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125 greatest Jewish movie scenes

If you were to edit the greatest Jewish scenes into a montage, how long would it last? Perhaps not the whole Parsha cycle, but it would be a real commitment to watch the entire thing. This list, which features some surprises, many obvious choices and surely just as many accidental omissions, is an attempt to capture the diversity and scope of Jewish moments in the film canon. Some highlight ritual, others language and still others a worldview or perspective that resonates with the shul-going, shiva-sitting, saw-you-at-Zabar’s set that’s been kicking around since Sinai. The list ranges from the silent era to the Safdie Brothers, includes animated mice, Yiddish, Inquisition-themed synchronized swimming and yes, even the Neil Diamond remake of “The Jazz Singer.” Please read, enjoy and, if the spirit moves you, watch. ...
36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism

The rabbis profiled on these pages, and the hundreds more suggested by Forward readers, teach us a profound lesson about the yearnings of North American Jews at this fraught moment in time. I didn’t expect such a lesson. When we initiated this project, I hoped to engage readers and hear stories about rabbis in unlikely places as we embark on a yearlong series examining the embattled American rabbinate. I did not expect to receive a deluge of heartfelt responses so compelling that it was difficult to select the 36 profiled here. And the lesson from these 36, a special number in our tradition, is that American Jews, regardless of denomination, geography or gender, harbor a deep longing for spiritual leadership — and respond to it not only in synagogue, but in classrooms, Hillels and hospices. They yearn for rabbis who touch the soul and create community. These rabbis offer that kind of leadership. Whether the broader rabbinate can do so may hold the key to the future of the American Jewish community. —JANE EISNER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The following excerpts from nominating letters have been edited for style and length. ...
49 Reasons Why 2016 Wasn’t as Bad as You Think

It’s easy to look back on 2016 and see only one thing —the November 8 election. Well, maybe if you saw “Hamilton,” which swept the Tonys 6 months and what seems like an era ago, you remember two things about this year. But to dwell only on the election (and, admittedly, it’s hard not to do that) would do a disservice to a year that, at times, was pretty magical, even inspiring from an artistic point of view. [Read more] No doubt, 2016 will be seen as traumatic by many, including the editor of these pages — not only did we witness the twilight of the presidency of Barack Obama, but we also lost some of the greatest artists of our time —David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen. This was the year we lost Muhammad Ali, John Glenn and Gene Wilder. But here in the Forward’s culture section, we wanted to take a look back at more than just a year of loss and heartache. As it turned out, 2016 was a pretty terrific year for literature, art, film, theater, television, podcasting. So, we invited our staff members and contributors to tell us about the things that moved them most in this year. We gave them only two rules: Let’s not talk about “Hamilton,” and, please, just this once, let’s try not to discuss Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump. And, with a few exceptions, they were able to do just that. In the years to come, we will spend more than enough time rehashing and second-guessing what happened on the second Tuesday in November. But for just these moments, let’s take the time to remember and to celebrate all that was wonderful about 2016. —Adam Langer $('.best-of-2016-read-more-trigger').click(function(event){ event.preventDefault(); $(this).hide(); $('.best-of-2016-read-more-hide').hide(); $('.best-of-2016-read-more-content').show(); ga('send', 'event', 'Special Section', 'Read More Clicked', 'Best Of 2016'); }); ...
A Year of Curses and Many Blessings

