Limits of Race
At a time when many Jews (particularly younger ones) are rejecting blood-based definitions of nationality, I was disappointed with the Jon Entine’s favorable May 11 review of Harry Ostrer’s “Legacies: Genetic History of the Jewish People.”
No doubt, ethnicity has played a large role in who we are as Jews, yet from the prophetic perspective, defining ourselves in these terms is idolatrous.
Rabbi Joshua Chasan
Ohavi Zedek Synagogue
Burlington, Vt.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!