• AIPAC, the influential pro-Israel lobbying group, is reported to be staying out of the fight over Chuck Hagel’s nomination for secretary of defense. [Daily Beast]
• Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s feckless call for a peace plan has been rejected by the Syrian opposition, the United Nations, and now, the United States. I wonder why. [Reuters]
• Nathan Heller looks at trials, travels, and travails of twentysomethings and the books that inform cultural understanding of them. [TNY]
• Caroline Lagnado takes a look at Nalaga’at, the deaf-blind Israeli acting troupe, as it makes its American premiere this month. [Jewish Week]
• You too can own Bernie Madoff’s book collection, now available for the highest bidder on eBay. [Jewcy]
Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.