In this tumultuous, contentious year, we learned that it was a blessing and, sometimes, a curse to be a Jew in America. The presidential campaign dominated the discourse much more than usual, and in some unwelcome ways. Many Jewish journalists… [Read more] were targeted by white nationalists on social media, threatened for who they are and what they wrote. But journalists such as Julia Ioffe and Ben Shapiro stood firm in the face of harassment, and their cause was aided by communal leaders like the Anti-Defamation League’s Jonathan Greenblatt. At the same time, the notable role played by the candidates’ Jewish family members spoke to Jewish political empowerment. Never in our memory did the Democratic and Republican nominee both have a Jewish son-in-law — and in Donald Trump’s case, a Jewish daughter, Ivanka, who is a brand unto herself. Jews dominated the cultural landscape, in television, cinema, music, books, fashion, theatre — up to Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize. We also made an unexpectedly strong showing in the sports arena, thanks to Theo Epstein’s leadership bringing the forlorn Chicago Cubs to a World Series win and Aly Raisman’s stunning Olympics display. America’s legal and business sectors benefited from Jewish entrepreneurial ingenuity, while our religious and communal leaders challenged orthodoxies of all kinds. As always, the Forward’s annual list of Jews who have impacted American life is a communal effort, but special tribute goes to Dan Friedman, Thea Glassman and Kurt Hoffman for their creativity and leadership. This project went to press hours after Trump’s stunning victory, opening an uncertain chapter in the American Jewish story. But to paraphrase the play that made Daveed Diggs famous, the Jews in the Forward 50 never threw away their shot, and we know they never will. —Jane Eisner $('.forward-50-read-more-trigger').click(function(event){ event.preventDefault(); $(this).hide(); $('.forward-50-read-more-hide').hide(); $('.forward-50-read-more-content').show(); ga('send', 'event', 'Special Section', 'Read More Clicked', 'Forward 50 2016'); }); ...
A year of war and hope in Ukraine

For a full year, the world’s attention has been captured by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Ukraine’s extraordinary, inspiring defense. In that time we’ve centered the voices of Jewish Ukrainians, Russians and people from the former Soviet Union, as well as fighters and civilians on the front lines of the war and the resulting refugee crisis. Each of the stories below, published as part of a package reflecting on a year of war, highlights one small part of the complex picture that is Jewish life in Ukraine and Russia. With the end to the war, tragically, nowhere in sight, we will continue to share stories directly from the human beings touched by this senseless conflict. ...
Forward 50 2011

The Forward 50 is a snapshot in time, an impressionist picture of the American Jewish story during a given year. But because it’s an annual project, we also can discern subtle transformations in leadership and community over time. The Forward journalists who assemble this list pride ourselves on searching beyond the expected names and faces to elevate the impactful work of American Jews in arenas that might seem surprising. The baseball field. The concert hall. The scientific laboratory. The refugee camp. This year, the center of gravity in Jewish leadership shifted away from the conventional national lobbying groups and communal organizations and toward more innovative expressions of Jewish life. The culture category again dwarfed all others, replete with writers, architects, playwrights, conductors, musicians, actors and comic artists creating inspired and sometimes provocative work that resonates across generations in a Jewish trope. Jewish activism also took to new stages, fueling the Occupy Wall Street protests, challenging the hegemony of rabbinic leadership in ultra-Orthodox enclaves and advocating for Israel on an Arabic-language Facebook page. A continuing concern is the paucity of women on this list. This year, the Forward 50 is again dominated by men, with women comprising slightly less than one-third of the names. This reflects the absence of women in significant leadership roles in American Jewry, but it also could be because we weren’t looking in the right places. Reader engagement in this process is essential, and I encourage you to let me know if there are worthy women, and men, we have overlooked. But first, celebrate the 50 who are here. — Jane Eisner ...
Forward 50 2012

