Rabbi Jay Michaelson is a contributing columnist for the Forward and for Rolling Stone. He is the author of 10 books, and won the 2023 New York Society for Professional Journalists award for opinion writing.
Jay MichaelsonContributing Columnist
By Jay Michaelson
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Opinion Donald Trump Hates Losers. Judaism Can’t Get Enough of Them.
“Loser.” Donald Trump has called many people this word, and synonyms for it, over the course of his many careers. His adolescent name-calling has degraded our political discourse, and even if he fails at his new chosen vocation (as seems increasingly likely), the damage will be hard to reverse. Ironically, Trump himself is the candidate…
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Opinion Is Pokemon Go the End of Religion?
To fans, the smartphone-based Pokemon Go is a delicious addiction. To detractors, it’s a dangerous one. Its real significance, though, runs deeper than anyone is saying. Pokemon Go is the most successful “augmented reality” game yet, superimposing Pokemon characters on real-world settings taken from your smartphone’s camera. Rather than players leaving the real world to…
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Opinion Tim Kaine Is the Least Jewish Democrat Ever. And That’s a Good Thing.
In Lenny Bruce’s terms, Tim Kaine is the most goyish Democratic nominee in years. And I mean that in a good way. In fact, much of the third night of the Democratic National Convention felt more Republican than Democratic — and that is very good indeed. You remember (or I’ll remind you) how the comedian…
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Opinion Will Bill Clinton’s Spiritual Masterpiece Humanize Hillary for America?
Love him or hate him, former President Bill Clinton delivered a masterpiece of oration last night, a “Checkers” speech for the 21st century. He also reminded us why the spiritual is political and the political is spiritual. Clinton’s job was clear: humanize his wife, Hillary Clinton. Other people could talk about policy, or the threat…
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Opinion The Inconvenient Truths Stalking Hillary Clinton’s Democratic Convention
It’s hard to be a cheerleader when the world’s about to end. That’s how the Democratic National Convention feels right now. Everyone knows that Donald Trump’s post-convention boost is temporary. But still, to see a perfectly qualified, mainstream candidate — too mainstream for many — losing to a white supremacist demagogue with no knowledge of…
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Opinion 4 Ways President Donald Trump Would Be Israel’s Worst Nightmare
Despite grave reservations, many Jews — including, apparently, the billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson — are supporting Donald Trump because of Israel. They should do the opposite. A Trump presidency would constitute an existential threat to the Jewish state, destabilizing the region at precisely the time Israel yearns for stability. Let’s put aside a few…
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Opinion After Nice, We Should Fight Islamic State Terror With Ruthless Progressivism
Will this season of death ever stop? Nice, Dhaka, Istanbul, Orlando, Brussels, San Bernadino, Paris – and those are just the mass murders in cities we know. Over 1200 people have died in ISIS-inspired attacks around the world, not counting those in Iraq and Syria. It is practically impossible to defend against an endless, global…
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Opinion What Can Jews Do About Police Violence After Shootings — and Dallas?
“Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!” The ground this week is not East of Eden, where Cain slew Abel; it is St. Paul, Minnesota, where Philando Castile was gunned down while reaching for his ID. It is Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Alton Sterling was shot at point-blank range, already immobilized and…
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