commissioner of Accounts, Rosenblatt supervises fiduciaries and audits accountings and other filings by administrators and executors of estates, trustees of trusts, and foreclosure trustees, among other proceedings. 

Jewish News: What is the first thing the family needs to do?

Judy Rosenblatt: Find the will. If the will is not with the decedent’s other important papers, contact the bank or investment institution the decedent used or an attorney, if known.

JN: What is probate?

JR: “Probate” specifically refers to the act of submitting the will to the Clerk of the appropriate Circuit Court and “proving” with appropriate documentation or testimony from witnesses that the will is valid (that is, that it was signed and witnessed properly).

The term “probate” is also used in reference to the processes involved in qualifying as a personal representative and administering the decedent’s estate.

JN: How do you know if a will must be probated? 

JR: Probating a will is not always necessary.  For example, there may be no property that passes by will or the amount passing by will is less than $50,000.

Additionally, qualification is not necessary to transfer a motor vehicle title.  In these circumstances, the will is probated and proved and recorded and nothing further is done.  Other instances where formal qualification or administration may not be required are joint accounts with right of survivorship in banks, savings institutions, or credit unions.

The payment of life insurance proceeds, IRAs, retirement plan benefits, and other accounts or assets made payable to a specific person also do not need to be probated. The transfer of real estate to a surviving spouse also occurs outside of the estate.

JN: Where should the will be probated?

JR: The person who wants to qualify takes the original will and original codicils (if any), a certified death certificate, driver’s license or passport, and a personal check to the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court that has jurisdiction over the will.

Virginia does not have a separate probate court. The will should be probated in the Circuit Court of the city or county where the decedent resided or where the decedent owned real estate; or if none, where the decedent died or has any estate.

If the decedent died in a nursing home or similar institution, then that person’s residence is presumed to be where he or she resided prior to becoming a patient at such home.

JN: What types of reports are required by law?

JR: Notice of Probate: Within 30 days after probate and qualification, the personal representative sends a notice to the beneficiaries and heirs that the will has been probated.

Inventory: The personal representative files an inventory which lists all probate assets at their date-of-death values.  This is done within four months.

Accountings: The personal representative files an accounting every year. The accounting details what has occurred in the estate since the last report and lists all assets of the estate, all distributions and ending assets which remain.

JN. Any other advice?

JR: All cities in Virginia have a good website to assist you as you go through this process.  Both Norfolk Circuit Court and Virginia Beach Circuit Court have information online to assist you.  Norfolk has a Probate Process Manual.

Growing up in Norfolk’s West Ghent neighborhood, Kossman’s early connection to Jewish life was more cultural than religious, he says. It wasn’t until he spent nearly 30 years away, primarily in Connecticut, that his understanding of Judaism began to take shape in a more meaningful way. Through study and guidance by a Chabad rabbi, he developed a deeper appreciation for the principles that continue to influence him today.

Among them is tikkun olam: the call to repair the world.

“That idea isn’t theoretical,” Kossman says. “It’s something you’re meant to live out in how you show up, how you support, and how you contribute.”  That belief has become the foundation of his philanthropic philosophy. 

 Alongside his wife, Joyce, Kossman takes a strategic approach to philanthropy, prioritizing institutions that educate, equip, and create lasting impact. Their giving reflects a belief that strong organizations don’t just meet immediate needs; they shape people, strengthen communities, and extend their influence over time.

  That commitment has not gone unnoticed. In 2025, Kossman was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni by Old Dominion University, an acknowledgment of his sustained contributions of time, talent, and resources in service to the broader community.

 Rather than focusing on short-term outcomes, Kossman is drawn to long-term influence. “We focus on supporting institutions that help people learn how to think and lead,” he says. “If you invest in that, the return isn’t immediate, but it is lasting.”

 That same thinking shapes his views on sustaining Jewish life. Kossman believes some of the most important investments happen early, through experiences such as Jewish day school and camp. “That’s where identity starts to take hold,” he says. “It’s where relationships are formed, where people build lifelong friendships, meet their partners, and begin to understand what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves.”