The New Faces of Jewish Power Two thousand twelve was a year of huge predictable events — a presidential election, an Olympic Games — and events like Hurricane Sandy that stunned us with their force and consequence. It was also a year when some quiet trends of great significance became more apparent: the organizational clout of devoutly Orthodox Jews, for instance, and the ability of young women to break through the cluttered cultural scene. We’ve had 20-something television stars before, but one with a multimillion-dollar book contract? Not so often. This year, the Forward worked especially hard to look beyond the usual subjects to include new names and faces on this list. We did so not to ignore those we have honored in the past, but to signal as boldly as we can that the pulse of Jewish life is quickening in unusual places. That’s in part because we live in a time when the tools of power and influence are not necessarily concentrated in legacy organizations but grasped by such visionary individuals as a charismatic rabbi in Los Angeles, a creative Hillel director in Philadelphia, a passionate educator in Detroit, an innovative foundation leader in Baltimore and a mother in New York who galvanized a cybercommunity by sharing the story of her dying daughter. This was also the year to honor American Jews of immense talent who for decades have shared their gifts with the public. The composer Philip Glass. The philanthropist Harold Grinspoon. The incomparable Barbra Streisand. And we honor courage — whether it is displayed in a lonely fight against government censorship, a long struggle to come to public terms with gender identity or the courage of a young Orthodox girl to be physically stronger than anyone else her size in the world. We are especially proud this year to have increased the number of girls and women in the Forward 50. We’re not at parity, but we’re close. And now a word of thanks: This year’s Forward 50 was published under trying circumstances. With our office building flooded by the hurricane, staff members are contributing from around the region. Their dedication and professionalism shine through these pages. — JANE EISNER ...
Forward 50 2013

A Year of Looking In — and Speaking Out Two thousand thirteen has been an inside/outside kind of year, a time of agonizing introspection for the Jewish community as a whole, and one in which individual American Jews played dramatic roles on the national stage. It was a year of thrilling gains and heartbreaking loss, a year when new words crept into our vocabulary, some welcome, others not. The introspection was fueled by the release of the Pew Research Center’s authoritative survey of American Jews, illustrating a generational shift toward a more fluid Jewish identity. It was Joe Neubauer, a son of Holocaust survivors, whose financial support made the survey possible and whose central insight — that data and facts should shape decisions — now stands as a charge to the Jewish community. While focused on our own story, American Jews also actively contributed to the national narrative. Edie Windsor was the plaintiff in the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, heralding marriage equality for gays and lesbians. Sheryl Sandberg’s exhortation for women to “lean in” to their careers introduced a new phrase to the American lexicon. And Veronique Pozner’s extraordinary grace in dealing with her son’s death in the Newtown school massacre served as a stirring model of grief and resolve. ...
Forward 50 2014

Could This Be the Year of the Jewish Woman? Never in the 20 years that the Forward has published its list of the 50 American Jews who have had the most impact on our national story has the number of women been this high — 26 in all, including four of the top five. Even we were surprised at the final tally. While women have yet to be accepted (and paid) on an equal footing with men in organized Jewish communal life, they are taking leading roles in influencing national policy, cultural norms, religious practice, literature, political advocacy, the performing arts and the ever-fraught conversation about Israel. The effect on our society is broad and growing deeper. On this list is everyone from Idina Menzel, an actress whose song in “Frozen” has joyously found its way into the minds of every young girl, to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose scathing U.S. Supreme Court opinions have given her such a cult following that there are now Twitter hashtags and Tumblrs in her honor. This year, sadly, we once again include women who suffered the loss of their children — one in a kidnapping and murder that made international headlines, another in a tragic accident that scarred a Brooklyn community — and who, by their responses, taught us how to grieve with dignity and purpose. ...
Forward 50 2015

This is a year when American Jews are deeply, loudly and passionately embedded in some of the most pressing political and social issues in the nation. Not that we were shy in other years. But a confluence of events allowed — or perhaps dictated — an outsized role for many of the Jews profiled in this year’s Forward 50. From the debate over a nuclear deal with Iran, to the emergence of transgender identity in synagogues and on screen, to the groundbreaking acceptance of marriage equality, American Jews are playing a starring role. The most obvious Jew to grab the political national spotlight this year is Bernie Sanders, the quirky, blunt talking, doggedly earnest independent senator from Vermont. It’s fair to say that his candidacy for president was considered no more than a quixotic adventure last spring — until summertime’s record-breaking crowds scrambled expectations and proved that a Jewish guy who still sounds Brooklyn can wow them in Iowa. Beyond the never-ending presidential race the boisterous debate over the Iran deal found Jews negotiating (Wendy Sherman), opposing (Chuck Schumer), supporting (Jerry Nadler) and otherwise shaping the most serious foreign policy development of the year. Our influence goes well beyond politics. The legal framework to support same-sex marriage, which Evan Wolfson developed as a law student 30 years ago, was ratified at the highest level when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality in June. Another human rights issue — ensuring that transgender Americans do not suffer discrimination — was championed in a Jewish day school by a remarkable bar mitzvah boy (Tom Sosnik), on the high-fashion runway (Hari Nef) and in the acclaimed television show “Transparent” (director Jill Soloway and actor Jeffrey Tambor.) Along the way, American Jews this year picked up four MacArthur “genius” awards, all manner of entertainment and scientific accolades and nearly every major medal in horse racing. (Okay, the horse, American Pharoah, is our “plus one,” seeing as how he doesn’t quite fit our criteria, but his owner is Jewish!) As in prior years, this Forward 50 is the result of a labor-intensive group effort that began months ago with a very long list and was cut down to size and whipped into shape by our amazing managing editor, Dan Friedman. Many people contributed, but I offer special thanks to art director Kurt Hoffman, researcher Maia Efrem, and our intrepid digital team for continuing to present these profiles in fresh and engaging ways. To those who read this list in print and online — be inspired. To those in the Forward 50 — you have our gratitude. Through your hard work, creativity, ingenuity and chutzpah, you showed us how mightily and effectively American Jews contribute to our national story. —Jane Eisner ...
Forward 50 2017

The election of Donald Trump a year ago upended conventional wisdom and dramatically altered American politics, social discourse and civic identity. This story, more than any other, has dominated the news ever since. As has often been the case, whatever happens to America, happens to its Jews — only more so. The Forward’s annual list… [Read more] of the 50 most influential, accomplished and interesting American Jews reflects this new reality. In the past year we’ve seen the meteoric rise of such journalists as Jake Tapper, Joel Pollak and especially Maggie Haberman, whose endless scoops and sharp storytelling shaped the media narrative. Jason Greenblatt — a little-known lawyer with one very big client — suddenly assumed a major diplomatic role, while a previously unknown political aide like Stephen Miller came to great influence in the White House. And no one American Jew has become as consequential as the multitasking Jared Kushner — except, perhaps, his wife, Ivanka Trump, who also has an office next to the oval one in the West Wing. Washington’s political drama has sparked a new wave of social activism from the left, right and center, as well as an explosion of creative culture. Not to be outdone are spiritual leaders who are challenging the religious status quo, opening up new conversations on intermarriage, the role of women, gays and lesbians in Orthodox Judaism and even, yes, on Torah. And though Wonder Woman isn’t American, we figured out a way to include her on this list. Just because. Compiling the Forward 50 calls upon the knowledge and resourcefulness of my entire staff, but a few colleagues deserve particular recognition: Aiden Pink, Adam Langer, Kurt Hoffman, Anya Ulinich and Dan Friedman. As the Forward celebrates its 120th anniversary, we dedicate ourselves anew to telling the American Jewish story with vigor, independence, compassion and pride. It’s been a tough year, but — as the Houston couple who served others during a hurricane showed us — inspiration can be found anywhere. —Jane Eisner $('.forward-50-read-more-trigger').click(function(event){ event.preventDefault(); $(this).hide(); $('.forward-50-read-more-hide').hide(); $('.forward-50-read-more-content').show(); ga('send', 'event', 'Special Section', 'Read More Clicked', 'Forward 50 2017'); }); ...
Forward 50 2018