 In those environments, he sees more than education or recreation. He sees continuity taking root. “You have to invest early,” he adds. “Those experiences stay with people, and they shape how connected they feel later in life.”

 As a member of Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s board of directors, Kossman brings this same strategic lens to conversations around legacy giving, particularly when it comes to engaging future donors.  “One of the biggest challenges is helping people understand the ‘why,’” he says. “If you can connect people to the purpose behind giving, if they understand the impact, that’s what sustains it.”

 For Kossman, legacy isn’t about a final gift or a single decision. It’s about aligning values with action, again and again.

 Favorite camp events include the Color Run and Apache Relay, Lip Sync Showcase, Camp JCC Gala, and Carnival Colossal. Daily fun happens with spirit days such as Crazy Hair Day, Tacky Tourist Day, Neon Day, and Tie-Dye Day, along with summer staples such as H2O Day, Watermelon Wednesday, and the Stars & Stripes Pool Party.

 Every morning at Camp JCC begins with Boker Tov, a camp-wide celebration of songs, cheers, and laughter, setting the tone for a joyful day, and each week closes with Shabbat blessings, songs, and, of course, challah for all.

Camp JCC is the ultimate all-in-one day camp summer experience—offering something for every child. Campers swim twice daily (including instructional swim), play sports, create arts and crafts, explore nature, and participate in music, drama, and classic camp games like gaga.

 Open to children of all backgrounds, faiths, and abilities, Camp JCC is a welcoming, inclusive community where kids can try new things, build confidence, and make lasting friendships. 

Camp JCC has a strong commitment to safety, low camper-to-staff ratios, and a caring team that ensures every child feels seen, supported, and successful. 

“Camp JCC is more than just camp, it’s a place where kids grow,” says Betty Ann Levin, executive vice president, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC.

 Fun and values go hand in hand at Camp JCC. All activities are designed to help campers build confidence, character, and connection through core Jewish values:

• Simcha (Joy): Celebrating each day with laughter, energy, and positivity. 

• Chaverut (Friendship): Building meaningful relationships rooted in kindness and respect.

• Ometz Lev (Courage): Encouraging campers to try new things and step outside their comfort zones.

• Arvut (Community): Creating a strong sense of belonging through shared traditions and experiences.

• Achrayut (Responsibility): Teaching accountability and leadership in everyday moments.

• Kehilah (Inclusivity): Welcoming and celebrating campers of all backgrounds.

Through these values, Camp JCC creates a community where every camper feels they belong—and leaves with skills that last far beyond summer.

For information, go to campjcc.org.

Kate-Lynn Cipolla is director of Camp JCC. She may be reached at klcipolla@ujft.org.

Summer camp season is around the corner, and the Secure Community Network (SCN) is launching its first-ever Camp Security Initiative Webinar Series, designed for camp administrators, counselors, parents, and campers. This program is intended to provide practical guidance to help in preparations for a safe and secure summer.

Protecting Campers: Safety Guidance for Counselors, is the subject of the webinar taking place on April 22. It will offer practical instruction for counselors on situational awareness, camper supervision, and reporting suspicious activity. The session includes a live Q&A period with security professionals.

SCN also offers a list of essential safety questions for parents to ask prior to sending their children to summer camp. 

 Some of the questions are:

1. Has the camp had a Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessment performed and has it developed a plan to implement identified security and safety issues?

2. How is access to the camp controlled for visitors and vendors?

3. What is the procedure for handling a missing camper?

4. How does the camp communicate emergencies to campers, staff, and families?

The complete list of questions with details, is available at securecommunitynetwork.org.   

Since launching in April 2024, SCN’s Camp Security Initiative has trained more than 5,000 camp-related individuals, conducted more than 100 site assessments, and helped secure $2.2 million in Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funding.