Our 2018 Forward 50 lists the American Jews who have had a profound impact on the American Jewish community or on the national situation this year. It’s been an eventful year. We’ve been appalled by the regular mass shootings and the upsurge in white supremacism in America. We’ve seen a shift in understanding the ways technology affects us and how lies and demagoguery have debased civil and political discourse. But we’ve also seen some … [Read more] sublime art and the selfless deployment of time and money for the greater good. We have tried to recognize all these things in the list below, of America’s most influential Jews. As always, the list reflects how the year has affected our community and how America’s Jews have engaged with the national conversation. In a new twist, however, we asked some guest writers, including the legendary Sheldon Harnick, to reflect upon some of our honorees. In an era where forces of bigotry have continued to hammer away at immigrants and at anyone perceived as “other,” we asked Mark Hetfield, CEO of HIAS, one of the foremost immigrant rights groups in the country, to write about Forward 50 honoree David Lubell, founder of Welcoming America which has helped tens of millions of Americans. Several honorees are here because of the dignity, humanity and respect they showed in the wake of the Pittsburgh shooting: Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who called 911; Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, who treated both shooter and victims; Brian Schreiber, leader of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, and Stosh Cotler, whose Bend the Arc organization led the protests against the president’s visit. Those protests arose because the commander in chief decided to visit Pittsburgh against the wishes of some of the mourners. In general, despite his Jewish daughter, Jewish grandchildren and numerous Jewish officials who serve the public at his invitation, he has spent much of his tenure using his bully pulpit to encourage the language of racial and ethnic division. Jane Eisner writes about 7 of our 50 choices in this strange constellation we call “Trump’s Jews.” Our 51st choice, our plus one, is someone who, for whatever reason, doesn’t quite fit our criteria of being alive, American and Jewish. This year we took Rachel Meghan Markle to our hearts for being an American activist royal bride who wasn’t quite, in fact, in the end, Jewish. One of the silver linings of the past year has been the rise of the #MeToo movement, which has held men accountable for their inappropriate, perverse and, often, illegal abuses of power. Here, Lynn Povich, the first woman senior editor in Newsweek’s history, writes about Jodi Kantor who reported on Harvey Weinstein. Danielle Berrin, who herself called out Ari Shavit for his misbehavior, writes about the astonishing bravery of Aly Raisman, captain of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, who testified against team doctor Larry Nassar. The Forward has covered André Aciman’s career for decades, but the success of the movie version of “Call Me by Your Name” thrust him into the spotlight. Given the intimacy of the work’s vision and scope, who better than Aciman’s son, Alexander Aciman, to probe his thoughts, achievements and motivations? It’s not quite a father-son relationship, but, prompted by the triumphant staging of the Yiddish “Fiddler on the Roof,” Sheldon Harnick has written about Joel Grey. At 94, Harnick is the oldest of this year’s contributors. He is not, however, the oldest person related to our Forward 50. That honor goes to Arthur Ashkin, 96, the oldest Nobel laureate ever. Ashkin’s recognition for his physics work with optical tweezers is a reminder that no matter how long we wait, there’s a chance that we will receive the appropriate honor for our achievements. — Dan Friedman, executive editor_ $('.forward-50-read-more-trigger').click(function(event){ event.preventDefault(); $(this).hide(); $('.forward-50-read-more-hide').hide(); $('.forward-50-read-more-content').show(); ga('send', 'event', 'Special Section', 'Read More Clicked', 'Forward 50 2018'); }); ...
Inspiring Rabbis 2016: 32 Men and Women Who Move Us Most

America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis 2016 One rabbi is hearing impaired. Two voluntarily donated a kidney each. One is the first woman rabbi in Canada’s capital. Many work with Jews who are new to Judaism, or with interfaith families. Some don’t necessarily work with Jews at all, but take their spiritual leadership to the streets or the classroom or the protest line. Once again, our annual call for readers to nominate their most inspiring rabbis has brought hundreds of stories to our attention, from all over the country, across all denominations and traditions. Clearly, American Jews crave spiritual leadership, whether it comes from a young, innovative, recent seminary graduate, or an older rabbi who has shepherded his congregation for decades. What binds these stories is powerful gratitude for human connection. I, too, am grateful for the many readers who took the time to nominate a rabbi and to unearth these treasures. I also want to thank Abby Tannenbaum and Maia Efrem for doing the monumental work of sifting through nominations and verifying information, as well as those other staff members who helped present these stories in the most compelling way possible, in print and online. Read. Share. Honor. Be inspired. And be grateful to live at a time when so many men and women are devoted to the best in Jewish life. — JANE EISNER These entries have been edited for style and length. ...
Jewish Wedding Guide

“There is no such thing as a generic Jewish wedding,” Anita Diamant writes in “Jewish Wedding Now,” her 2017 guide. “No matter what the rabbi tells you, no matter what the caterer tells you, no matter what your mother tells you.” And Diamant is right — what makes a wedding Jewish is more a matter of evolving traditions than hard-and-fast rules. Well, fair enough. But how to make sure your non-generic Jewish wedding is just right? After all, you’ve been on excruciating blind dates, hoped and prayed, had your heart broken, been tortured by relatives demanding you produce a “special someone,” met the right person, laughed, fought, fallen in love, made compromises, and promised to build a life together. Don’t you deserve a perfect day? You do. Stop watching the wedding scene from “Fiddler on the Roof” and start reading the Forward wedding guide, where we talk everything from artisanal chuppah design to translating a traditional wedding ceremony into a thoroughly modern one. We’re tackling perhaps the biggest issue couples face — how to afford throwing a multi-day party for everyone you’ve ever met — and the gorgeous specifics, like an examination of the greatest Israeli wedding dress designers working today. We talked to bridesmaids about how to celebrating your friends’ love without going into debt, and we wrote about the cutting edge in Jerusalem-inspired wedding food and menu design so you can have your cake and eat it, too. From the beginning of your grand adventure, to the organization that wants to send you on a free honeymoon to Israel, you’ll find the answers here in our wedding guide. Oh, and one more thing: mazel tov! ...
Nazi-collaborator monuments

Around the world, thousands of monuments stand to Nazi-collaborators and perpetrators of the Holocaust. There are statues and plaques, streets and schools. Here, we’ve amassed an evolving database of these memorials — the first of its kind. Browse the collection, or learn about the monuments in specific countries by clicking on the links in the list below. See here for the project introduction; the 2022 update which focused on Western Europe; a slideshow of how modern far-right marches tap into World War II history; project map; project index; and the methodology, further reading and acknowledgements section. Albania | Argentina | Armenia | Australia | Austria | Belgium | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bulgaria | Canada | Croatia | Czech Republic | Denmark | Estonia | Germany | Hungary | India | Italy | Kosovo | Latvia | Lithuania | Moldova | North Macedonia | Romania | Russia | Serbia | Slovakia | Spain | Ukraine | United Kingdom | United States ...
New York Voices

New York Voices is a project supported by UJA-Federation of New York aimed at building community and understanding by exposing our readers to the vast array of Jewish experiences, identities and political perspectives among every type and stripe of Jew in the New York area. By listening to our audience, elevating diverse voices, and broadening our storytelling approach, the Forward aims to bring more Jews into crucial conversations about what it means to be Jewish in New York in the 21st century, and invite them to engage in Jewish communal life. ...
Rabbis 2014

In the year since the Forward published the first profiles of America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis, the road signs along the path of Jewish continuity have grown more menacing. The Pew Research Center’s survey of American Jews codified what many feared: A shrinking number of Jews belong to synagogues, care about religious life and identify strongly with the larger Jewish community. The rabbinate as a whole continues to struggle, as synagogues close or merge and expectations of clergy grow too exaggerated to fulfill. That’s why I love this project. It is a powerful, authentic antidote to the troubling signs, an affirmation that despite the worrying mega-trends, our spiritual leaders are connecting with Jews and strengthening communities across America. This year we received hundreds of nominations from readers everywhere. After a careful process of reading, sifting, tabulating and fact-checking, we chose 28 men and women whose stories are most telling and compelling. These rabbis range in age from 28 to 81 years old, encompassing all major denominations and then some; they work in established synagogues and in new ones; in hospitals, universities and day schools, and one served in the military. Forward staffers were prohibited from offering nominations, but two of our writers had their own inspiring story to tell. Their sidebars are included here, along with a profile written by one of last year’s most inspiring rabbis. A few themes emerged from the mass of submissions: Readers seemed to be especially moved by rabbis who taught them about spirituality and meditation, who reached out to interfaith couples and led them through painful moments — the birth of a stillborn child, the death of a parent, the death of a marriage. We see in these leaders not just men and women who care about Judaism — they care about Jews. It is a privilege to share their stories. — Jane Eisner These excerpts from nominating letters have been edited for style and length. ...
Rabbis 2015