 This principle has been expressed by none other than King Solomon in the book of Mishlei (Proverbs): “As water reflects a face back to a face, so too does the heart of one person reflect the heart of another.” Our feelings and beliefs are sensed by those we encounter. Those feelings are sensed and then reflected back to us in the same way. When we express love, trust, and belief in someone else, we enable the other person to feel the same way about us. These positive feelings form the bonds of close relationships and are the foundation for continued inspiration and motivation to set high standards and accomplish goals which we may think are out of our reach. When we know someone loves us and believes in us, we can accomplish otherwise impossible tasks and withstand greater trials and tribulations knowing that we have the support we need to maximize our potential.

 The success of educators is inseparable from a closely developed relationship which is invested in over the course of a year or more. When learning is outsourced primarily to technology, however, a critical conduit is removed. Effective learning is built on trust, responsiveness, and human connection. This is echoed in social-emotional learning research which emphasizes that teachers create the environments and relationships in which students can thrive academically and emotionally. It is the relationship which is at the core of success.

 The presence of technology and its impact on our lives have been exponential. What is relevant today may already be irrelevant tomorrow. Simultaneously, our access to, and dependence on, cell phones and other tech has also increased. This has not only been true in our personal lives. In schools, screens have become ever-present on desks, in backpacks, and in lesson plans. The prevailing assumption has been that “more technology naturally leads to better learning.” Yet a growing body of data suggests that this assumption deserves to be revisited.

 As various sectors have begun to grapple with the balance between technology and the school environment, much of the discourse has been focused on students. Countless articles, news stories, and laws have attempted to comment on students’ distractibility, their dependence on devices, and their struggle to stay engaged. Far less attention has been paid to those who are meant to model the behaviors, interactions, and relationships we hope to instill: parents and teachers. Children learn not only from what we say, but from what we demonstrate. When teachers rely on screens as the primary conduit for instruction and engagement, the result is the implicit message being sent to children: mediated interaction is preferable to human connection.

 A visit to many schools will find that a typical classroom has a significant portion of its learning, especially in the formative elementary and middle school years, relegated to visual platforms. While these tools can be valuable supplements and play a significant role in differentiated instruction and data-driven education, their use raises a fundamental question: Is school solely about information transfer? If education is reduced to content delivery, then a screen may indeed suffice. But schools have never been only about information. They are equally about the development of the whole child intellectually, socially, and emotionally. 

 Eating away even further at the teacher-student relationship is “technoference,” the intrusion of technology into in-person interactions. When a teacher or student engages with, or via, a screen, the relational link is severed. Instead, a message, however unintentionally, is sent that the device is more important than the person in the room. The mere presence of a cellphone or tablet has been shown to reduce the quality of interaction, diminishing trust, closeness, and the depth of conversation. Perhaps most insidiously, screens foster a state of “absent presence,” in which individuals are physically together but mentally elsewhere, separated by their digital worlds. How can a teacher sitting at the desk bond with a student as they stare away in the opposite direction at a projector screen. How can students form a bond with one another when they remain individuals processing information from their own lens?

 Digital tools in the classroom can crowd out opportunities for hands-on learning and direct social interaction with teachers and peers. For younger students, this loss is even more significant as language development, cognitive growth, and emotional regulation depend on the back-and-forth responsiveness of an engaged adult.

 At its core, the relationship between teacher and student relies on the ebb and flow of interaction that blends the realms of physical, psychological, and emotional. When technology dominates the classroom, the harmony is disrupted. If we want attentive, socially capable, and emotionally healthy children, we must ensure that our classrooms remain places where human connection is central and where teachers teach not only with content, but with presence.

Rabbi Aryeh Kravetz is head of school at Toras Chaim.

In conversation at the Sandler Family Campus, Anzovin was asked two primary questions: How can Jewish individuals reclaim their voice on social media? And what would she say to someone struggling with fear while trying to show up authentically as Jewish? 