These stories of inspiring rabbis could not come at a better time. In the few short months since the dawn of 2015, the Jewish world has been stunned by terror, torn apart by partisan bickering, confronted with resurgent anti-Semitism in some communities and a seeping apathy in others. Read these stories, and that troubling present melts in the face of genuine spiritual leadership and grace. Thanks to hundreds of nominations by our readers, we’ve identified 33 of the most inspiring men and women from North America who are defining and redefining what it means to be a rabbi in the 21st century. Some of these leaders are employing the new technologies of social media and blogs to teach and share their experiences to a broader flock. Rabbi Phyllis Sommer of Glencoe, Illinois continues to write about the lessons she learned from her son’s battle with leukemia on her Superman Sam blog years after the little boy died. Rabbi David Wolpe sends out insightful comments from his perch in Los Angeles to more than 55,000 Facebook followers everywhere. But in reading these stories, I am also struck by the way the modern rabbinate continues to successfully dedicate itself to the traditional qualities of religious and moral leadership. Over and over, these stories telegraph the power of personal connection — through study, social action or simple acts of kindness. Several rabbis were nominated by disabled congregants who are thankful for the way they are included in synagogue activities. A Chinese family was grateful that a Chabad rabbi is guiding them through conversion. Another congregant wrote of how her rabbi accompanied her through the painful journeys of illness and the death of a loved one. And no matter the denomination or location, Jews around the nation are eager for their rabbis to help them elevate their individual practices and beliefs, and strengthen their faith communities. These old-fashioned roles seem never to go out of fashion, whether the rabbi is 32 years old or — in the case of the indefatigable Rabbi Arthur Waskow — already in his ninth decade. We modern Jews still search for meaning and community. Join me in being inspired by the Forward’s third annual list of the rabbis who guide us to those timeless truths. — Jane Eisner These entries have been edited for style and length. ...
Soundtrack of Our Spirit 2016

With great delight, the Forward presents the second year of finalists in a reader-inspired digital project to find the best new voices in Jewish music. Soundtrack of Our Spirit is a testament to the depth and diversity of Jewish song today and the chord it strikes — pun intended — in listeners across the country. With the help of our celebrity judges, Lipa Schmeltzer and Neshama Carlebach, we’ve selected 10 finalists. Now, we need your help: Once you’ve listened to these songs, please take a moment to vote for your favorite at the bottom of this page. We encourage you to vote daily for your choice. On Monday, September 26, we will present the final Soundtrack of Our Spirit, designed to propel you into the High Holidays with soaring spirits. .pds-box{margin:auto !important} ...
Sountrack of Our Spirit

With great delight, the Forward presents the results of a reader-inspired digital project to find the best new voices in Jewish music that has surpassed even our ambitious expectations. It is a testament to the depth and diversity of Jewish song today and the chord it strikes — pun intended — in listeners across the country. These songs are sung in English, Hebrew and Spanish, alone or accompanied by piano or guitar, by women and men, Ashkenazi and Sephardi. Some are in the style of what I call “High Hazzanut,” with the sonorous embellishments of classical cantorial music heard in synagogues on holy days for centuries, while others are in the soft tones of folk music strummed on a porch at night with friends. And every type of song in between. We received well more than 300 nominations, listened to them all, and culled the selection to send our esteemed judges a playlist of 12 — all anonymous, so that the nominees could be judged on style and technique alone. The top five listed here were determined according to the judges’ rankings, but so enchanted were we all with the others that we are posting the finalists and runners-up for your listening pleasure. I encourage all of you to weigh in on your favorites via social media. Tweet @jdforward using the hashtag #JewTunes to let us know which of the 21 songs inspires you, or leave us a comment on Facebook. We are indebted to our judges — Angela Buchdahl, Galeet Dardashti and David Tilman — for lending their ears and their hearts to this project. And I am indebted to Anne Cohen, deputy digital media editor, who created and shepherded this effort, and who was ably assisted by Maia Efrem, Eileen Reynolds and Lior Zaltzman. Our inspired logo was designed by Anya Ulinich. Most of all we thank those who create songs and who support them for enriching our spiritual and communal lives. As we enter a new year, let Jewish music elevate our sense of purpose and gratitude. Let it reach across the generations to remind us what we can share by simply humming a simple tune. — Jane Eisner Created by Anne Cohen, with additional research by Maia Efrem, Eileen Reynolds and Lior Zaltzman. These entries have been edited for length and style. Want to just listen to all the songs? Here’s the entire Soundtrack of our Spirit playlist: ...
The Forward’s Top Stories of 2016

It was a year that ended with everything upended. As we put together some of the Forward’s top stories of the past year it was remarkable to observe the degree to which the context and import of many of them have been completely transformed by the election of Donald Trump as president. Whether it was Israel correspondent Naomi Zeveloff’s investigation into the Palestinian Authority’s subsidies to the families of terrorists; the stories by her and special correspondent Natan Odenheimer on the rise of Israel’s messianic right, or editor Larry Cohler-Esses’s investigation of his own past when he helped procure an illegal abortion for a close friend before the advent of Roe versus Wade, the changes Trump promises to bring to American policies at home and abroad. seemed to only increase the significance of the issues behind these stories.… [Read more] Other top stories, such as the Forward’s investigation into how the country’s top Jewish fraternity, AEPi, is systematically pressuring its campus chapters to weed non-Jews from their ranks, or the growth of Judaism in Africa, represented our own unique commitment to bring readers enterprise stories they will find nowhere else. These, then, are our top stories from 2016. $('.top-news-of-read-more-trigger').click(function(event){ event.preventDefault(); $(this).hide(); $('.top-news-of-read-more-hide').hide(); $('.top-news-of-read-more-content').show(); ga('send', 'event', 'Special Section', 'Read More Clicked', 'Top News of 2016'); }); ...
What Red State Jews Tell Us About Ourselves — and Trump’s America

Since the November election, there’s been a lot of talk among journalists about the way our profession overlooked and misunderstood populist, pro-Trump America. It’s a challenge for us at the Forward, as well. That is why we are launching “Red State Jews.” Our aim is to use all the platforms of the Forward — news, culture, opinion, Scribe, Schmooze, Sisterhood and Food — to tell stories and engage in conversation with the Jews who live in the states that voted for Donald Trump. Some of those Jews are Trump supporters, and we want to know why, and we want to hear from them as the new administration unfolds. Some of them didn’t vote for him, and we want to hear from them, too — about what it is like to live as a political minority in a polarized time. And we want to share stories that go well beyond politics, to explore religious life, social trends, gun culture, the rural-urban divide and the rich traditions of diverse people living together. This is not brand-new territory for us as a national news organization. Most recently, our year-long series “Our Promised Lands” featured stories from every state in the union. Now we hope to drill deeper and probe how the national political earthquake has affected Red State Jews and their communities. Below you will find a fascinating, interactive map created by Laura E. Adkins, with a quick snapshot of data about Jews in each state. And below that you will see a list of each state that we have already recently covered — a list that we hope will grow through the year. With your help. Your participation is essential to keep this project authentic. Please send us your ideas for stories, columns and writers. In our exclusive interactive map below, you’ll find in-depth data on Jewish communities and 2016 election results in each of our 50 states. Simply click on a state to view its associated data. Information on data collection and methodology are described at the bottom of this page. Click on the states below the map to explore our Red State Jews coverage. — Jane Eisner, Editor-in-Chief Laura E. Adkins, Contributing Network Editor ...

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