Anzovin’s honest response was empowering. She admitted that she still feels a flash of anger when faced with those she calls, the “modern Romans,” the ignorant and hateful commenters who mirror historical adversaries. However, she views this anger not as a burden, but as a vital tool to have when the “Romans are coming,” because they will indeed come, time and time again.  Anzovin suggests that a “healthy amount of anger” provides the momentum needed to defend Jewish identity. The key, she says, is to channel that fire into productive action: using it as fuel to dive deeper into study, learning, and teaching. “By turning the heat of antisemitism into the light of education, we ensure that our authenticity remains our strongest defense and our most radiant contribution to the world.”

Inspired by the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Anzovin brought a magnetic energy to the Tidewater community during her residency. Her daily practice of Daf Yomi has lit a fire within her—one that warmed the entire room as she spoke. With a blend of wit, charm, and an unapologetic passion for Talmudic studies, Anzovin did something remarkable: she ignited a collective desire to engage in Daf Yomi, a global cycle of studying one page of Talmud each day, completing the entire text over the course of about seven and a half years. 

Anzovin’s residency was a reminder that Jewish texts are not just history, but a living dialogue. Now, it’s Tidewater’s turn, so get ready. The community will begin its own deep dive into Daf Yomi this fall, with plans to build small cohorts learning together in anticipation of the next global cycle beginning in summer 2027.

To learn more about studying Daf Yomi, and to look for upcoming courses, visit JewishVA.org/KCL or contact Sierra Lautman, senior director of Jewish Innovation, at SLautman@ujft.org. 

To get involved with NextGen or learn more about upcoming opportunities to learn with small groups of adults, ages 22- 45, contact Hannah Yasemsky, NextGen engagement coordinator, at HYasemsky@ujft.org.

 Messy Makers is officially in its second season, becoming the ultimate sensory riot for explorers aged three to six years old. This isn’t an average quiet art class where kids stay inside the lines; it is a high-energy, five-week exploration lab where the primary goal is to be wonderful and gloriously messy. These little creators are currently diving headfirst into a world of texture and color once a week, asking “what happens if I mix this?” and getting to hear a resounding “let’s find out!” every single time. From the mind-bending stretch of Oobleck and the fluffy wonder of cloud dough to the spectacular foam of elephant’s toothpaste and 3D puffy paint masterpieces, the innovation happening in this class is off the charts.

 Meanwhile, the air smells incredible every week as Reagan Goode leads her third season of Little Bakers and Chefs. This is a real-deal culinary adventure where young foodies in grades one through five are becoming absolute kitchen rockstars. These aspiring chefs sharpen their skills by whisking, pouring, and creating from-scratch treats that would make a professional baker jealous. Everything from savory cheese quesadillas and fresh smoothies to gooey cinnamon rolls, sugar cookies, vibrant fruit pizzas, and seasonal pumpkin muffins are on the menu. The confidence these kids are gaining is unmatched as they master new techniques and explore bold flavors. Plus, they are bringing home culinary skills and a sense of pride that will last a lifetime.

 Since children’s classes do not take place during the summer, the upcoming fall sessions are the next big opportunity for children to join the fun. To ensure every age group gets their time to shine, Goode switches the age requirements each season. This means that the fall will kick off with a 5-week session of Kitchen Kiddos for little chefs ages 3–6, followed by another highly anticipated return of Little Bakers and Chefs for the older students.

 Registration for these high-demand classes go fast. 

To learn more about Kids Night Out, School Days Out, Camp JCC, children’s classes, and more, contact Kate-Lynn Cipolla, Camp JCC director, at klcipolla@ujft.org or 757-321-2306. 

 BBYO advisors serve as positive role models, working in partnership with staff members to supervise and guide AZA and BBG chapters. Advisors empower each BBYO member to do their best, develop new leadership skills, and grow into dynamic and engaged young Jewish leaders.

 A native of Charlotte, N.C., Dippold was an active and dedicated member of Ohavim BBG in Eastern Region’s North Carolina Council throughout high school. During her time in BBYO, she served her chapter as Gizborit (treasurer), Morah (vice president of membership and recruitment), and ultimately as N’siah (president). BBYO, she says, played a significant role in shaping her leadership skills, confidence, and some of her closest friendships.

 Dippold attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied psychology and advertising/public relations. While at UNC, she discovered her passion for working in sports and later interned in public relations with the Carolina Hurricanes. She currently serves as the manager of Sponsorship Fulfillment for the Norfolk Admirals Professional Hockey Club, where she oversees corporate partnerships and community activations.

 Now living in Norfolk, Dippold says she is excited to return to BBYO in a new role as Simcha BBG advisor. She looks forward to mentoring teens, building meaningful programming, and helping members create the same lasting memories and leadership experiences that meant so much to her.

 “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Joe Kent wrote in his resignation letter, which he addressed to President Donald Trump and shared on social media. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

 Kent continued, “Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran.” 

 He also accused Israel of having also drawn the United States into the Iraq War in the 2000s and said he had lost his wife, who died in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria linked to ISIS, “in a war manufactured by Israel.”

 Kent, who has past connections to the far-right influencer Nick Fuentes, is the first senior Trump official to resign over the war. His words reflect a deepening and conspiratorial anti-Israel sentiment on the right, where the two-week old U.S.-Israel war on Iran is fracturing Trump’s MAGA coalition.

 “Joe Kent is an American hero, patriot and veteran,” the far-right personality Candace Owens wrote on X. Buckley Carlson, Tucker Carlson’s son who works for Vice President JD Vance, also tweeted that Kent was an “American hero.” 

 Trump, however, said he was glad Kent had resigned, while a White House spokeswoman said there were “many false claims” in Kent’s letter. 

 And Jewish leaders across the political spectrum condemned the letter, with some saying that even principled opposition to the Iran war could not justify its antisemitic tropes.

 Polls show that most Americans oppose the war, which has sparked a global fuel crisis and appears to threaten the economy more broadly. And some of Kent’s allegations appeared to echo what even some senior Trump administration officials have suggested: that Israeli officials manipulated Trump into believing both that Iran was a present danger to the United States, and that there was a swift path to victory.

 But he went further, saying that the dynamic reflected “the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women.” And he blamed Israel for a personal tragedy, too.

 A former U.S. Representative from Washington state, Kent was nominated by Trump to be the counterterrorism center’s director last year. Kent was previously a Libertarian and a Democrat before shifting his party to the GOP in 2021 and backing Trump.

 Kent is also a U.S. Army Green Beret and combat veteran who fought in the Iraq War, including in the Battle of Fallujah. He has credited the catalyst for his backing of Trump and belated opposition to the War on Terror to the death of his wife Shannon Smith, a military cryptologist, in a 2019 suicide bombing in the northern Syrian city of Manbij. 

 At the time, the bombing was connected to the first Trump administration’s campaign against ISIS. But in Kent’s telling now, the ISIS fight, too, could be chalked up to Israeli misinformation. 

 “As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives,” Kent wrote in his letter.

 To veteran Middle East policy experts, Kent’s framing of Israel as the secret manipulators of recent global conflicts are a blend of nonsensical and dangerous.

 “It strips away any sense of agency on the part of the United States, all of these charges,” Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former State Department negotiator on Arab-Israeli relations, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “And it reposits that agency in the form of a clever, willful Israeli prime minister who somehow manipulates America into going to war.”

 Miller said that Trump was capable of entering a disastrous war on his own, “wanting to make history” by ending America’s decades-long tensions with Iran and assassinating its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Netanyahu may be affecting the timetable of the war, but not the war itself,” he theorized.

 Kent’s allegations about Israel having “manufactured” the Iraq War and the Syrian civil war, Miller said, had no basis in fact.  “As to Iraq, there was a little event called 9/11,” he said. “Syrian civil war, I have no idea what he’s talking about.” The framing, he said, reminded him of decades of hearing from various partners in his line of work that the U.S. Congress was “Israeli-occupied territory.”

 In his letter, Kent does not blame Trump for the war, instead urging the president to rethink his approach.

 “I pray that you will reflect on what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for,” he concludes his letter. “The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.”

 The White House rejected Kent’s claims. “As President Trump has clearly and explicitly stated, he had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States first,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement.

 Leavitt added that Trump “ultimately made the determination” to strike Iran in “a joint attack with Israel,” and called the charge that Israel manipulated the president “absurd.”

 Asked about Kent directly at the White House, Trump said, “I always thought he was a nice guy but I always thought he was weak on security.”

 He added, “It’s a good thing that he’s out because he said Iran was not a threat. Every country recognized what a threat Iran was.”

 But Kent was celebrated for resigning by figures on both the left and right, with the loudest voices coming from the fringe.

 In addition to Buckley Carlson and Owens, who called the war “Bibi’s Red Heifer War,” other avatars of the far-right praised Kent. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former congresswoman, called him “a GREAT AMERICAN HERO.”

 Some more liberal and centrist voices were also approving of Kent, without referencing his antisemitism. 

 “I didn’t support Kent’s nomination. Yet I’m glad he is willing to acknowledge the truth – there was NO imminent threat to the United States, and this war was a terrible idea,” Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, a Democrat and vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote on X.

 “Have talked a lot of shit about Joe Kent over the years (deserved) and can’t speak to all of his motivations here but I gotta say its pretty refreshing to see that someone in the administration has a red line on something,” Tim Miller, an analyst on the liberal-leaning MS Now network and an editor of the anti-Trump publication The Bulwark, wrote on X.

 Meanwhile, both Trump allies — including far-right Jewish influencer Laura Loomer — and Jewish liberals and conservatives denounced Kent.

 “Good riddance,” tweeted GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska. “Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans. Their EFP land mines were the deadliest in Iraq. Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don’t want it in our government.” 

 Jewish Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, of New Jersey, also denounced Kent, writing, “Kent’s reduction of Iran to ‘Israel’s fault’ isn’t leadership, it’s bigoted deflection.”

 “Of course, Kent’s own post announcing his resignation is riddled with antisemitic tropes under the guise of blaming Israel,” Amy Spitalnick, head of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, wrote on X. “You can vehemently criticize the Israeli government & oppose the war without engaging in dangerous conspiratorial tropes.”

 “You can resign and ostensibly make it about Iran, but scapegoating Israel and its ‘powerful American lobby’ for Trump’s decision to go to war puts Jews in danger,” Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, wrote on X. 

 A statement from Brian Romick, head of Democratic Majority for Israel, similarly called Kent’s letter “deeply antisemitic” and added, “It is deeply alarming that a man holding one of the most sensitive national security positions in the United States government harbors these antisemitic views.” Romick also said Trump “made the decision to use military force against Iran.”

 “There is no place in public service for traffickers of antisemitic tropes such as Mr. Kent,” the Combat Antisemitism Movement, which has supported war with Iran, said in a statement. “For generations to come, the world will be a safer place as a direct result of the decisive military actions that have been taken by the U.S. and Israel.”

 Prior to his confirmation as national counterterrorism director, Kent served for a time as acting chief of staff to U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. In that role, he was included in the 2025 “Signalgate” group chats in which highly sensitive planning of bombings in Yemen were mistakenly sent to a journalist. 

 Kent has also had past associations with Fuentes, whom he admitted to calling in 2022 to discuss electoral strategy for his House bid that year — though he disavowed Fuentes. Kent’s wife, Heather Kaiser, has contributed
to The Grayzone, a site founded by anti-Zionist Jewish writer Max Blumenthal.

 Kent has also spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and defended Jan. 6 rioters. While running for congress in 2022, Kent also talked to pro-Israel lobbyists AIPAC for support, according to a policy paper shared by a Jewish Insider reporter. 

 In that paper, Kent states, “The United States and Israel share common enemies in the Middle East, from terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah to the totalitarian government of Iran,” later adding that he would “bolster the coalition that stands in opposition to Iran.” 

 Kent concluded, “Further, I will introduce legislation to strip the most vile antisemites in Congress from their committee assignments.”